renews Reclaim. reuse. recycle.
issue ii, volume ii
Long-Lasting Machines for VPPSA Expanding Warehouse in Colorado Removing Plastic From Compost
(Greg Schoenbachler - Silver Spring Organics 910 operating hours on teeth)
Multistar Goes Electric
Low Speed, High Efficiency
The Versatile Crambo 1
renews Reclaim. reuse. recycle.
Contents Komptech Expands
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Multistar L3
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VPPS A
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Low Speed vs. High Speed
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Silver Springs Organics
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Shingle Recycling
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Almstead Tree
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Removing Compost Contamination 11 Johannes Pohl, President
We are seeing growing interest in our technologies, especially in the public sector. Although fuel prices have gone back down somewhat, our customers understand that our machines’ high efficiency and low fuel consumption bring important long-term cost benefits. As the US moves to reduce its dependence on energy imports, the entire waste recycling industry stands to benefit, since recycling is a key way to reduce overall energy use, both with refuse-derived fuel and through reusing materials. In addition, landfill costs are rising, and it’s getting harder to get permits for new landfills. This is resulting in increased demand for technologies like ours that help reduce landfill volume. Public authorities recognize the benefits of waste treatment and recycling, and are investing in it.
Sustained interest in sustainability Last year there was some speculation that public interest in sustainability was a fad that would soon pass. The opposite seems to be the case. Despite the recession, people appear to be more interested than ever in sustainability. Major retailers report that their sustainable products are outselling other products, and town meetings on recycling issues see high attendance and vigorous debate. The economic factors driving sustainability are also here to stay. Right now fuel prices are low due to the recession, but as the recession relaxes its grip, prices will rebound. All this means that investments in environmental technology are going to pay off, now more than ever.
All of this means that the US is definitely going to be our most important growth market in the years to come. We’ve seen similar processes take place in other markets, and right now the US has huge potential. One factor influencing growth will be credit availability. The sooner the credit crunch passes, the faster we’ll see sales go up. But regardless of the rate at which it happens, we know that our industry is entering a long-term growth phase. In this issue of ReNews you’ll see a lot about our Crambo shredder, Multistar screener, and Hurrikan windsifter.. That’s not preferential treatment – it’s only because we happen to have several customer success stories that involve those models. There’s something good to say about all of our machines!
Todd Dunderdale Sales Director
Sincerely Johannes Pohl, CEO, Komptech USA j.pohl@komptech.com
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Brandon Lapsys Sales Associate
Mid Atlantic Waste Systems now distributing Komptech After just two years in the US, Komptech needs more space. The old office in Lafayette, CO had started to feel small, so the company has upgraded the USA headquarters, especially the warehouse. Austria-based Komptech has long been a leading international supplier of machines for solid waste and biomass treatment, but did not set up shop in the United States until 2007. The company started small in this country, with the focus on field sales development. With burgeoning sales and a growing number of employees, the move to a larger office and warehouse was necessary. The new office has 1,500 square feet, and the warehouse measures 2,000 square feet. In particular the warehouse is the real asset. “This has made it possible to triple our stock of all wearing parts and spare parts,” said Komptech USA President Johannes Pohl. “Shipping
throughout the USA is now easier, and most importantly, it’s much faster to ship from here than fly the parts in from overseas. This will result in less downtime for our customers.” “Mike Russo (parts and service manager) is now able to help our customers much more efficiently, and he can ship out the parts the same day,” added Pohl. “Because of the time difference with Austria and Germany where the Komptech factories are, it’s very beneficial for our customers that we have a parts stock available for immediate shipment in the USA.” Komptech dealers also stock parts, so customers can turn to them for local service and expertise. With a central stock at the Komptech office, there is now backup capacity for dealers as well. All in all, the new facility gives Komptech a much better base of operations as the company looks forward to continued long-term growth.
Marcel Vallen Senior Sales Manager
Did you know? Mike Russo Parts & Service Manager
When you throw away one aluminum can you waste as much energy as if you’d filled the same can half-full of gasoline and poured it into the ground. 3
VA Peninsulas Public Service puts the Komptech Topturn to work Long Life Important to Komptech Service life is an important factor in any major purchase, and Komptech pays careful attention to the longlasting quality of our machines. Nowhere is this more evident than with the Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority. They currently run three Komptech machines, a Topturn X60, a Maxx trommel and a Mustang trommel. David Magnant, Director of Operations, says the two trommels are eight to 10 years old and still working great. This comes as no surprise. Komptech builds machines to last, and uses top-notch components like Perkins and Caterpillar engines. One hallmark of Komptech designs is ease of maintenance, and access panels and major parts are convenient to reach, so Komptech machines tend to be cared for better than machines that are harder to service. That plus justly renowned “Made in Austria� build quality helps these machines stay on the job for many years.
