ServiceThe Formula 1 is our idol

InnovationDiary of a developer

Practice

Franz Schernthaner goes Extra-Extra-Extra-Large

magazine 4/2010

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Innovation included.

Technology for a better environment

Powerful hydraulic drive

Threefold use of drum teeth

Continously adjustable cutting gap

Hydraulically foldable overhead conveyor magnet

www.komptech.com

The rest is in the brochure. And at www.komptech.com.

TerminatorSlow-speed universal waste shredder

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Publisher: Komptech GmbH, Kühau 37, A-8130 FrohnleitenT +43 3126 505 - 0, F +43 3126 505 - 505, info@komptech.com, www.komptech.comEditors: Andreas Kunter, Joachim HirtenfellnerLayout & graphics: Alexandra GauglPhotos: Komptech GmbHFrequency of appearance: periodically

Contents

PracticeRoom to breatheKen Newman reveals why the Crambo is just the right machine for aerating his compost rows. 4

MarketsBig is beautifulIt’s no accident that America’s most popular burger is the “Big Mac.” Komptech USA director Johannes Pohl reports on this XXL market. 6

PracticeBelgian biopowerBelgian biomass pioneer Kristof Mouton swears by his Komptech Chippo, and tells us why. 7

PracticeBad news for smokersFranz Schernthaner explains how his new Multistar XXXL helps improve his health, and why he went Extra-Extra-Extra-Large. 10

Practice10,000 hours and no sign of stopping yetA Topturn churning its way from Paris to Moscow – impossible? Not at all. Find out why. 12

Future“For a better environment is our passion”Komptech director Josef Heissenberger on the fundamental values of his company and his new “job.” 14

InnovationDiary of a developerGood things come to those who wait – or who work on making them happen. Developer Tamas Bajtay on the creation of the Axtor 8012 universal wood shredder –an emotional journey. 15

Service"We want to give Formula 1 service" Group Service Manager Manfred Harb explains in an interview why Komptech service technicians must be fast, expert and precise. 18

Reader lettersJust ask usCustomers get the answers they’re looking for. 20

In briefFind out what else is happening in and around Komptech. 22

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Ken Newman has the right machine

The Belgian biomass pioneer

Long-running machines

Josef Heissenberger about the passion of Komptech

Royal Oak Farm, LLC of Evington, VA, is a regional leader in compost production and specialty soil products. Recently, Ken Newman, managing member of Royal Oak Farm, decided to purchase a Komptech Crambo 5000 Mobile shredder to help keep the compost aerated.

Room to breathe

Practice

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The Crambo provides the structure material for the compost windrows. Ken Newman (right) and Lance Hood, Mid Atlantic Waste Systems.

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Practice

Newman got into the composting business after farming for several years, producing pasture-raised hogs and chickens. “We had no lagoons, so rather than spreading the manure on the fields, we took the sawdust and manure from the deep litter barns, and composted it.”

In 2005, the farm secured a contract with a local paper mill to compost their short fiber paper waste. “We went from an on-farm composting facility to a fully permitted industrial/commercial composting operation with a 150,000-ton capacity per year.” Currently the farm processes 85,000 tons of paper, food waste and wood waste into compost annually.

Since wood waste is one of the primary ingredients of his organic compost and specialty soil product line, Newman said that a new shredder was the ideal choice for the future success of his business. “Wood waste in this area is extremely hard to come by,” he said. “There is no landfill ban on yard

waste, and there is not a burning ban in this state. There are plenty of high speed grinders in the marketplace, but what we were after was a large, coarse wood waste that will go into our system and keep the piles aerated,” he said. “All the other raw material products that we deal with, the sludges, the food waste, the wood ash, are all very fine materials. We need a bulking agent to open things up and to allow those windrows to ‘breathe’ as well,” adding that “High speed grinders produce a mulch type material that is too fine for this operation.”

