Technology

SSI is a company that has built its reputation on tackling the toughest shredding problems and producing effective methods to solve them. Innovation is at the heart of everything we create.

SSI Shredding Systems holds patents on some of the industry's most creative technology; technology that gives us the confidence to look any shredding problem straight in the eye and come up with a solution. SSI integrates unique design benefits built upon innovative technologies which provide increased efficiency and overall shredding production.

ACLS - Advanced Cutter Locking System™

ACLS - Advanced Cutter Locking System™

Normally, with simple nut and bolt tightening, the shredder cutters and spacers gradually loosen during operation. This traditional locking method requires frequent and tedious maintenance to prevent loosening, damage and poor performance.

SSI has solved this problem with patented ACLS - Advanced Cutter Locking System™ technology that locks the cutters and spacers onto the shaft so they won't loosen during operation. The ACLS pre-load hub assembly eliminates shaft threads. It uses a series of sequentially tightened bolts (secured to the shaft with a segmented locking ring) to apply a force of approximately 100,000 lbs. (45,000 kg) to the end of the cutter stack, almost 850% greater than most threaded nut arrangements. (Most threaded nut arrangements provide only 10,000 - 15,000 lbs. or 4,500 - 6,750 kg of force). This increased stack loading permits compressing cutters and spacers into a tighter cutter stack—improving cutter performance and reducing the likelihood of shaft damage or failure. Operators and maintenance personnel appreciate ACLS as it eliminates frequent (often daily) cutter stack tightening, saving both time and money.

Learn more about our ACLS™ Advanced Cutter Locking System in the following video: SSI Technology - ACLS™


Auto-Reverse

Auto-Reverse

All SSI shredders have a built in control feature that allows the machines to automatically reverse operational direction any time it’s required to re-orient the material and enhance the machine’s ability to grab and process it. In the event that the material cannot be processed by the shredder, SSI controls will automatically stop the shredder after a pre-set number of attempts and the shredder horn will sound, indicating the machine has stopped.

Learn more about our electric and hydrualic drives and how they react to reversals in the following videos: SSI Technology - Electric Drives or SSI Technology - Hydraulic Drives


Bearing and Seal Protection

Bearing and Seal Protection

SSI’s cutting chamber design isolates system bearings and seals from processed material preventing seal damage and improving on-line reliability. SSI’s shredder designs incorporate splash plates, sometimes called false end plates, at each end of the cutting chamber. Splash plates isolate shredded material from the seal area. To enhance this separation, round (hookless) cutters adjacent to the splash plates ensure that no shredding occurs directly against the splash plate walls. Finally, a small radial clearance separates an oversized spacer from the splash plate opening.

For minimal contamination and improved on-line reliability, SSI builds a space between the splash plates and shredder end walls.  The capped space with its open bottom allows material that may slip past splash plates to fall to the floor rather than reach shredder seals. SSI also offers specialized bearing and seal arrangements for select applications including labyrinth seals, teflon seals, and other custom designs.


Cutter Hardfacing

Cutter Hardfacing

For most shredder applications SSI's standard cutter hardness is suitable. However, when certain applications require a harder, sharper edge, the cutters are hardfaced. This is done by welding alloys to the cutter edges.

SSI uses proprietary alloys to hardface their cutters. The alloys are rated up to a hardness level of HRC 58-66, with 61 being average. The advantage of hardfacing is that the cutter keeps its edge longer. And it is ideal for making clean cuts of ductile but abrasive materials such as tires, carpet, and nylon.


Direct Drive

Direct Drive

SSI offers both electric and hydraulic drives in direct drive arrangements that feature a high-efficiency, force-balanced planetary gearbox that provides speed reduction and torque amplification. SSI Shredding Systems splines the planetary gearbox directly onto the drive shaft. The planetary gearbox offers several standard gear ratios. That means if applications change, owners have the flexibility to adapt speed and torque combinations by changing the gear ratio in the field. Heavy wall construction solidly braces the drive train components for superior load support. A simple, two-gear drive train that can be easily inspected using the quick-access gearbox covers.

In contrast, indirect drive arrangements connect the hydraulic motor and/or reducer to an input shaft by a mechanical coupling. Then four- or five-gear drive trains transfer power to both shafts, resulting in unbalanced force distribution, uneven component wear and lower overall efficiencies. These large, multiple gears and hard-to-access gearboxes can add to maintenance and operating costs.

Learn more about our electric and hydraulic drives in the following videos: SSI Technology - Electric Drives or SSI Technology - Hydraulic Drives


Low Speed Technology

Low Speed Technology

SSI shredding equipment using low-speed technology offer a variety of benefits. When used in conjunction with SSI’s auto-reverse and shock-load protection features, these shredders process a wide range of materials, including ferrous metal.

Power consumption is a key factor for many material processors today. SSI machinery is designed to minimize consumption by utilizing drives configured to application-specific criteria. SSI also offers an array of reduced voltage starting options for customers who are in an area where they are assessed off of peak current draw.

Low-speed shredders do not generate enough inertia to produce impact noise or large amounts of dust like higher speed machinery can. SSI shredders produce low noise levels and low dust emissions when compared to higher speed technologies. Vibration can cause stress fractures and component damage. Due to the low-speed design of SSIs shredders, these machines produce minimal amounts of vibration when compared to high-speed technologies which allow for no special foundation requirements.

SSI shredders are designed with large amounts of surface area to wear on consumable parts. When coupled with the low operating speed of the machine, this produces a recipe for long-lasting equipment with minimal downtime. These low-speed rotary shear shredders process baled, bulky or ferrous contaminated materials without special preparation, making them ideal preprocessors for a variety of high-speed equipment. SSI’s low-speed design incorporates programmable processing controls to aid metered feeding to downstream equipment.