Did you know?
The Maxx mobile trommel is designed for mid to large-sized composting operations. The Mustang mobile trommel adds a little more capacity. Both are intended for continuous use in all conditions The Topturn, a self-propelled compost turner for triangular windrows, is designed for heavy use. A hydrostatic drive combined with a solid telescopic frame allows full mobility on any terrain.
Composting turns food scraps and other organic waste into fertilizer that can be used to grow more food. - Biocycle Magazine, Mark Jenner, "Supercharging Solid Waste Energy Production," February 2008
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The Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority is happy with their Komptech machines, and it looks like they’ll stay happy with them for some time to come.
Multistar L3 Goes Electric Fuel prices will never return to their historic lows, and some companies may prefer a cleaner energy alternative for their screening needs. Komptech has just the answer. Introducing the Multistar L3. First delivered in 2008, the electric drive version of this proven star screen is performing beyond expectations. The Multistar L3 can screen up to three fractions. It includes a windsifter which removes any plastic and other light contaminants from the medium and coarse fraction, as well as a ferrous separator. Some may ask, “Why electric?” It’s simple. In some areas, such as California, it can be a difficult and expensive process to get a permit for machinery powered by diesel or gasoline engines. Therefore, Komptech offers the electric option. “We are the only manufacturer that can deliver machines with all these options, to perform all these operations, with hundreds of references all over the world,” noted Komptech USA President Johannes Pohl. The Multistar L3 has plenty more going for it. For example, Komptech’s patented Cleanstar system keeps
the screen continuously clean, so the Multistar can keep on sorting regardless of material moisture. The operator can change particle size at the press of a button. Throughput is up to 250 cubic yards per hour, and operating costs come to just a few cents per ton. One satisfied user is Norcal Waste, in Dixon California, who received their new electric-drive Multistar L3 in May 2008. Norcal handles food waste from San Francisco and the surrounding area. This waste stream is very contaminated and Norcal needed a way to remove plastic from the composted material. They demoed many machines including the Komptech Hurrikan, but the only machine that could make three fractions and keep up with their throughput needs was the Mulitstar L3. This all-electric machine allows Norcal to clean their material of plastic debris, while the complete lack of exhaust emissions lets them avoid permitting issues with the Regional Air Board. Komptech offers all of their trommel screens, star screens and wind sifters with the electric option, in addition to all of them being available in diesel.
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Low Speed, High Efficiency Low Cost
In a fast-paced world, efficiency reigns supreme. Companies are always looking for the quickest way to accomplish the task at hand. But as Komptech knows, raw speed isn’t always the answer, at least when it comes to shredding machinery. While at first glance a high-speed machine would seem to shred faster, a closer look reveals that low speed and high torque are a better way to get the job done. This is especially true when the material being shredded contains metals, which is a nightmare for all high-speed shredder operators. A major factor is downtime. When a machine is down, work isn’t getting done and money isn’t being made. A highspeed shredder is more susceptible to problems. Many highspeed shredders run between 800 and 2000 rpm, thus leaving only milliseconds of reaction time during a snag.
Did you know? 6
To illustrate the difference between high- and low-speed shredding, imagine a car traveling at 70 MPH. If it slams into a concrete wall, airbags will deploy and all other safety features will do their jobs, but the driver will almost certainly suffer injury, and the car will be a total loss. If that same car hits the wall at 5 MPH, the outcome will be much different. The driver exits under his own power, and there is barely a scratch on his bumper. A bit of a stretch perhaps, but it demonstrates a point. Operating at low speed, Komptech shredders offer high yet controlled torque, a safer working environment, high efficiency, low fuel consumption and low noise levels. On high-speed shredders, like with the fast car, even though there may be safety devices that shut down the machine on impact, that first impact is always there, and almost always results in many thousands of dollars in repair costs, not to mention downtime and lost productivity.
Every day Americans use enough steel and tin cans to make a steel pipe running from Los Angeles to New York... and back. If we only recycle one-tenth of the cans we now throw away, we’d save about 3.2 billion of them every year.
A low-speed shredder stops much more safely and gently. The jam still needs to be cleared, but the shredder is usually ready to resume operation right away. The term low-speed refers to the drum speed, not the throughput. With a Komptech shredder it’s the torque that does the work, so there is no throughput penalty – and much less strain on the machine and the teeth. What’s more, since the speed stays constant instead of stopping and starting, the powerplant of a Komptech shredder runs at its most efficient speed more of the time. This keeps fuel costs down. Consequently, a low-speed shredder is cheaper to run, typically $2 per ton total operational cost, as compared to $6 and $8 per ton for typical highspeed shredders.