“To take in stumps and brush, we knew that we needed a machine like the Komptech tracked unit,” he said. “We also wanted one that would shred the wood to the size we need. We screen the topsoil out of the wood waste that comes from the stumps and roots that we put through the machine. That screened topsoil goes out to the screened topsoil side of our business, while the wood waste goes to the composting side.”

Two big guys: Ken Newman with a three-tonne rootstock that will soon end up in the Crambo.

The farm field-tested several brands of grinder/shredders, with the primary prerequisite being that the machine had to be able to grind stumps and brush. Newman adds, “the Komptech Crambo 5000 shredder was definitely the best one for our needs.”

www.royaloakfarmllc.comThe Crambo provides the structure material for the compost windrows. Ken Newman (right) and Lance Hood, Mid Atlantic Waste Systems.

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The US market has changed greatly in many ways over the last few years. Business financing has become a rare and precious thing, so that even sound businesses have had go to much greater lengths to convince banks to give them financing for machine investments. Under these circumstances, if you ask American customers what the most important thing is that a new machine must deliver, you will very often hear “Return on Investment.” By that they mean the profit they can realize through the operation of the machine. Hard on the heels of this criterion come spare parts and on-site service availability. Komptech USA saw the need, and has responded by offering service day or night, to maximize customer machine availability and minimize losses due

Johannes PohlDirector, Komptech USA Inc., Denver - Colorado

to downtime. Komptech has invested heavily in service capabilities in recent years, and this investment has paid off in every respect.Of course, all Komptech machines are highly dependable to begin with. This is an absolute must for anyone who understands the possible consequences of breakdowns and accidents in the US. And one more thing has changed – the US market has become faster-moving than ever. Purchase decisions are made very quickly, and machines need to be available right away. The company that can deliver the fastest gets the business.

Markets

"The company that can deliver the fastest gets the business".

“Go big, or go home” – the American market prefers also big machines.

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Belgian Bio-Power

Like all the EU countries, Belgium is working on meeting its climate goals, and thus on converting to renewable energy sources. While Belgium is certainly not one of the most heavily-forested countries, interest in fuel from woody biomass is growing here as well. The prime mover behind biomass is Kristof Mouton, and he works from morning till evening to get the best possible fuel from wood resources.

The best way to get an idea of what’s involved in producing tailor-made bio-fuel from green waste, or even entire trees, is to visit the plant in Lochristi not far from Ghent. To the uninitiated, the ceaseless activity may seem random – big trucks load and unload, material goes into shredders, frontloaders rush to fro from the piles of chips surrounding screening machines. But a walk around the facility with Kristof Mouton quickly makes everything clear, and it’s surprising how precisely the operation can react to customer needs with the right combination of material and machines.

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Practice

Kristof Mouton, Belgian biomass pioneer

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We’re standing in front a large mountain of chips. Kristof Mouton grabs two handfuls and lets it run through his fingers. His furrowed brow becomes smooth, and he says he is satisfied with the quality, because what he finds is good, consistent material without fine fractions. He explains that this particular customer uses a gasifier design that cannot tolerate fines, as these would cause problems in the boiler due to turbulence. The solution was to rough-chip with a large screen basket and then screen out with a star screen. A mix of fresh and dry trunk wood is used to get the required calorific value. In machinery terms, a Chippo 5010 C direct does the chipping with maximum blade advance and an 80 screen basket, while a Multistar L3 does the screening. “It sounds simple,” says Kristof Mouton

“but you have to not only invest in the right machines, you also have to use them efficiently, otherwise you don’t make any money.” It has definitely paid off for him, because no other vendor was able to deliver comparable quality. Mouton was able to double the order volume, so now up to 6 tractor-trailers full of high-quality chips leave the facility every day.

“I need nice, big chips - the bigger the better.”

