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Solid Waste Case Studies

Browse all solid waste case studies articles from Franklin Miller.

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Solid Waste Case Studies·March 17, 2020

Taskmaster® Shredders Play Critical Role In E-Waste Recycling Operation

A major e-waste recycler which handles massive quantities of electronics received from many states wanted to make improvements. Their installed 4-shaft shredders were causing excessive maintenance expense and downtime. The company processes all types of e-waste from the smallest electronic components, such as flash cards and circuit boards, to the largest, such as mainframe computers - and everything in between. Their process is design to reclaim valuable metals found in the waste components such as silver, gold, and copper which can only be reclaimed after a shredding process. The company has only one production line which is at work shredding 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In order to extract the precious metals, the e-waste must go through a multi-stage size reduction sequence to get down to the required output size. The company processes a one-line system which is at work shredding 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In order to extract the precious metals, the e-waste must go through a multi-stage size reduction sequence to get down to the required output size. The company stated they weren’t satisfied with the 4-shaft shredders they were using and were looking for a better solution. Those units were taking too much time to repair. Repair costs were excessive and cleaning was required between every production lot, resulting in far too much overall effort, money, and time. That’s when they turned to Franklin Miller for a solution. The company purchased four Franklin Miller TASKMASTER® Shredders to address vital stages of their shredding process. They have two dual-stage size reduction lines running simultaneously, with a dual TASKMASTER TM3000 and a dual TASKMASTER TM1600 in each line. The e-waste first goes through the larger shredder, a TM3000 with fine, multi-tooth cutters. “The TASKMASTER 3000 is our first step of shredding for our e-waste line,” said the technical engineer. The heavy duty TASKMASTER TM3000 industrial shredder reduces high volumes of solids with low speed, high torque, dual shaft design. This shredder is suitable for a variety of shredding applications that demand high power, large throat openings and extra heavy-duty construction. The design of this unit provides effective operation with low noise, sparking, dust or heat rise. The unit can rip, tear and shred through a variety of tough solids, reducing the volume for further processing or economical disposal. After the e-waste is processed by the TM3000, the material next goes through a dual stage Franklin Miller TASKMASTER Model TM1600. These machines have very fine cutters to achieve the final output size required. The TASKMASTER TM1600 shredder, though smaller, is still a powerful workhorse that can shred heavy solids in both gravity and liquid systems. Once the Franklin Miller shredders have finely reduced the e-waste, the material is ready for the final processes. Due to the intensive, high volume nature of the operation, up-time on the shredders is highly critical. The e-waste includes some very tough materials that can challenge the strongest shredders. Finding the right cutter alloy that was tough and resistant to the heavy wear played a big role in the success of the TASKMASTER shredders. It was doubly important here because TASKMASTER Shredders play a critical role in this 24/7 e-waste recycling operation. ‍ Video: Franklin Miller TASKMASTER electronics shredder.

Solid Waste Case Studies·February 5, 2015

Case Study: Research Institute Cuts Waste Problem

The Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama conducts basic research for medical, environmental and engineering companies. The institute was faced with major waste management and disposal problems. The laboratories in the facility produce copious amounts of waste, much of it made of plastic and medical packaging materials. In order to be incorporated into landfills, it was necessary to reduce the waste to an unrecognizable state. The facilities manager considered incinerating the materials but realized that was not a viable disposal method. Clearly, a better alternative was desperately needed. After reviewing a video featuring Franklin Miller TASMASTER® industrial shredders, Facilities Manager, Thomas Hurn, found what he was looking for. ” I saw at once that it had the capacity requirements to manage the waste generated,” he said. “And based on what I saw, it was the best buy for the money.” TASMASTER TM2300 shredders are versatile units with remarkable shredding capabilities on a wide variety of materials. Using counter-rotating banks of intermeshing cutters, they efficiently reduce bulk solids up to 80%. The units cut storage and disposal costs while aiding in the safe disposal of wastes. These units can reduce landfill costs, aid in recycling off-spec materials and waste, and enhance processing. Since installation, the TASMASTER TM2300 industrial shredder has worked exceptionally well. According to Mr. Hurn, “We’ve had no problems. It’s a well-built piece of equipment as far as ruggedness and heavy construction. We’re very satisfied that we made the right decision.” SEE THE FULL LINE OF TASKMASTER INDUSTRIAL SHREDDERS