Komptech offers several different shredder models. The Terminator pre-shredder is designed for all types of waste, and comes in mobile and stationary versions. This low-speed, high-torque, single-shaft shredder can handle any hard-to-shred waste, including carpet, tires and even railroad ties. Built rugged, it allows variable particle sizes simply by adjusting the cutting gap. Its hydraulic drive with overload protection provides excellent protection against damage from contraries. Another Komptech shredder is the mobile Crambo, a dual-shaft shredder for wood and green waste. It offers high throughput for general-purpose use. Slow-running counter-rotating shredding screws reduce dust and noise, while a quick-change system for the screen baskets and tools makes it easy to vary the particle size. With its lower operating costs, slow-speed shredding ends up being more efficient than highspeed shredding. In the final analysis, the lower maintenance needs and dramatically lower risk of breakage also make slow-speed the faster option.
The Terminator, which is a pre-shredder, is designed to be either stationary or mobile, depending on the needs of the consumer, and can handle the toughest of shredding needs.
High Speed Grinders
Komptech Slow Speed/High Torque
Total Cost
6-8 $/ton
2-3.5 $/ton Safe 60-70% with Komptech technology
Wear Cost 20-40 hours on tips
250-600 hours on teeth
+1500% more life time on tools
Fuel
15 Gallons per hour
+60% more fuel efficiency
40 Galons per hour
The shown values are average experience values we discovered on different shredding applications.
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Crambo Proves its Mettle at Silver Springs Organics Greg Schoenbachler is the General Manager of Silver Springs Organics in Rainier, WA. Silver Springs opened a state-of-the-art composting facility in 2007. The facility uses a covered Aerated Static Pile (ASP ) system with negative forced aeration to accelerate the composting process, coupled with biofilters to manage offensive odors. When Greg researched the processing equipment he would use for this new high tech facility, he took many factors into consideration. He wanted a machine that could be fed with a large front-end wheel loader, and would provide extreme reliability with low maintenance and operating costs, and minimal environmental impact. Greg invited many manufactures to demonstrate their machines on his material in Rainier. Of all of them, the Crambo 5000 shredder was the only one that could take the input
Did you know?
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volume from his custom-made 12 yard loader roll-out bucket, without suffering breakdowns from the metal and stone contamination in his material. Since Greg designed the facility to accommodate an electric machine, one very important consideration was the power requirements of the shredder. Because the Crambo’s torque is provided hydraulically, the electric version uses a smaller HP motor than its high speed competitors, thus greatly reducing operational costs. The biggest advantages of the Crambo are its very low maintenance and wear part costs. Greg has confirmed that in 910 operating hours, he has only replaced two individual teeth due to breakage, not wear. All the remaining 134 teeth are original, and he estimates that the first entire tooth change due to wear will not be
Compost is the most efficient type of recycling: it does not involve chemicals, huge amounts of power, or diesel trucks (as do other types of recycling).
until around the 1100 hour mark. Since the first operating hour, the Crambo has maintained an energy cost per hour of approximately $15. Greg insists that he couldn’t have made a better decision for his operation, and he would do it exactly the same again. Silver Springs Organics has permits to process 120,000 tons per year of yard debris, pre- and post-consumer food waste, wood waste, land clearing debris, new construction debris, agricultural wastes, etc. Their compost products meet and exceed the highest industry standards, comply with WADOT specifications, and meet both STA and Organic certification requirements. For a tour of the facility, to see the Crambo 5000 in action, or an informative “Virtual Tour” CD, please contact Greg directly at 360-446-SOIL (7645) ext.101.
Hydraulic unit Crambo
Asphalt shingle recovery system Magnetic Separator II Light Contaminants containers From Hurrikans
Hurrikan SE Windsifter 2 and 3
Crambo 6000 SE Shredder
Course Fraction > 5˝
Hurrikan Windsifter 1
Multistar 3 SE
Magnetic Separation I
Steel 2
Medium fraction 1˝ - 5˝
Steel 0-1˝
Shingle Recycling: Big Market, Low Costs Each year, the US manufactures and disposes of an estimated 11 million tons of asphalt shingles. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that shingle waste makes up 8% of the total building-related waste stream. Asphalt shingles are often collected separately from other debris, making them ideal candidates for recycling. Shingle material can be used for paving in many states, since recycled asphalt shingles can actually improve pavement’s resistance to wear and moisture. Most shingle waste consists of tearoffs from re-roofing. In recycling, nonshingle material must be removed, and the shingles shredded to ¼” – 2 ½” particles, depending on the intended future use. Shredding and separation are two things Komptech machines do extremely well. One combination that has proven its value for asphalt
Did you know?
shingle recycling is the Crambo shredder in conjunction with a Multistar L3 star screen and Hurrikan windsifter. The Crambo is a dual shaft, hydraulic drive, low-speed shredder with a builtin screen basket. This lets operators preset the output material size, unlike most other low-speed shredder brands. The low speed and hydraulic drive make it very forgiving for tramp metal and keeps tool wear to a minimum. The Multistar L3 can separate waste into 3 fractions, plus remove metals and any plastic sheeting fragments, making it an obvious choice for asphalt shingles. Like the Crambo, operating costs are low – only a few cents per ton. For final cleaning, the Hurrkan’s patented “pressure-suction” process gives effective separation of light fractions. Material is first separated out by a pressure blower.