It was also this high product quality that convinced Kristof Mouton to buy a Chippo. He had previously bought another chipper in 2007, but it soon

became obvious that the machine did not meet his needs. “I need big, precisely cut chips, and when I saw the Chippo for the first time, it was clear – that’s how I want my chips to look too,” says Kristof Mouton. Today Mouton has two Chippos in his machine park, a tractor-driven Chippo 510 C which he bought first, followed just one year later by the truck-driven Chippo 5010 C direct. “Each of them works more than 1000 chipping hours per year, and that kind of workload is necessary if you want to work profitably. Productivity is also important – I can only make use of the chipper’s high performance if the transportation logistics are right. On roads or pavement I can work comfortably with tractor-trailers, but off-road I need a tractor and loading wagons.

Practice

www.groepmouton.be

Kristof Mouton supplies biofuel to customer order. Checking the material is a job for the boss.

Working next to the highway is a logistical challenge. An experienced team fells trees, chips them on-site and hauls the chips away.

Green waste, rootstocks or pallets – with a Crambo shredder and a Multistar star screen, it all turns into biofuel.

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The Mouton Group

The company rests on two pillars. The first is land-clearing services, which the company started out with ten years ago, and the second is the manufacture and sale of biofuels. Clearly these two activities are a good fit, since the “waste” created by clearing can be transformed into valuable products. So far so good, but the growing number of chip customers wanted more than waste chipping could provide. So Mouton purchases tree trunks, and today has an impressive stock of wood, which is largest in the summer months. Nothing is left to chance, and Kristof Mouton himself does the wood buying, choosing half-dry wood that gains in calorific value in a defined storage location under close monitoring. The company always knows which logs where have what moisture content. Tree trunks can be taken “off the shelf” and quickly transformed into a fuel with the calorific value required by the client.

„I am ready for anything with Chippo, Crambo and the Multistar star screen machine“.

But not all biomass can be made into chips. To be able to shred rootstocks or process green cuttings, at the beginning of the year the company bought a slow-speed machine. “I have a problem,” says Kristof Mouton, “I have a hard time

Looking ahead Short rotation plant farming with fast-growing trees like poplars and willows are a good alternative or supplement to wood from forestry. So that Belgium will have enough home-grown woody biomass down the road, Kristof Mouton is taking part in a large-scale research project as a matter of conviction. He has devoted 20 hectares of his land to testing different short rotation plants for their sustainability in terms of soil, air and water, as well as their economic viability.

saying no to my customers. Since our machines are often out serving other customers, we were confronted by chipping needs that we didn’t want to risk doing with a high-speed machine. Now we have a tough Crambo that makes a coarser product for thermal power stations from these materials, usually in line with a star screen.”Later, we sit in his office and discuss the future. Kristof Mouton considers his own company to be well situated. “Our current size is just right for this market. Yes, we grew quickly, but a certain amount of equipment is necessary in order to get a stable footing in this business. Now we have all the pieces in place, and can supply almost any customer need.”Under the brand name Wood Energy the company is now working on the last step, sales and supply of the fuel to power stations. The product range runs from chips to pellets to split logs. Kristof Mouton reckons that many small and medium-sized companies are just about to switch from oil to biomass. He’s ready to deliver the fuel they need to turn Belgium’s climate goals from paper to reality.

Practice

Working next to the highway is a logistical challenge. An experienced team fells trees, chips them on-site and hauls the chips away.

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Practice

Bad news for smokers

It is widely known that society is not making it easy for smokers at the moment. But a new development is Komptech’s contribution to the situation with its innovative products. Here is an on-site inspection with Franz Schernthaner and his new Multistar XXXL.

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Siegmund (rear) and Franz Schernthaner with their new Multistar XXXL

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“Our company has orders for the annual screening of over 200,000 cubic metres of material“, says Franz Schernthaner, referring to his company’s excellent order books. “There are always at least 2,000 cubic metres of material at individual sites. Screening prices have continually fallen in the past – customers pay according to output”. It was about designing a machine which satisfies these requirements. This spawned the idea of the Multistar XXXL, the world‘s largest mobile screen machine.

