Answering to market demand with fine shredding

RDF from industrial and office waste

A growing number of cement production plants around the world are reducing energy costs, cutting emissions and improving environmental performance by replacing fossil fuels with alternative fuels made of municipal solid waste and commercial and industrial waste. Most of the cement plants have their own RDF facility but in some cases cement plants sources RDF from a private company to manage their operating cost.

RDF is an efficient fuel produced from various types of waste such as municipal solid waste (MSW), industrial waste or commercial waste (C&I). In Thailand, RDF plays a crucial role in the country’s ambition to avoid waste depositing. Cement plants demand more alternative fuel to reduce their fuel cost. This is the market for our customer, N15 Technology.

N15 Technology Co Ltd. is a private company with extensive experience in RDF production. The company was founded in 2014 and is located in Amata Industrial Estate, Chonburi, Thailand. Since 2016, the company has been shredding industrial and office waste to category RDF2 (less than 100 mm) with Metso preshredder M&J PreShred 1000S-7. Recently however, they found out an increasing demand for shredding waste to smaller than that, to less than 50 mm (category RDF3).  

Fineshedding technology for quality RDF

N15 Technology had acquired their first Metso shredder already in 2016. That time, the preshredder M&J PreShred 1000S-7 was what they needed to do the job, as they had faced some challenges with the equipment they were at the time using, including waste wrapping at the shredder shaft and shredding certain difficult industrial waste fractions. Somboon Kittianong, General Manager of N15 Technology, also had confidence that working with a company who has local operations in Thailand, would offer timely service and efficient trouble shooting.

Since then, the preshredder has been generating a stable output and N15 Technology has been satisfied with the machine and the service of the local Metso team. With this in mind, when it came time to invest in a fine-shredder, they contacted Metso again.

Shredding to less than 50mm entails a higher degree of sorting and subsequently applying fine shedding technology. After having assessed the field of fine-shredder candidates, in 2018, the company opted for the Metso’s  M&J FineShred 3550 which is suitable for RDF production and the right solution for delivering the desired 50 mm output.

“We had already demonstrated the strength of our brand and provided convincing support on the pre-shredder. They simply chose FineShred 3550 because we are a trusted partner.” says Valya Serivalsatit, Area Sales Manager, Metso Waste Recycling who has been working with N15 Technology since 2018

Installed and operated since August 2018, the new FineShred 3550 has been in use for a year. N15 Technology has been very satisfied with the results. It can be set to various waste types and handles even challenging waste types well – so that the company achieves a uniform, homogenous output of the right quality.

”We can create added value with our existing product  and expand our business to new market segments . Therefore, the new market opportunities offered by the new product can help reduce company risk compared to the limited channels we had in the past”, says Somboon.It has also brought security to their business as the smaller output has opened new market segments they can supply and thus reduced the company risk.

N15 Technology is committed to bringing environmentally friendly process and methods to operations. By choosing technology that is efficient and has minimal environmental impact to reduce the consequence on the community and the environment.

Service and support throughout the process

Throughout the process from purchase to installation and to training of staff, N15 Technology and Metso Waste Recycling have cooperated very closely. During a running-in period support has been available 24/7.  Consulting and adjustments have ensured that the new M&J FineShred 3550 has performed to N15 requirements.

Communication has taken place via a chat programme that has provided N15 Technology with direct access to sales and service 24/7. In case of operating issues, N15 Technology simply sends some photos, and a local, professional Metso Waste Recycling service technician will immediately come to help.

*Metso Outotec was formed July 1, 2020 when Metso and Outotec merged into one company. This case study has been written prior to the merger under the old company name.