Patented Ram Assist

Patented Ram Assist

Often bulky and light materials can “bridge” or float on top of the cutting table of shredders. SSI’s Patented Ram Assist pushes the material into the shredder, allowing the cutter hooks to get a better grab on the material. The hydraulically- or pneumatically-operated ram keeps bulky, round, or otherwise hard-to-grab materials in firm contact with cutters, optimizing shredding efficiency. The ram works particularly well for drums, plastic, steel, fiber, bulky plastics, tubes or cores, pallets, wooden crates and C&D debris.

The SSI Ram Assist is not just a brute plunger like you would find on other manufacturers’ shredders. It is integrated with the shredder controls so it senses when it is needed and by how much, applying just the right amount and duration of force to help the shredder grab it’s material effectively. The SSI ram can be operated automatically or manually. Designed with the ability to sense cutter loading, the ram automatically retracts or extends maximizing throughput. SSI provides ram configurations for a wide variety of both vertical and horizontal feeding systems for its shredders.

Learn more about our Ram Assist by watching this video.


Screens

Screens

SSI's unique screen design not only efficiently controls particle size but also aids in the shredding action. Our shredder screens are concentrically aligned with the rotating cutter shafts, so as the cutters interact with the screen face, they are able to tear and pull cut material apart. For example, in tire shredding, this screen/cutter interaction liberates embedded metal bead and sidewall wire in preparation for crumbing.

Easy Installation and Maintenance

SSI shredder screens are easy to install, adjust, and remove for cleaning. You simply take off the end plate of the shredder, slide in the screen, adjust its height and put the cover plate back on. Since the screens are concentrically designed to fit with SSI cutter shafts, the tolerance between the screen and the cutters can be adjusted for optimum shredding.


Segmented Cleaning Fingers

Segmented Cleaning Fingers

Cleaning fingers prevent material from accumulating between cutters or wrapping around the a shredder’s shaft. They also provide extra shaft support in applications which experience shaft flexing. These flat steel plates attach to the side walls of a shredder’s cutting chamber. The semicircular fingers extend between the shredder’s cutters with finger notches fitting closely around the spacer.

SSI offers segmented, or ‘floating,’ cleaning fingers held in place by retaining brackets on each side of the cutting chamber. The segmented design allows easy removal (via the shredder’s endplate area), as well as repositioning should the cutter stack arrangement be modified, or if cutter thicknesses change through rebuilding. Shredders lacking the segmented design often use cleaning fingers connected in a solid comb-like weldment. These units generally require cleaning finger removal via the bottom of the shredder. This is an extremely cumbersome process given the size and weight of the assemblies, especially if discharge chutes or conveyors are in place. These arrangements require the entire assembly to be replaced with even slight cutter thickness changes.

SSI’s individual, segmented design of the fingers allow for much easier maintenance than the traditional, unibody, “comb” arrangement used by other manufacturers. SSI cleaning fingers can be accessed directly and more safely from the top.


Shaft Design

Shaft Design

Hex Shafts

Hex Shafts are still considered by many to be stronger than round/keyed shafts. If it weren't for the wear and maintenance problems caused by loose cutters slipping across the hex face, they would still be preferred by many users.

SSI solved the loose cutter problem with the ACLS (Advanced Cutter Locking System™), which keeps cutters and spacers tight on the shaft, eliminating wobble. Now both round/keyed and hex shafts are available on SSI shredders.

Round/Keyed Shafts

Traditionally shredders were mounted with hex-shaped shafts, which were preferred for high torque applications. However, both hex shafts and cutters tend to wear down as the cutters become loose, and eventually the entire shaft and cutters would need to be replaced.

SSI's solution to this is the Round/Keyed Shaft. This type of shaft actually locks the cutters onto it and performs very well under high loads. A tremendous economic and maintenance advantage of the round/keyed shaft is that when it becomes worn, you only need to replace the key and not the entire shaft and its cutters


SmartDrive<sup>®</sup>

SmartDrive®

SSI developed SmartDrive® technology to provide an alternative to traditional electric and hydraulic drives. Traditional electric drive applications can now achieve greater performance; and some hydraulic drive applications can now avoid hydraulics altogether­—typically in a more cost-effective manner. SmartDrive® is available on all SSI electric drive shredders. and utilizes the latest in AC drive technology to maximize performance while minimizing operating costs.

Learn more about SmartDrive® in our video overview, Technology: Electric Drives.


SmartFeed™

SmartFeed™

SSI’s SmartFeed™ is a patented method of controlling dual drive shredders in a way that optimizes processing of the material feeding into the cutters. SmartFeed™ is available on a wide range of Dual-Shear®, Tri-Shear™, and Quad® shredders to efficiently shred previously “impossible to process” materials.

Learn more about SmartFeed™ in our video overview, Technology: SmartFeed™.


SSP - Severe Shock Protection™

SSP - Severe Shock Protection™

Most industrial shredders offer auto-reversal as a standard feature. However, not all offer true shockload protection for electric drives. SSI's electric drive shredders are manufactured with this vital technology as a standard feature.

In a shockload situation, such as a non-shreddable item, Severe Shock Protection™ (SSP) prevents the increased torque from being transmitted directly to the shredder drive train. This protects the system from potential damage. As a result, the life of the cutters, shaft and drive train are all extended. Severe Shock Protection™ increases online reliability. Watch our Technology: Severe Shock Protection™  video to learn more.