Volvo Penta’s 16-liter engine powers a primary shredder to enable recycling of waste wood in Georgia. When wood processor Larry Simpson was deciding how to move forward with his business, he opted for a new primary shredder to replace an old grinding machine. The owner of Evergreen Tree and Turf Care knew that he needed a higher specification yet easy to maintain unit, that would do the job efficiently while being cost-effective. So he chose to buy an ARJES VZ 850 DK primary shredder, powered by a 16-liter Volvo Penta diesel engine.
“I’d been using high horsepower grinders, but they could not crush the wood into small enough pieces, and the machines were quite high maintenance,” he says. “I decided there must be a better way to break down the wood and so I looked around at different options and saw that ARJES produced a range of primary shredders. I contacted their dealer and chose to go for the 850 model.”
Coping with demand
Simpson started Evergreen Tree and Turf Care nearly 40 years ago and now runs the company with his son and daughter. Based in Savannah, Georgia, USA, the company recycles mainly large pine and oak trees by receiving wood waste from forestry and other site clearances, shredding it and then putting it through their own mills to produce biomass fuel as a renewable energy source for boilers.
Simpson bought the ARJES VZ 850 DK shredder in August 2016, after discussions with Hill Country Recycling – a dealer for ARJES, based in Texas – and is pleased with his purchase. So far he has used the machine for around 500 hours and he expects to use it for approximately 1000 hours per year. Last October, Hurricane Matthew caused devastation in Georgia, the south-eastern states of the US, the Caribbean and Canada. The shredder has regularly been put to use for six or seven days a week to cope with demand for wood clearance processing.
“It can shred all sizes and types of wood and as it’s got a dual feed shelf so it can catch everything,” adds Simpson. “The machine was new to the US, so I’ve been a bit of a guinea-pig, but it’s worked really well. The engine is very quiet; you’d hardly know it was running as you can’t hear much of the motor, just the sound of wood being shredded. This is one particular advantage of the shredder over a grinder.
“And it’s low maintenance too – I expect to be able to run it for at least 10,000 hours. I’d definitely recommend it other wood processing companies.”
Recycling of industrial and domestic material
German manufacturer ARJES produces a range of shredders and screening machines for the recycling of trees, waste wood, car bodies, tires, and other industrial and domestic waste material. The company began using Volvo Penta engines in its machines after switching from another supplier, as it required increased fuel efficiency, less noise pollution, more economical options, and good aftersales care.
Volvo Penta’s 16-liter engines – including the TAD1643VE-B and TAD1672VE – are now used in ARJES’ VZ 750, 850 and 950 primary shredders. The company has also installed Volvo Penta’s 5-liter TAD572VE engine in its new Impaktor 250 stone crusher, and is developing a larger model, the Impaktor 800, which will be powered by a 16-liter Volvo Penta engine.
Elke Ernest, head of sales for ARJES, says the OEM is keen to explore new markets in the USA: “As most of the shredder manufacturers are there, the market is definitely interesting, and with 300-million people and a lot of waste, we should at least get a good share of this market. We see the partnership of our machinery with Volvo Penta engines as a successful relationship. ARJES is just starting in the US and we hope that CONEXPO/CON-AGG will bring us some good exposure.”
Proven choice for heavy-duty machinery
Volvo Penta’s TAD1643VE-B and TAD1672VE models are 16-liter off-road engines that provide high power and torque at low speeds. State-of-the-art injection and an air charging system along with low internal losses provide excellent combustion and fuel efficiency, and low emissions. Low noise and vibration are also features of the engines, and commonality of parts across the Volvo Penta range allows for ease of installation and maintenance.
The TAD1643 VE reaches 770 hp at 1900 rpm, while the TAD1672 VE reaches 700 hp at 1800 rpm.
“Our 16-liter off-road engines have proven to be successful in heavy-duty equipment such as these wood shredders,” says Miron Thoms, Volvo Penta’s head of the industrial engines unit for central Europe. “We’ve already seen that ARJES’ machines are popular in Europe, and I have no doubt that they can make a good impact on the North American market.”
Volvo Penta will be at booth N10036 at CONEXPO/CON-AGG, and ARJES will be at stand B9001. The show runs from March 7-11.
