Tight timescales and even tighter site accessibility pose unique conditions for shredder installation

MPS Betriebsführungs GmbH is no stranger to mechanical-physical stabilisation – an environmentally innovative treatment method to obtain Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from residual waste. In fact, MPS’s plant has been operating in the north west of the capital city since 2005, and now processes around 180,000 tonnes of household and commercial waste each year.

However, with such significant volumes of materials to handle, MPS needed a shredder which promised higher system availability, throughput performance and maintenance simplicity. The extensive search for an alternative solution brought the team to UNTHA, but the configuration of the site meant that the installation would be far from straightforward.

UNTHA’s sales manager Daniel Wresnik explains: “When MPS first started talking to us, one important prerequisite was that we could accommodate the structural parameters of the project. The building had been constructed around the original facility which posed extreme limitations in terms of access and assembly.

“Following trials to prove the operational capabilities of the XR, attention therefore turned to the logistical elements of the project. Thankfully the compact and modular nature of the machine meant this wasn’t as tricky as it could have been. We delivered the shredder part-assembled, to enable fast commissioning, with the water cooling system and control cabinet integrated into one pre-fabricated auxiliary unit that simply needed to be positioned outside the hall.”

Thanks to careful planning to minimise the disruption to MPS’s hectic waste processing schedule, the old rotary shear was removed and UNTHA’s new XR installed within only four days.

The XR3000R now acts as both a pre-shredder and a one-stage crushing solution. The machine is uniformly fed with waste by two conveyors, and an in-built pressure valve ensures continuous material loading. With moderate filling, the process can achieve throughputs of 50 tonnes per hour with particle sizing of less than 200mm.

Commenting on the research and selection process for this new machine, plant manager Markus Frank said: “In view of the required installation situation, the compact design of the XR was a decisive factor for us. Moreover, we were impressed by its high throughput performance, with a constant particle size guaranteed over the entire wear period. The XR also enables a targeted improvement in maintenance and upkeep, and guarantees the required high system availability.”

Purposefully designed to ensure long service intervals, the XR does not require a complex maintenance regime. However, as part of the project, UNTHA engineers visit the site on a monthly basis to train and support local staff, as well as auditing the maintenance works carried out since the last inspection.

The result is a very efficient and profitable waste processing operation. Markus concludes: “The low power consumption in combination with the low wear costs makes this machine simply unbeatable compared to those offered by other vendors.”

Widely regarded as one of the most modern mechanical-physical stabilisation plants in Europe, the MPS facility is jointly operated by the ALBA Group and Berliner Stadtreinigung, Berlin’s municipal waste management company.