UNTHA launches electric mobile shredder

The ‘XR mobil-e’ is the latest innovation from Austrian-headquartered UNTHA. With the same design features as the static XR, this mobile solution provides customers with identical benefits—high throughputs, low operating costs, energy efficiency, low noise, foreign object protection and ease of maintenance. Yet it is the first machine of its kind to shred with a low power electric drive and, thanks to its on-board auxiliary power pack, it can be easily moved around a production facility and plugged back in.

Designed to provide customers with maximum flexibility, the XR mobil-e also can process a variety of materials, including municipal solid waste, commercial and industrial, construction and demolition debris, wood waste and other bulky wastes, to produce a wide number of high quality fuels for the waste to energy (WtE), cement, gasifier and biomass markets. A series of interchangeable screens and cutters enable the shredder to be configured according to the output specification, with homogenous particles of 30-400 millimeters achievable.

Commenting on the launch of this new waste shredding solution, Peter Streinik, UNTHA head of waste business unit said, “When we revealed our all new XR in 2014, the level of worldwide interest was phenomenal. In only six months we received orders totaling 5 million euro (from customers eager to minimize their capital expenditure through the procurement of one single-step SRF shredder.

“But for more than 40 years, we have continued to innovate, however revolutionary our designs. So we continued to talk to the market to uncover what further operational challenges we could address. The need for a robust, flexible and efficient mobile waste shredder was apparent.”

A nine-month engineering project therefore began to research and develop the new waste shredding solution. Trials in Austria, Germany and the U.K. have revealed throughputs as high as 70 metric tons per hour, foreign object removal in minutes and machine reconfiguration to handle completely different material streams in as little as two hours, according to the company.

Peter continues, “These trials enabled us to perfect elements of the technology prior to the market launch. However, our European roadshow of events proved so successful, we are now quoting for dozens of alternative fuel production projects across the continent.”

The XR mobil-e is supplied on tracks with an adjustable exit conveyor and ferrous magnet to ensure the extraction of valuable metals. With low fines production, it creates minimal dust and combustible material during the shredding process. This combined with the slow-speed shredding concept and electro-mechanic—rather than diesel-hydraulic—drive, considerably reduces the fire risk and hence insurance premiums.

Peter concludes, “Aside from the more obvious performance benefits, we’ve also received fantastic feedback about the emission-free, incredibly quiet operation of the XR mobil-e. With noise levels as low as 80 dB(A) this protects operator wellbeing and ensures minimal disruption to neighboring communities. It also facilitates extended operating hours which results in increased throughputs and plant profitability.”

UNTHA will present the XR mobil-e for the first time during IFAT in Munich, May 30 to June 3, 2016. A short video is available at www.untha.com/en/xrmobile.