„Now there´s no time to smoke“.

The dimensions of the star screen machine, designed especially for Schernthaner, far exceed all previous dimensions - a hopper volume of 15 m³, a coarse screen area of 8.6 m² and a fine screen area of over 15 m² also guarantee a massive throughput rate of up to 500 cubic metres an hour. “The performance of the machine is unbelievable“, comments Schernthaner, expressing his enthusiasm for his investment. “The larger screen area and the larger hopper allow screen workrates of more than 2,000 cubic metres per day”. Feeding the machine represents a major challenge for the operator.

About the companySince 1960, Schernthaner GmbH in Neuried on the outskirts of Munich has grown from a small farm to a company capable of taking on large-scale orders. Now the company employs 100 skilled employees who are ensuring that Schernthaner GmbH can take on gardening/landscaping, excavation, chip production and composting work. The company’s early identification of the potential for organic waste for composting is down to the entrepreneurial f lair of Josef Schernthaner. The process converts this organic waste into valuable soil conditioner. This enables the company to recycle green and biowaste into quality-assured compost which can be used as natural fertiliser. It is also provides feed material for different substrate mixes. Schernthaner also produces ready-to-use plant and potting soil in sacks for both hobby and professional gardeners. The generation of biomass fuel for energy recovery is yet another enterprise.

“A five cubic metre bucket load must be piled in every 25 seconds“, says Franz Schernthaner, describing the Multistar’s maximum performance. The machine can only be operated with a wheel loader continuously feeding and a second loader removing the screened material.Which is good for the health of customers. “Now there's no time to smoke", says Schernthaner, winking.

Practice

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www.schernthaner.de

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10,000 hours and still going strong

10,000 operating hours is a long time. Enough time for a Terminator to shred a half million tonnes of waste, or a Topturn to turn 2000 kilometres of windrow – the distance between Paris and Moskow – or a Mustang to screen a 100 meter mountain of compost.

How can these Komptech machines still be going so strong after all this work? Partly it’s in their “genes,” and partly it’s thanks to the care and maintenance with which their owners reward them for their efforts.

Built-in toughness, high-quality components and quality-assured assembly give Komptech machines significantly longer life spans than competing products. So, while the initial investment might be higher, at the end of the day what counts are the specific operating costs. And that’s where Terminator, Topturn & Co. have the edge, with their longer service life.

Operating hours: 10.394Magistratsabteilung 48, Kompostwerk Lobau (Vienna, Austria)

Operating hours: 19.720

Entsorgungsgesellschaft Westmünsterland mbH

(Gescher, Germany)

Terminator 3400

Operating hours: 11.736

Müllex-Umwelt-Säuberung-GmbH

(Hofstätten, Austria)

Crambo 5000

Practice

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10,000 hours and still going strong

Operating hours: 10.394Magistratsabteilung 48, Kompostwerk Lobau (Vienna, Austria)

Topturn 4000

Operating hours: 12.764Van Lenthe (Dalfsen, Netherlands)

Operating hours: 14.527

Kompostierung-Service Käßmeyer GmbH

(Erkheim, Germany)

Operating hours: 11.736

Müllex-Umwelt-Säuberung-GmbH

(Hofstätten, Austria)

Crambo 5000

Practice

Max

Multistar 3-SE

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In discussion with...

Josef Heissenberger, Founder and Director, Komptech GmbH

"For a better environment is our passion"

Since June 2010, Josef Heissenberger has had one more task on his plate – he is now the deputy chairman of the Austrian Biomass Association. We asked him about his motivations for getting involved. Mr. Heissenberger, as the CEO of an international company, you surely don’t lack for things to do. Why this additional commitment with the Austrian Biomass Association?

