Time-consuming handling and risk of injury: Installation of a shredder on a zinc die-casting machine minimises space requirements and logistics costs.
Fully automated disposal speeds up the process and reduces the risk of accidents.
Products manufactured using the zinc die-casting process can be found in vehicles as well as in toys or medical technology products and can take on a wide variety of forms. Not only is the process particularly versatile, but there is also no loss of material to worry about, as the zinc residues can be remelted and re-processed without any loss of quality, which benefits the environment. Disposal, however, is a problem: The often bulky production residues require a lot of space and usually have to be removed manually at short intervals, which impedes production processes. The sharp-edged surfaces also increase the risk of injury for the personnel responsible. The M600 single-shaft shredder from ERDWICH Zerkleinerungs-Systeme GmbH, which can be installed directly on the die-casting machine, offers a remedy. It minimises the space, logistics and time required and makes manual handling obsolete. For components of different sizes, ERDWICH also offers the RM1350 ripper and the M465 and M(H)480 twin-shaft shredders with electro-mechanical and hydraulic drives. A model (in miniature format) of the RM1350 will be presented at EUROGUSS 2022 in Nuremberg.
The zinc die-casting process has been established in mass production for a long time: Depending on the size of the product to be manufactured, it is possible to produce a number of parts in the three- to four-digit range with just one die casting mould - per hour. Particularly in the production of parts for the automotive industry or in mechanical engineering, sprue and runners, punch burrs or defective workpieces can lead to full scrap containers within a very short time. If these are not replaced quickly enough by empty containers, this results in a considerable impediment to the operating processes - in the worst case, the production speed has to be throttled. "In many companies, the removal for remelting is often still done manually," explains Harald Erdwich, Managing Director of ERDWICH Zerkleinerungs-Systeme GmbH. "The personnel are then not only exposed to noise and heat, but there is also an increased risk of accidents and injuries due to the sometimes very sharp-edged die-cast parts."
Efficient on-site shredding of production residues of different sizes.
How can these difficulties be avoided even during the production of the die-cast parts? ERDWICH has developed shredders for different sizes for this purpose, which can be installed directly at the die casting plant. In this way, the scrap parts are shredded to a more manageable size even before they are stored in the containers provided for this purpose. Among others, the single-shaft shredder M600, which is available with different cutting gear lengths, is suitable for this application. It was designed for shredding small die-cast parts weighing up to 2 kg and can significantly reduce the volume of the parts by up to 60 per cent. "With our plants, we always make sure that they fit the specific requirements of our customers," Erdwich reports. "That's why we offer the M600, as with most of our shredders, with different sizes of cutting gear and drive powers."
The compact machine dimensions are another advantage, because depending on the version, the plant takes up a floor space of just 1.5m2. This means that operation is possible even in confined spaces. In addition, the company attaches great importance to the longest possible service life and ease of maintenance: The fully hardened knives, which can thus be reground several times, ensure the longest possible, uninterrupted operation of the shredder.
Fully automated solutions for integration into production lines
"In addition to the M600, we also offer plants that are suitable for shredding larger scrap parts," explains Erdwich. "These include the M465 and M(H)480 twin-shaft shredders and the RM1350 ripper, which can efficiently shred and break down parts weighing up to 10 kg or even complete body structure components. Each shredder meets our high safety standards and is designed for long operating times." All plants can be connected directly to the casting station or die-casting machine and, as fully automated solutions, can also be retrofitted into existing production lines. To ensure optimal integration of the shredders into the line, ERDWICH offers on-site appointments at the customer's premises. There, the company's experts get an overview of the conditions and then work out a constructive solution that makes optimal use of the available space whilst still providing the necessary plant size.
After shredding by the ERDWICH shredders, the manageable metal parts can be collected in containers via conveyor belts or transported directly back to the furnace systems. This ensures that the shredded material is returned to the production process as quickly as possible. The volume of waste cast parts is reduced by 50 to 60 percent. Thus, the entire internal logistics process can be optimised, resulting in the eradication of space consuming and cost intensive temporary storage of the reject materials, and further removes the need for manual removal of the dangerous material. Furthermore, the size reduction can lead to energy savings in the melting furnaces, since the smaller components are more efficiently and more easily remelted. In this way, the resource-saving reprocessing of the reject material becomes an essential production element in an energy efficient and cost saving production cycle.
At the EUROGUSS 2022 in Nuremberg, ERDWICH will be providing information on the entire range of its shredder portfolio for castings.
A model (in miniature format) of the RM1350 will also be presented at Stand 9-257 in Hall 9. There, Managing Director Harald Erdwich and his colleagues will be available for initial discussions and specific enquiries.
Further information is available on the Internet at: www.erdwich.com
What: EUROGUSS 2022
When: 08 to 10 June 2022
Where: Nuremberg Trade Fair - Messe Nürnberg - Hall 09, Stand 9-257
Contact person: Harald Erdwich (Managing Director)
Further information: http://www.erdwich.com
