Best Uses for Metal Shredders
A modern metal shredder (sometimes called a “crusher”) turns large-sized pieces of metal into smaller pieces, reducing the overall volume. Metal shredders can operate as stand-alone solutions. Alternatively, metal shredders can be integrated into production processes to prepare the recovered raw materials for further processes, like briquetting. Think of metal shredders as the middle-man between a manufacturing process and briquetting.
Benefits of metal shredding machines
Metal filings and pieces are worth little. So savvy plant managers look for ways to make the most from their production waste.
Metal shredding machines:
- Reduce size and volume of metal scrap
- Prepare metals for briquetting
- Integrate into existing processes
- Make waste cleanup and removal easier
- Save time
- Can run automatically
Metal shredders have been proving their worth for many decades now.
How is a metal shredder different from a metal briquetting machine?
A metal briquetting machine takes shavings, filings, or metal scrap and compresses them into dense, high-quality bricks that can be reused or sold. The raw materials for the briquetting process could come directly from a production process or from a metal shredder.
Like metal shredders, briquetters can be integrated into an existing production process easily.
The demand for metal briquetting is growing—and because of that, we’re getting more questions about metal shredding machines, too.
How metal shredders and metal briquetters work together
Shredding and briquetting are complementary processes.
Metal shredders reduce volume.
Metal briquetters create value.
Shredders and briquetters can be designed to operate together and integrated into an existing production line. This duo smashes and saves—streamlining volume reduction and producing a sellable product.
Do you need a briquetting machine if you have a metal shredding machine?
Shredders can reduce the volume of material, but they can’t help you squeeze value from it. Metal shredders certainly make waste removal easier, because there’s less of it to dispose of. But briquetting is where you can see significant value.
Compressing shredded metal into a high-quality briquette suddenly makes it appealing to scrap dealers. Briquettes are sellable, easy to manage, and best of all, they funnel money back into your operations. A shredder alone can’t achieve this kind of quality and value.
Can you briquette without a metal shredder?
The short answer is yes. If your operations produce metal pieces small enough to meet RUF’s briquetting criteria, you won’t need an extra piece of machinery.
How to use both metal shredders and metal briquetters
Many manufacturers can benefit from shredder-briquetter combinations. At RUF, we partner with a respected metal shredder company to design and integrate metal shredders and briquetters into customer operations. We can make it simpler to incorporate this duo into your operations.
The demand for briquetters and shredders is only increasing, so if you’re curious, now is a great time to start a conversation with a RUF expert.