Wood is a valuable raw material that can be used down to the last chip. When processed into wood chips, the wood waste can be used for direct energy generation in combustion plants or for the production of briquettes. WEIMA’s wood waste shredders are ideal for reducing bulky scrap into a more manageable commodity.
The next steps are up to you– read on for suggestions!
Anyone who wants to produce energy from their wood waste in an environmentally friendly way should consider wood waste shredding. The wood chips can be used for direct heat generation in combustion plants or for the production of briquettes.
Typical applications include all kinds of hardwood and softwood, waste wood, OSB and MDF, veneer, plywood, stairs, doors and pallets. And don't worry. Their nails and screws are simply shredded with them. Later they can be easily separated with a cross-belt magnet upon discharge.
"The first WEIMA shredders of the 1980s were used for wood applications. Since then a lot has changed from a technical point of view. In the meantime we have also become experts for the corresponding conveying technology".
Fred Haller
Business Development | Wood at WEIMA
From the woodworking and wood processing industry
The different series and rotor variants are the top solutions for wood shops and lumber manufacturers: Whether pallets, timber, chipboard or MDF boards, stairs, window frames, furniture, doors or semi-finished wood products – WEIMA wood waste shredders turn bulky scrap into a reusable commodity.
No matter what you call your machine-- wood chipper, wood grinder or wood waste shredder – with a WEIMA you shred everything to the last chip and dispose of your wood waste sustainably.
As a pre-shredder, the Woodwolf is available for large-volume residual wood waste such as pallets or furniture. With our universally applicable shredders of the WL series, e.g. WL 4 or WL 15 , you can achieve highest throughputs. For even smaller material sizes we offer secondary shredders of the WNZ series .
Thanks to our extensive experience with conveyor technology (air extraction, screw conveyors, bunker systems, conveyor belts, metal detection and metal separation), we can offer you the complete package for wood disposal and recycling from a single source.
This was already the case when we were founded in the 1980s and will not change in the future. All joineries, carpentries, wood shops, cabinetmakers, truss manufacturers, dimensional lumber suppliers, sawmills and (industrial) furniture workshops of all sizes inevitably generate residual wood waste from production. These must be disposed of or reused in some way.
Biomass briquettes burning in a furnace
One of the most common applications of wood shredding is the shredding of pallets. WEIMA offers machines specifically designed for this task.
Learn more about the shredding of euro-pallets and disposable wooden pallets here:
Wood pallets
Possibilities for the utilization of wood waste:
1. Use wood chips for combustion
e.g. chip bunker with wood chip firing oven
2. Use wood chips for the production of biogas
e.g. wood gasification plants in bio-heat power plants
3. Briquetting shredded wood and using it for own heat generation
e.g. wood briquettes for wood stove
4. briquetting wood chips and selling them for a profit
e.g. hardware stores or private households
5. Waste wood and used wood recycling
e.g. chipboard production
A homogeneous particle size is particularly important in the thermal utilization of wood waste, since heating plants are often designed for a standardized grain size. If the particle size is not sufficiently homogeneous, wood chip heating systems operated with screw conveyors can quickly become clogged. The formation of material bridges also prevents smooth firing of the system.
In addition, the safety of the firing system can be impaired if excessively large or long chips block safety devices such as the rotary feeder.
For the production of high-density briquettes, homogeneous wood chips are essential as well. Only in this way can wood briquettes keep their shape stably without binders and glue.
Homogenous wood chips after shredding
No matter whether you use a planer, band saw or circular saw, sander or lathe, woodworking produces a lot of scrap-- wood chips, sanding dust, offcuts, strips, skeletons, and rippings. Even in CNC machining centers, wood chips and wood dust are produced through the use of CNC machines and milling machines, which can be optimally recycled with WEIMA wood waste shredders.
The WEIMA showroom is equipped with shredding and briquetting machines of all sizes and technologies. This enables us to simulate your application as realistically as possible. You have the possibility to send us your material or visit us directly in Fort Mill, South Carolina, where you can observe the shredding process live.
Request appointment now
Alternatively you can send us material for testing. Click here for the form.
Grayson Lumber has successfully integrated a WEIMA shredder into its operations to process wood waste generated during lumber production. By utilizing the shredder, Grayson Lumber has found an innovative solution to repurpose wood waste, which is then utilized as fuel in an on-site boiler.
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