Polish scrap specialist invests in UNTHA shredder to produce cement fuel
Scrap metal specialist Polcopper has invested in a new UNTHA shredder as the increasingly multifaceted business expands its production of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF).
For more than 30 years, the family-run business – based in Kościan County, Greater Poland – has collected, shredded, separated, and shipped copper, aluminium, and other scrap metals, for global reuse and recycling.
But in 2021, the innovative firm expanded into general waste management capabilities, to divert more waste from landfill, boost its recycling capacity, and create a fossil fuel substitute with residual materials.
As demand for Polcopper’s RDF has risen, the team required a shredding solution capable of better handling not just MSW and C&I waste, but also tyres – a notoriously difficult application.
Polcopper therefore switched from an incumbent machine to UNTHA’s shredding technology.
Having already purchased an UNTHA XR3000C mobil-e shredder, back in 2021, Polcopper’s latest investment is an UNTHA XR3000C static machine. The solution – with two 132kW motors and UNTHA’s energy-efficient , electric Eco Drive – has now been commissioned, complete with integrated 8500mm conveyor and magnetic separator. Supplied with a 40mm and 90mm screen, this versatile single-shaft shredder can process an array of input materials, down to the homogenous specifications required by off-takers. Customers include recycling businesses as well as cement kilns throughout the country.
Capable of handling up to 23 tonnes of waste per hour, Polcopper has significantly increased its throughputs, plant uptime, and overall capacity. The shredder is therefore expected to have paid for itself in only two years.
Commenting on the investment, Polcopper’s owner, Piotr Rusiecki said: “This is state-of-the-art shredding technology, which operates with an energy-efficient slow speed, without any detrimental impact on our throughputs. It is safe and simple to operate, quick and easy to maintain, and has very low wear rates – this keeps running costs low while ensuring we keep shredding!”
UNTHA Polska’s sales manager Pawel Pietowski added: “We supplied Polcopper’s static XR3000C shredder with a chiller and lubrication system, housed within a dedicated container to protect it from the customer’s dusty environment. We also fixed a magnet to the top of the conveyor for maximum metal separation – and therefore impressive recovery rates, not to mention resale potential.
“We’re excited to watch Polcopper’s continued expansion as they are a well-known name throughout Poland, with the ability to transform tens of thousands of tonnes of waste per year – and more!”
Polcopper has dozens of branch offices and commercial outlets throughout Poland.