Hardox HiTuf

Hardox® HiTuf steel as a key condition for uninterrupted operation of automobile shredders

The Australian company Pacific Shredder is engaged in the design and manufacture of steel units for the flow processing of end-of-life automotive equipment, capable of turning a car into scrap metal in a matter of seconds. By choosing Hardox® HiTuf steel, the company has ensured that its shredders continue to operate without interruption when similar units made of softer materials fail.

Tasks
Pacific Shredder, based in Mt. Newcastle (Australian state of New South Wales), needed a particularly strong and durable steel instead of the usual one, parts from which had to be replaced too often due to cracking and wear.

“A car shredder is a 60-ton rotor with eleven discs to which twelve or sixteen manganese steel hammers are attached,” explains company owner Joe Bentjes. — The rotor spins at 500 rpm and the hammers smash the car against the anvils, bars and crushing grates. Inside, the shredder is lined with wear-resistant plates that prevent erosion of the shredding chamber from flying metal fragments.”

In this business, where the consequences of any breakdown are not limited to a temporary decrease in productivity (a 200-ton crane has to be called to remove the rotor for repair), durability becomes the highest priority.

Solutions
“Steel processing is driven by cost per ton,” continues Joe Bentjes. — Prices for scrap and secondary steel have largely stabilized, so extending the service life of shredders is one of the few ways to increase profitability. That’s why we chose Hardox® HiTuf steel for our components.”

“Steel produced by SSAB turned out to be the best material for these components for a number of reasons,” says the owner of the company. — First of all, sheet rolling from this steel has no equal in the world in terms of tensile strength and resistance to wear. Any competing products are simply not suitable for shredders in terms of hardness through and through.

Secondly, today SSAB is the only supplier of the 100 and 120 mm wear-resistant sheet metal we need. This is critically important to us because the extra thickness and viscosity dramatically extends the life of our shredders. Our wear-resistant rotor plates and discs continue to perform well when others themselves are reduced to scrap.

In addition, Pacific Shredder credits SSAB’s technical expertise and support: “Whether it’s machining, welding or cutting, we’re given comprehensive support that allows us to thoroughly understand things like pre- and post-operation thermal . welding wire, etc.”

Benefits for customers

• Extending the service life of shredders thanks to the use of steel, which is particularly resistant to cracking and wear.
• A sharp increase in the company’s profit due to the extension of the service life of the equipment
• Strengthening the company’s reputation thanks to quality work