Solid Waste Case Studies·February 5, 2015

Case Study: TASKMASTER® Chip Destruction System Solves Black Market Problem

A major “chip” manufacturer had a security problem. Truckloads of valuable chips were exposed to pilferage. Each drum of chips was worth more than it’s weight in gold, making it a tempting target. As a result, substandard chips were showing up on the black market. A solution was needed urgently. That’s when the company turned to Franklin Miller Inc for a solution. A complete TASKMASTER® chip loading and shredding system was developed and provided by FMI to solve the problem. This system consisted of a heavy-duty TASKMASTER TM2330 twin shaft industrial shredder with special tool-steel cutters. Also included was a feeder, drum dumper and load cell to determine when the discharge container was full. According to the project manager, “The complete system worked flawlessly.” He continued, “This system made a big difference to our security and cut down on black market activity.” Several additional systems were purchased for international plants. See Our Full Line Of Industrial Shredders

Solid Waste Case Studies·February 5, 2015

Case Study: TASKMASTER® Multi-Stage Shredding System Proves to be a Solid Solution for Pharmaceutical Plant Security

A pharmaceutical manufacturer was faced with major waste management concerns. They urgently needed a powerful shredding system capable of quickly and efficiently reducing bulky pharmaceutical rejects, packaging and literature to an unrecognizable condition. The company had recently purchased shredding equipment to replace older units, which were failing, but soon encountered unexpected problems. Pharmaceutical material passing through the carbon steel shredders often contained corrosive chemicals, which eventually eroded the units. A better solution was required and the manufacturer called on Franklin Miller for help. FMI engineers met on site with the plant manager, evaluated the situation and designed a multi -stage shredding system employing two reduction stages. For the primary stage, a powerful twin shaft TASKMASTER® TM2300 industrial shredder was used to quickly reduce copious amounts of large, bulky material. The output was then sent to a VULCANATOR® KM20 granulator for second stage, ultra fine shredding. In designing the system, very specific conditions had to be met. The shredders were constructed of corrosion-proof stainless steel, easy to clean and dust tight. The TASKMASTER industrial shredder featured a split body frame that allowed removal of each cutter assembly as one piece to simplify maintenance. The units were provided complete with common support stand, input and intermediate hoppers and completely integrated control system with an overload sensing controller. According to the plant manager, the TASKMASTER Multi-Stage Shredding System worked exceptionally well from the day it was installed. It was so successful that another pharmaceutical manufacturer, after a visit to inspect the system, purchased a similar one. “We’re very satisfied that we made the right decision,” he concluded. TASKMASTER Multi-Stage Shredding Systems offer powerful shredding capabilities and provide the most secure destruction for high volume applications. An innovative tandem arrangement incorporates a primary and secondary shredder or grinder, which can be configured to handle many special requirements. The units easily reduce very large or very tough solids en masse including bulk bags, medical waste, bottles and containers, packaging, cardboard, hazardous wastes, plastics, documents and labels and much more.

Solid Waste Case Studies·February 5, 2015

Case Study: TASKMASTER® TM8500 – Shreds Plastic With Ease

Problem: A major chemical company had a problem with safe disposal of contaminated plastic trays. The plastic trays needed to be cleaned and separated from the contaminated material and then shredded to a size that could be easily disposed of. Solution: The plastic trays were washed and separated from the hazardous material and the cleaned plastic was shredded to the required size in the TASKMASTER® TM8500 Shredder. The TASKMASTER TM8500 Industrial Shredder is a heavy-duty, highly versatile disintegrator that requires minimal maintenance. The TM8500 Shredder reduces tough solids with an effective low speed, high torque twin-shaft shredding action. It features a unique CUTTER CARTRIDGE technology. The multi-tooth CUTTER CARTRIDGE® combines individual cutter and spacer disks resulting in marked increase in cutter strength. The result is the reduction of the need for maintenance such as stack retightening and increased longevity. The TASKMASTER Industrial Shredder is equipped with hardened alloy steel hex shafts and an extremely reliable mechanical seal system. The cutting chamber could be supplied to up to 60″ long. Options include flange adapters that convert the unit into a powerful inline processor. SEE OUR FULL LINE OF INDUSTRIAL SHREDDERS

