Page 30 - HUB-4 Magazine Issue 97

Recycling - Special Feature
Riding the swell with
Forus F38
Hidden away in the Cheshire countryside is a robotic waste
revolution, quietly being led by Waste Wave. This revolution was not
running at full capacity until the introduction of a new slow-speed
primary Eggersmann Forus F38 shredder from Molson Green. The
F38’s ability to process material down to the right piece size for the
ZenRobotics automated pickers has increased material recovery
rates and reduced waste to landfill.
When founded by Mike White in 2016, Waste Wave was an
asbestos removal company. Built on a reputation for quality
services, they moved into general waste and continuously look
for ways to boost growth by upgrading their processes. Most
recently, this included adding an Eggersmann Forus F38 to
their production line.
Father and son team Mike and Josh White had already built a
strong customer base by delivering five-star specialist care
from their Warrington site. So, when their Sales Manager Lee
Galloway joined the team and suggested moving into general
waste, maintaining this quality at scale was a priority.
“We knew the original process, which involved manual
picking, wouldn’t handle the increase in volume,” Josh
explains. “It wasn’t efficient or reliable, which is why we
adopted the ZenRobotics system.”
An AI-based waste sorting system, ZenRobotics has the ability
to pick through more than 500 waste fractions, helping to
output high-quality recyclables. For Waste Wave, introducing
this technology meant they could deal with the higher waste
volumes and run processing all day whilst maintaining a low
head count without sacrificing output purity.
However, despite all these benefits, the team still had a
problem; they struggled to achieve the correct fraction. This
meant the material could not be picked through as efficiently
by the ZenRobotics system, meaning it ended up in landfill.
This isn’t just a problem for maintaining the company’s
reputation, but for meeting their sustainability goals.
Josh says, “With recycling becoming the go-to, finding space
for waste material is a challenge for the industry, not just for
us. It can leave you paying a massive landfill tax bill if you are
not careful. Introducing the Eggersmann Forus F38 means we
send less to landfill, and more can be recycled.”
Introducing improved efficiency
When the first machine Waste Wave purchased from Molson
Group the team had already done their research. Adam
Waldron, Molson Green Sales Manager explains, “In some
ways, it was an easy sell, because Mike and Josh had looked
into the details of the Forus F38 and knew it could deal with
higher intake while achieving the desired final fraction.”
Josh added, “We wanted the Eggersmann because it felt like
the investment in the ZenRobotics system had not reached its
full potential. We could not get the right fraction from the
original trommel screen, and the Forus F38 seemed like the
best replacement. With Molson becoming the new dealer in
the UK, we reached out to their team.”
A 2m twin shaft shredder, the Forus F38 is suitable for almost
every application. Available in both tracked and hook lift
models, the electro-hydraulic and diesel-hydraulic engines can
output between 200kW and 280kW of power. This, and the
optimal infeed achieved by the hydraulically lifting and
lowering hopper, makes it possible to reach a throughput of up
to 80 tonnes per hour.
With individually adjustable shafts, both the direction of the
rotation and the speed of the shafts can be set independently.
This makes them self-cleaning and protects against material
wrapping. As Josh explained, “The fact that they are
independently driven provides full protection against anything
unshreddable; is a big plus.” These shafts can also be equipped
with 40 multifunctional rotor tools, making them adaptable to
multiple applications.”
The efficiency and reliability of the machine have quickly made
an impact on the Waste Wave operation.
Josh commented, “Alongside the ZenRobotics system, the
Forus F38 has streamlined the workflow. It can continue to
shred without interruption thanks to its hydrostatic shafts,
which means we can maintain productivity with a smaller
workforce.
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www.hub-4.com March/April - Issue 97