We made a conscious decision to adopt "Technology for a better environment" as our company motto. But we certainly don’t want to stop at just technology. So we try to make a contribution to changing people’s awareness, not only at the company but also beyond. In a time of demonstrated climate change, we simply have to get away from dependence on fossil fuels. That is the only way to secure a positive future. Just look at the Gulf of Mexico – what an incredible mess.

What is your definitive contribution to this positive future?

"For a better environment" is Komptech’s passion. Treating the environment

right needs to be part of everything that bears the Komptech name. We want to help make sure that better environmental legislation is passed, to protect our environment and all of its resources over the long term. The EU countries need to be the leaders in environmental protection. This is also the only way our company can be successful internationally.

Would you call yourself “green?”

In addition to my professional focus, in my private life I pay a lot of attention to environmental sustainability. This affects what I buy, among other things. For example, I recently had a wood-chip heating system installed. That’s a personal contribution to a better environment. But I’d say I’m definitely too success-driven and performance-oriented to count as a classic “green.”

„We have to get away from dependency on fossil fuels“.

Future

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Diary of a developer

Innovation

15

A developer’s task is never easy, especially not in a company that has committed itself to “Innovation included.” So of course Komptech’s “high-speed universal wood shredder” project offered plenty of challenges. Tamás Bajtay gives us a look at his diary entries concerning the creation of the Axtor 8012.

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21 December 2007Komptech GmbH management decides to build a high-speed universal wood shredder.

8 January 2008Discussion of the basic concept of the machine together with customers.

16 February 2008Here we go! The Komptech development team starts design work.

3 March 2008Decision on the power plant – a 522 kW Caterpillar C18. That means about 450 kW of power at the rotor.

15 March 2008To get the best results, for chipping we need an engine speed of 1800 rpm and rotor speed of 400 rpm, but 730 rpm for shredding with free-swinging hammers. So we need to design a space-saving transmission that can do both speeds.

2 April 2008A big moment: Renowned Graz University design professor Gerhard Heufler presents a design study.

4 November 2008Time to roll up sleeves! Prototype construction starts at the Komptech Research Center.

13 November 2008Installation of the engine, the heart of the machine.

1 December 2008The machine frame is built on a three-axle chassis.

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3 January 2009Initial adjustment work on the outside panels.

13 February 2009The baby has a name. Group executive management decides to call the machine series “Axtor.”

19 March 2009Installation of cutting tools on the drum, and the drum in the machine. The painted outside panels go on the machine.

30 March 2009Finally – the first trial runs at the Komptech Research Center. Chip quality is surprisingly good, but the blades slip sideways into the clamps.

4 May 2009More tests, this time with fixed and free-swinging hammers. These tests are also the beginning of “final adjustment” work. Throughput in these tests is impressive.

17 June 2009What a day. A hardwood test destroys all the blades the day before a demonstration. Repairs take all night.

18 June 2009The demonstration at a sales partner event in Salzburg can proceed as planned. The Axtor makes a good impression with impressive throughput and outstanding output material quality.

19 June 2009Looks like our calculations on the direction of force were a little off. Back to the drawing board.The computer simulations and materials specialists from the Montanistic University in Leoben shed light on the issue. Problem solved!

From the idea…

Innovation

1717

6 July 2009Red alarm! A massive contaminant destroys all the tools in a test run, but the contaminant guard keeps the rotor undamaged. Our rotor and tool designs were good, and only the shear bolts suffered. The components around the rotor came out OK too. The shredder table also turned out to be tough enough, just as calculated.

26 November 2009Axtor is tested in continuous operation at the Lengel company. Long-term durability turns out to be inadequate and testing is stopped on 20 December 2009. Measurements show that the intake component design was good but the components need to be stronger. The decision is made to completely revise the prototype, to address all the problems that have showed up in all test runs, and make the most out of the machine’s demonstrated potential.