Solid Waste Case Studies·February 5, 2015

Case Study: TASKMASTER® Shredder Aids Remediation

Problem: A major New Jersey consumer product company was faced with a problem. Their facility was going to be replaced. The warehouse was filled with damaged containers of detergent that needed to be remediated. The plastic half-gallon containers, in corrugated boxes, along with other miscellaneous materials, such as; wood, glass, and broken pallets had to be safely disposed of before the facility was torn down. Solution: The company hired an Environmental Waste Remediation organization to properly destroy and dispose of the off-spec product. The fluids in the container had to be safely disposed of without endangering the local sewer system. The off-spec product was introduced into the hopper of the TM2300 shredder by an end-loader. After the material was shredded, the solids were separated from the liquid and disposed of properly.The TASKMASTER® TM2300 Shredder used for the application has a fully enclosed dust-tight body of heavy structural steel. Hardened and ground cutter disks and spacers ride on two parallel hex shafts. These cutters counter-rotate at differing speeds intermeshing one with another. The exclusive split-body frame design allows easy access to the cutters. This feature allows fast removal of the complete cutter assembly as a whole from the top of the unit. The powerful TASKMASTER Shredder is designed to shred solid waste in a broad range of applications with minimal maintenance. The TM2300 line of TASKMASTER Shredders successfully reduces bulk up to 80%.

Solid Waste Case Studies·February 5, 2015

Case Study: TASKMASTER® Grinders Play Central Role in Biofuel Production

A biogas station in Poběžovice, the Czech Republic could be a prototype for what the future holds for the production of energy from renewable sources. Built by the Spin Plzeň company, the facility is located on the grounds of an agricultural farm focused on pig breeding. The station processes a combination of biodegradable waste to produce the biogas. The main component is 100 m3/day of liquid pig manure which is combined with maize silage and slaughterhouse waste. The components of the station were designed and manufactured by the company, Tomášek SERVIS, s.r.o. Various proposals for processing input raw materials were considered. The goal was to install size reduction equipment capable of handling 9.5 t/day of raw materials with a required particle size at output of 12 mm. Proper treatment was essential, as the form and output size of solid particles was strictly regulated. After meeting with a technologist and several company representatives, a recommended solution was the addition of two Franklin Miller -TASKMASTER® twin shaft grinders: a horizontal twin-shaft model with a feeding hopper and a second vertical grinder further down the line. Following several test runs, the two grinders were installed and the station began production in 2009. In operation, the input raw material passes through the TASKMASTER, Model TM2342, where the primary grinding of solids is carried out. The raw material continues gravitationally to a reservoir where the ground solids are mixed with liquid pig manure. The combined material is sent to the TASKMASTER, Model TM851204 for secondary maceration and piped into the pasteurizing vessel. The material is then put into a digester which begins the biogas production process. At present, the grinders process raw materials several times a week prior to pasteurization. Since their installation, the operation of the units have been excellent. A problem arose only once when animal hides with bristles were erroneously added to the input material. Franklin Miller solved the problem by providing optional combs for automatic cleaning of these areas and advising personnel of the necessity of following guidelines in the operating manuals. According to both the station owner and operators, the units do an excellent job of size reduction, are extremely reliable and easy to maintain. The pasteurization process, an important step, has successfully passed several inspections by state agricultural, environmental and health agencies, an indication that the units are optimally processing the raw material. And to top things off, the station recently decided to expand their operations and subsequently ordered two more TASKMASTER grinders. TASKMASTER grinders set the standard for effective solids reduction, reliability, easy maintenance and exceptional durability. These grinders are provided from small units that can be installed directly in pipe systems up to large shredders that feature 40, 75 and 100 HP motors for handling everything from solid waste and hides to tires and solid rocket fuel. These units are provided with Franklin Miller’s unique sealing technology which makes them uniquely suited for wet processing under pressure conditions as well as for dry gravity applications. TASKMASTER grinders are available with many innovative features including patented CUTTER CARTRIDGE® technology. With these cartridges, multitudes of individual cutter and spacer disks are replaced with a few one-piece multi-cutter cartridges that greatly enhance unit strength and performance.

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