Eriez says that its Shred1 ballistic separator is allowing shredder yards to achieve greater profitability along with the ability to capitalize on the demand for low-copper shred from steelmakers. With the integration of Shred1 into their operations, recyclers are able to produce a ferrous shred that meets escalating market requirements and can command a premium price per ton.
According to Mike Shattuck, Eriez USA's market manager of recycling, Shred1 uses magnets and ballistics to efficiently separate copper-bearing materials from shredded steel recovered by the scrap drum magnets. This separator yields two distinct fractions: a low-copper ferrous product (in the range of 0.16 to 0.20 percent copper) and a traditional #2 shred.
"Shred1 increases the proportion of low copper shredded scrap in the blend, empowering steel mills to reduce the cost per ton of steel produced, while simultaneously enabling scrap yards to demand a higher price for this premium grade shred," says Shattuck.
With many analysts predicting the copper deficit will affect global markets well into 2023 and beyond, Shattuck noted that Eriez anticipates interest in the Shred1 separator. He emphasizes that the demand for Shred1 extends beyond the borders of the U.S.