23 February 2010Start of disassembly.

1 March 2010The first “new” parts for the prototype arrive and are installed.

7 May 2010The Axtor is once again complete and back in trials.

24 June 2010Presentation of the new machine at the 2010 Sales Partner Day in Graz. The demonstration is a success.

14 July 2010The Axtor 8012 is presented at the Interforst show in Munich.

4 August 2010One of the most exciting phases starts. In a 14-day endurance test with free-swinging tools, the machine meets all expectations, and there are no faults.

13 September 2010It’s done! The Axtor is ready for series production. Introduction to the public at the VDMA Practice Days at the IFAT 2010 show in Munich.

...to the finished machine

Innovation

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Service

Can service make the difference to customers today? We are absolutely convinced that it can. The Komptech brand stands for innovation and quality, and also excellent service. That means that when customers choose Komptech, they also expect the best service performance on the market. We want our service to have the same level of speed, precision and quality you see in Formula 1 pit stops. That means we always have to be better than the others – whether in terms of faster reaction times in on-site service and spare parts deliveries, or better training of our service technicians.

What specifically do you mean by faster reaction times?

Our customers buy machines so they can work with them to make money. For the customer, a machine that is down means money that is not coming in. It’s as simple as that.Fast reaction is the only thing that can help. Therefore, we’ve put rules in place for reaction times in an internal guideline. For example, one rule is that a customer must be informed within no more than an hour of when he will get the spare part he needs, or when the service

technician will be at his site if he needs service.If one of these reaction times is exceeded, we make internal changes so we can do better the next time.

What’s special about Komptech’s spare parts logistics?

Spare parts availability is naturally one of the key criteria in service performance. A machine can be restored to operational status efficiently only when service technicians and spare parts are on-site at the right time. When you consider that our machines can consist of between 2000 and 3000 different individual parts, it’s easy to see that spare parts logistics is not a simple matter.In our industry there is a trend towards reducing stock volumes, which naturally has an immediate impact on spare parts availability. At Komptech, we’re not following this trend, but instead going our own way. Naturally we continue to refine our logistics processes, and we know what parts are needed most in what seasons, and we integrate our vendors into our logistics chain. But in addition, in over 40 countries we keep stocks of the most important replacement and wear parts on-site at our sales and service partner locations. If a customer needs a part that isn’t on-

In discussion with...

Group Service Manager Manfred Harb is responsible for After Sales Service.

His mission is offering the best service to our customers.

His passion is continually improving our service reaction times.

“Simple. Fast. Capable.”The motto of our service organisation

"We want to give Formula 1 service"

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site, our sales partners can access our production parts stock database and immediately order the required part, independent of the time zone. This puts us in a position to guarantee the fastest possible parts availability, usually the next day.

What are you working on right now?

All the customers I talk to are interested in being able to plan their operating costs. Processing solid waste and biomass is getting more and more complex, the number of machines needed is increasing, and for some operators, margins are getting thinner. So to succeed and work profitably, it is important to have a very good handle on operating costs. Therefore, we are currently giving much thought to how we can reduce operating costs for our users. For example, with oil analyses as part of regular maintenance, we’ll be able to cut maintenance costs for shredders by up to 30%. We’ve also gotten excellent results from refining the design of our wear parts, in consultation with customers. In fact, in the design of wear parts, it is just this combination of user experience and our technical abilities that allows us to give the best quality at the best price.

What benefits can users expect from this?

We don’t just try to minimize operating costs, we also assume responsibility for keeping them low. With our modular service agreements, we offer both maximum machine availability and predictable costs for repairs and maintenance. The customer pays per operating hour, so there are no surprises.

What do you expect all these efforts to achieve? We want to accompany Komptech machines throughout their entire life cycle, and be a dependable partner for our customers. When customers describe Komptech service, we want them to think of it in terms of qualities like “simple, fast, and capable.”

"We want to give Formula 1 service"

Service

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Marc L., Belgium: I’m very interested in Komptech’s electric trommel screeners. What kind of electrical connection would I need in order to operate the machine directly from the grid, and how much can I save by doing that?

