High-end organics material prepping is gaining in importance – given the strict requirements of natural fertilizer laws and other quality guidelines, going forward only high-quality compost or fermented products will be marketable.
One major factor is the removal of contraries and foreign matter, which will unfortunately continue to find their way into the organic waste stream in higher amounts. Plastic, glass and metal are the major culprits. They are visible in the final product and reduce its public acceptance. This has given rise to some quite rigid limit values, which place high demands on feedstock preparation. We offer a range of machines ideally configured to deal with those issues. New developments have made these machines even more powerful.
Focus on optimizing preparation processes
The material prepping process is the first step, because the quality of the output depends on the quality of the input. One way to facilitate the process is to use a low-speed machine to shred the input. Examples are the Terminator single-shaft shredder and Crambo dual-shaft shredder, both of which are offered in mobile and stationary versions.
The Crambo has proven very effective with severely contaminated organic waste. In its extra-large shredding chamber, two 2.8 m counterrotating toothed drums ensure positive feed. They open up the material to expose foreign items and contraries, but don’t shred them smaller than necessary. This makes these materials much easier to deal with downstream in the treatment process. With the very heterogeneous and packaged material typical of organic input, only the Crambo can greatly reduce oversizes and reliably open packages, greatly facilitating downstream processes. Another approach is to pre-screen input prior to shredding, to remove contraries like packaging right from the start.
Separation can take place at the end of the process chain
At the end of the process, in addition to screening with star or drum screens, a wind sifter like the Hurrikan or a stone separator like the Stonefex is an invaluable piece of equipment. While the Hurrikan can remove light contraries like plastic film, the Stonefex separates out heavy and hard items like stones and hard plastic. If the input material contains both kinds of contraries, both machines can be readily combined.
New technology: Practical use counts
One of the most interesting new machines for organic waste prepping is the Metalfex non-ferrous metal separator. Like the Stonefex and Hurrikan, the Metalfex greatly improves product quality at the end of the process chain. An optional ferrous separator can also be installed. Three different mobility configurations make it a very flexible technology. We also updated our screening offerings.
Based on the successful Nemus 2700, the Nemus 3000 is a drum screener that sets a new standard in maintenance and service-friendliness. Longer discharge belts and the ability to use screen drums from competitor machines are further benefits of this thoroughly practical new machine.
Visit: Komptech
