MechChem Africa March 2017

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March 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 33
⎪ Waste management ⎪
N-series shear speeds-up metal recycling
Texas-based metal recycling company,
Oak Cliff Recycling, has selected Metso’s
N-series inclined shear (NIS) to maximise
metal processing efficiency.
“Metso’s NIS can process difficult ma-
terials quickly and efficiently. Cutting cycle
times are fast, and the design of themoving
floor ingetting the scrapmetal to theblades
removes the added time of folding and
compressing in a box,” says Benjie Smith,
owner, Oak Cliff Recycling.
The Texan recycling company has
struggled with unwieldy materials in con-
ventional style shears that slow down pro-
duction. Oversized and often intractable
material hampered recyclingprocesses, but
the challenges were detected and solved
with the help of Metso experts.
TheMetsoNIS is a state-of-the-art grav-
ity feed shear that can accept longmaterial
and large bulky scrap and is available with
cutting forces from 600 to 1 250 t. Self-
containedandeasy to install, theunit offers
exceptional performance on heavy-melt
scrap, auto bodies, steel mill scrap, miscel-
laneous shapes, pipe, plate, shipbreaking,
railcar, demolition scrap, aluminium, and
stainless steel materials.
Regardless of the size of business, big or
small, the NIS is at the forefront of provid-
ing the technology and services needed to
ensure success. The N-series range is fully
backed by Metso’s worldwide service net-
work. Service contacts are locally available
to customers so that they have efficient
direct support when required.
New housing design for
Lindemann shredders
Metsohas developed a newhousing design
that cuts service downtime, facilitates the
maintenance of recycling equipment and
makes it easier to keep the machinery in
topshape. Available for almost everyMetso
LindemannTM shredder, the new solution
enables multiple maintenance operations
to be performed conveniently, swiftly and
at one time.
Themost significant improvement is the
detachable front wall. The removable unit
provides easier access to wear parts and
speeds up the replacement ofworn compo-
nents.The new design also enables several
maintenance tasks to be carried out at the
same time. With the detachable front wall
lifted out of positionwith a crane, the rotor
adjustment and the replacement of wear
plates, for example, can be conveniently
handled simultaneously.
Minimising maintenance downtime in
production is achievable by acquiring a
secondMetso front wall set for stock. This
makes it possible to replace thewhole front
wall and its worn parts immediately, so
that production can be restarted without
delay. All the required maintenance for
the dismantled set can then be done while
production is up and running so that it is
ready for the next service break.
The solution is available as a retrofit for
existing middle housings, as part of a com-
plete new middle housing, or as standard
for all newMetso Lindemann machines.q
The Metso NIS is a state-of-the-art gravity feed shear that can accept long material and large bulky
scrap and is available with cutting forces from 600 to 1 250 t.
needed in order to recall, repair and rein-
carnate products into an upgraded former
self. Rapid innovation will generate IoT plat-
forms and seamless technologies into new
services and product offerings. The need for
ongoing research and development will drive
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
Mathematics) disciplines.Weneed toprepare
for these complexities, so that the added
layers of life cycles are anticipated in tomor-
row’s briefs and an ‘egg-on-face’ situation is
narrowly averted.
We have to collaborate
Circular solutionswill only realise sustainable,
future-proofedecosystems if everybody is on
board. Perhaps even more important than
the engineers and designers, governance
and regulation are crucial in endorsing these
processes. Redesigning supply chains and
business models require robust round-table
discussions betweenbusinesses, universities,
social groups and policymakers.
Initiatives such as the Ellen MacArthur
Foundation’sCircularEconomy100embraces
this idea that closed-loopambitions cannever
beachievedbyworkinginisolation.Thisgroup
ties together supply chain leaders, industries
and geographies. From designers to academ-
ics, CEOs to city mayors, people are locking
heads and sharing their complementary ex-
pertise. The result ofwhich is amore effective
and holistic solution that generates wins for
both the planet and our pockets.
Linear thinking can’tmeet theneeds of the
emergingcirculareconomy.However,allisnot
lost. Draw a straight line long enough and it
would actually envelop the globe, paradoxi-
callymaking a circle.What we need are linear
thinkers to be open-minded to extrapolate
their thinking out far enough in order to,
ultimately, draw the same conclusion – that a
circular approach is actually where all roads
lead. Going forward, drawing circles around
our consumer behaviourmay be the bestway
to draw the line. q
The original article by Tim
Plenderleith, Client Director
– manufacturing, ANZ & Asia,
Aurecon, was published online
and can be accessed by clicking
the QR code opposite.
Referenced articles:
1 Adidas to make shoes that never get thrown
away: money.cnn.com/2015/09/24/news/
adidas-sport-infinity-lionel-messi/
2 Lease jeansfor€7,50amonth /
lease-a-jeans
3 Puzzlephone, Upgradeable, Sustainable,
Incredible: ww.puzzlephone.com
4 Circular Economy reports: www.ellenmacarthur-
foundation.org /publications
5 Kingfisher Group, Circular Economy 100:
live-q-a-ian-cheshire-leader-of-the-year
6 Phillips:
feasibility-of--selling-light--as-service-based-
model-/