Steel 1
Four types of asphalt shingles are manufactured: • strip • laminated • interlocking • large individual The lightweight material is then drawn off by a powerful suction blower. This takes place twice, for increased throughput and selectivity. With stone trap and magnet drum options to catch nails, the Hurrikan becomes the perfect shingle cleaner. With this combination, Komptech gives recyclers a good way to tap into the recycled shingle market, which will grow in importance as infrastructure renewal projects get under way.
Nearly four-fifths of American homes have asphalt shingle roofs. The two basic types are composition and fiberglass-base shingles. Composition shingles have a core of organic “felt” made from wood and paper fibers. Fiberglass-base shingles have a core of manmade fiberglass matting. 9
Almstead Tree Service Stays Ahead with Komptech Ritchie Almstead started his business many years ago, at the age of 16. Since then he has become very successful, both by providing excellent service, and by looking at new technology and finding ways to do things cheaper and more productively than his competitors. So when he went looking for a large grinder to complement the 36 whole tree chippers his tree crews use, he looked at all the tubgrinders, horizontal feed grinders and low speed shredders on the market. He studied the available machinery for two years, and determined that the best primary grinder for his needs was the Komptech Crambo 6000 shredder. With it, he can shred large logs and stumps into a 3” minus material, that can then be shredded into a 1 1/2” minus double-shredded mulch. This is a premium, high-value, very marketable product.
since it always runs at a constant speed. It also saves tool wear, so operating costs stay low. Like every Komptech, it’s built for long service life, ease of maintenance, low fuel consumption, and low noise operation. For 39 years, Almstead has stayed ahead of the game on technology, so Komptech is particularly proud that they have chosen one of our machines.
The Crambo is a dual-shaft, low-speed machine that uses torque instead of impact to shred the input material. This makes it extraordinarily efficient, 10
The Crambo in action.
Almstead CFO David Domingue and Production Manager Sean Allison - both are thrilled with the Crambo.
Cleaning Up The Problem of Compost Contamination Compost contamination is a problem that many people in the industry are faced with on a daily basis. Luckily, Komptech provides a couple of different solutions for removing materials such as metals, stones and plastic. In fact, Komptech is the only machinery manufacturer that offers two efficient ways of screening and cleaning compost.
star screens, in both mobile and stationary models, in diesel or electricpowered versions. The Multistars feature on-board windsifter and ferrous separator, and can be used for any size operation, and for any and all types of compost and aggregates. This machine provides unbeatably low operating costs while providing full production.
Of all compost contaminants, plastic is the biggest concern, as it is the most difficult to remove. The material that goes into the composting process is often first shredded with high-speed shedders, which reduce plastic into very small particles that are extremely hard to remove.
Komptech also offers an alternative solution, in the form of trommel screens in conjunction with a Hurrikan windsifter. The trommel screen, also known as a drum screen, screens the compost. The coarse fraction is then passed through the Hurrikan windsifter, which removes the contaminants.
The most cost-efficient solution currently available is Komptech star screens, which remove all sizes of plastic from compost. Komptech is proud to offer a full line of Multistar
Did you know?
The Hurrikan is available in mobile as well as stationary versions, in two sizes. Both mobile and stationary versions allow effective cleaning of over-sized screened particles. Even at high throughput, both Hurrikan models offer greater than 90 percent selectivity. They are compatible with most commercially available mobile screening units, and are easy to integrate into new and existing setups. So for cleaning compost, Komptech offers a choice. For those who already have a trommel, the Hurrikan windsifter is an ideal solution. If not, it’s hard to go wrong with a Komptech star screen.
This method is great for operators who already run trommels and need an additional cleaning option.
Did You Know That Compost Can... • Suppress plant diseases and pests. • Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers. • Help in reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by improving contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils. • Remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from stormwater runoff. • Capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air. (Source: EPA)
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Komptech USA Inc. 1724 Majestic Drive #104 Lafayette, Colorado 80026 [P] (720) 890-9090 [F] (720) 890-5907 info@komptechusa.com komptechusa.com
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