Bernd Thielepape (Director Komptech Umwelttechnik Deutschland GmbH)responds:

Our electric-drive trommel screens can be connected directly to the local grid with a standard CEE connection (63 ampere/400 volt). Versions with the diesel generator also have the option of direct grid operation without the generator. In fact, wherever the situation allows, the machine should be run on grid power, since this saves energy and thus costs, as opposed to generator operation.The potential energy cost savings over conventional diesel-hydraulic can be as high as 75%, or up to 50% compared to the generator version. In addition to fuel costs, running an engine also occasions maintenance costs.

Peter B., Austria:In my opinion, shredding to sizes < 150 mm with the Crambo is uneconomical. What alternatives are there to this method?

Heinz Leitner (Director Komptech Umwelttechnik GmbH) responds:

Due to the nature of the system, shredding to a smaller size with a slow shredder is less efficient than with fast shredders. If there are just a few contaminants – by which I mean things like stones or metal – our new Axtor can do the shredding. Special tools let it handle nails, screws and pebbles, and for emergencies it has a contaminant safety feature.

If more and larger contaminants are expected, slow shredders are the better choice due to their lower sensitivity. What’s more, they produce less fine fraction. How to increase efficiency? It’s simple – just work in two stages. Stage one is the shredder, stage 2 is the screener, ideally a star screen that separates into 3 fractions. With a 250 mm screen and basket and bio-cutters, the Crambo is highly efficient, using only around 0.6-0.7 litres per ton of input. Right behind it comes the star screen, which separates overlengths >150 mm in the coarse screen and sends them back to the Crambo for re-shredding. With green cuttings this is usually not more than 5-10 per cent. If a ferrous separator and stone trap are added between them, then further shredding with a high-speed machine makes sense. Most of the mineral fractions come out in the fine screening, which considerably raises the quality of the usable fraction, in this case the medium grain from 15–150 mm. Screening is much cheaper than shredding, both because if its lower wear and because of the lower fuel usage, often less than 0.1 litres per tonne. Looked at purely in terms of litres per tonne, this two-stage process with coarse shredding and screening can come in up to 50% under single-stage fine shredding.

If you compare trommel screens with the same performance over 1200 operation hours in a year, the savings from direct grid power can amount to up to 10,000 Euros per year over a diesel-hydraulic driven machine.

Your questionsDo you have questions about Komptech products and services? E-mail them to info@komptech.com. We’ll answer them as quickly as we can.

Reader letters

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Arjun, Indonesia:We’re a company in Indonesia that sells construction machines, and we’re interested in working with Komptech. How are sales organized at Komptech, and how can we become a sales partner?

Diego Freydl (Sales directorKomptech GmbH) responds:

In most markets, Komptech works with exclusive sales partners. We have multiple sales companies only in Austria, Germany and Great Britain. The main thing a partner needs in order to work one of our markets is a profound knowledge of the waste business in that market, meaning they must know who the potential customers are.This means we often choose companies that sell similar machines or machines used in the same business, such as construction machines that can also load our machines. We are still looking for partners in some of the growing markets in Southeast Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Henry D., France:For a year now I’ve been working as a service provider using a Crambo. Keeping operating costs down is very important for me to stay competitive. Do you have any recommendations for minimizing these costs?

Manfred Harb (Group Service Manager Komptech GmbH) responds:

With proper attention, you can definitely cut your variable costs, i.e. the wear, maintenance and energy costs, of operating a Crambo. For example, using worn shredding tools long past their wear limit makes no sense, because the savings in replacement parts are more than offset by increased energy consumption due to the lower shredding performance. Switching out worn tools

in time keeps performance constant and takes only a short time to do.Using welded-on tips can reduce wear-related costs more than 50 per cent. This is just what it sounds like – removing the worn tips and welding on new ones. A special device makes this a relatively simple process and lets you reuse the shredding tools several times.You can also save on maintenance costs. Recently we started offering customer-specific maintenance contracts with oil analysis, which can help you save up to 30 per cent on your maintenance costs.If the machine isn’t being steadily loaded with material, you should use the ECO–Mode. This automatically reduces the speed when the machine is empty, and can save up to 10 per cent of fuel.Of course it is also a good idea to experiment to find the most efficient shredding program for the respective material you’re shredding. Our service technicians are always available to help you with this.

