Cabka Group's high-efficiency plastic recycling shredders boost circularity
The Weira site leverages Lindner’s advanced Micromat HP shredder, increasing productivity and ease of maintenance
Specializing in producing pallets and plastic containers made from recycled plastic, the Cabka Group has over 25 years experience building the circular economy in plastics. The company's Weira site currently processes mixed plastics like PE, PP, PS, PET and others, such as caps and labels, on all its lines, and the plant runs 24/7 everyday in continuous shifts, so the plant's plastic shredder capabilities need to be high.
"We specifically designed the single-shaft shredder Micromat HP for the heightened demands in plastic recycling. For instance, this sector requires a greater throughput and the plastics being processed have a significantly higher level of contamination," says Jan Rosenmeyer, sales manager at Lindner Recyclingtech. "This is why we've equipped the new Micromat HP with a powerful direct belt drive and an adjustable torque. The wear parts are designed such that they can be easily replaced — the rotor is easy to access to ensure contaminants can be removed quickly without any problem.
After shredding, drying, and mechanically cleaning, the new raw materials are transformed into the different end products at the very same site. "The choice of the right shredder plays a crucial role in the recycling process," says Christian Leicht, technical manager at the Weira site. "To achieve a high level of productivity, it is especially important to maintain a consistently high throughput together with minimal downtime. The Micromat HP has impressed us in many respects.
Leicht was initially skeptical when Lindner offered Cabka Group the new Micromat HP for a trial run. "Comparative tests with the existing shredders in our plant surprised us — in a good way. We can achieve an output many times higher than before with the Micromat HP and we are also impressed by the ease of maintenance. The screw-on wear parts such as the knives and knife holders are easy to replace without time-consuming welding or other compromises."
Both plastic lines are serviced entirely in-house. The shredder's knives are maintained — rotated or replaced — every seven days due to the three-shift operation. If the knife holder is damaged due to a contaminant, it can also be easily replaced. "Just recently we've added a second Micromat HP, which delivers a throughput equal to that of the two shredders we had previously," Leicht adds.