Get in touch with me by mail at d.freydl@komptech.com or call me at +43 664 823 90 80 for a personal talk.

Reader letters

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We got a great response to our search for new test partners for electric trommel screens, resulting in not just one, but a total of eight new partners who will test our machines for free.In Germany, MUEG in Braunsbedra will test a Mustang E for six months, while a Cribus 3800 will go to Rubin in Lauchhammer for three months, to Gelsenrot in Gelsenkirchen for two months and to Ritter in Essingen for one month. In addition, earthmoving company Hehrmann in Bad Laer will test a Maxx E intensively for two weeks. In Austria, MA48 in Vienna is willing to test a Cribus 3800 for six months, while Häusle GmbH in Lustenau will do the same with a Mustang E. Daka GmbH in Schwaz will also test a Mustang, for one month. We look forward to the intensive exchange of findings with our new partners. We’ll tell more about our test partners in the next issue of “Komptech Magazine.”

Our new test partners

The Cribus in testing: What can it do, how does it perform, what does it need? We’re interested in what our testers have to say.

On 22 June 2010, Cyprus’ most modern waste handling facility, in Kossi near Larnaka, was ceremoniously opened. Builder and operator is the environmental technology specialist firm Helector S.A., a subsidiary of the Greek construction group Ellaktor S.A..The plant is designed to handle 200,000 tonnes per year, and the machine park allows it to flexibly respond to waste quality, while making it possible to separate recyclables, refuse-derived fuels and compost from unsorted waste. Komptech machines perform important functions in shredding, separation and composting, and the investment volume of several million euros represented a nice win for our small but efficient project department.

In brief

We keep Cyprus clean

Drum screens and ballistic separators get the recyclables and energetic fractions out of household waste.

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The Midstøl Transport AS company in Arendal, Norway was the first purchaser of our new Cribus 3800 drum screen. The machine was delivered in April, directly from the Bauma trade show in Munich.

Frode Midtstol (left) and Thomas Helle (Magne Gitmark).

Cribus goes Norway

At the turn of the year we were able to gain a new sales partner for Australia.Ditch Witch Australia Pty. Ltd. founded a new subsidiary, Komptech Australia, especially for the purpose.CEO of the new sales company is Craig Cosgrove, and Komptech Australia has already scored notable sales successes in just six months.

Down Under

GETAG Entsorgungs-Technik AG in Hägendorf, Switzerland has been a Komptech sales partner for over 10 years now. During this time, Peter Grepper and his team have made Switzerland the country with the greatest “Terminator density” in the world. In addition, this year the company is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Terminator-Land

In brief

Congratulations on 100 The 100th Multistar L3 was recently built by Anlagenbau Günther in Wartenberg. Appropriately enough, Stefan Smet in Kieldrecht, Belgium, the biggest Komptech customer with 20 green machines, took the Multistar, which was presented to its new owner in a solemn ceremony.

One L3 for inside and one for outside – what Stefan Smet (3 from left) took home when he picked up his 20th Komptech machine.

Peter Grepper with one of many Swiss Terminators. Craig Cosgrove (left) with the first customer.

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The world is getting greener all the time.

www.komptech.com

Technology for a better environment

Screening with a star: The Multistar

Does it all: The Crambo

Tough as Arnie: The Terminator

Timeless beauty: The Topturn

Drum-roll: The Mustang

For the best in chips: The Chippo

Of course we’re not the only people helping to make the world a greener place. But we’re still awfully proud of our solutions for handling waste and biomass!