Chipping away at wood waste.

The term "wood waste" is a definite misnomer for many people who prefer to call wood offal "wood residue." In their eyes, a pile of wood residue has a ton of potential.

What can you do with wood residue? Options include: burning, briquetting, selling it for animal bedding, and even moulding the wood waste into doors and decorative mouldings. But prior to converting the waste material into a usable form, the material has to be ground or shredded into a manageable size. For that, companies must rely on grinders, shredders or hogs.

The following is some of the equipment available. For more information, circle the corresponding number on the Reader's Service Card. Another source of information on wood waste equipment is the Red Book Buyer's Guide.

Available equipment

Pallmann's PHT drum chippers are reported to produce high-quality chips. They feature specially designed rotors with extra large chip pockets, unique wood feeding system, and heavy fabricated construction.

Mid-Oregon Industries says the Mini-Hog can hog edgings and trim ends right at their source, eliminating the need for elaborate conveying systems or the expense of dumping boxes. Capacity with the gravity feed chute is 2 in. by 4 in. by 6 in. maximum size or 12 in. maximum length. Capacity with the power feed is 1 1/2 in. by 1 1/2 in. maximum cross section of edging and 85 fpm feed rate.

The RAM Group Inc. offers a systems approach to woodscrap utilization with the Scan Hugger line of hopper and horizontal wood grinders and scrap guillotines. Related systems offered include chip augers, scrap conveyors, fan and filter systems, silos and spark detection systems.

Eurohansa Inc. offers the ZENO pallet recycling system which features a horizontal grinder with infeed conveyors to handle pallets up to 55 in. wide. The chips are cleared from any metal contamination by the self-cleaning magnet before they are transported to the trainer loading station. The throughput capacity of the unit is 650 pallets or 14 tons per hour.

Jacobson Co. offers a line of Hi-Torque shredding equipment ranging from 15 in. x 20 in. with a 10-hp motor to 52 in. x 108 in. with 300 hp. Features include dual, slow speed counter rotating shafts with cutter disks, inlet and jam-proof operation.

Globe Machine Mfg. Co. offers a knife hog with belt infeed system, drives and chip removal outlet. Features include: a horizontal feed conveyor, driven spline feed roll for longer life, driven crusher roll, 7 to 15 ton capacity, unbreakable flywheel, V-shaped knives and anvils which rotate eight sides for wear.

Indian Country has developed "Band Ade," a scrap band and wire processing machine to dispose of the scrap metal banding and hardened steel wire found on many lumber products. The Band Ade chops the scrap banding into 4 in. and 5 in. lengths and deposits it into a 55-gal drum for easy storage and resale to recyclers.

Jenco Engineering Inc. offers grinders and dust collection equipment. The advantages of the Model 4-2007 grinder include: disposal of edgings and end trims at their source, low horsepower which produces high volumes, length of conveyor can be changed by adding sections, V-groove belt conveyor with live upper feed roller, and screens to produce particle sizes ranging from sawdust to mulch.

West Salem Machinery offers a high-torque shredder. The company says the new shredder is easy to install and operate and requires little maintenance.

American Pulverizer Co. has expanded its line of wood reduction equipment to include a complete line of secondary grinding equipment designed specifically for making wood flour, sawdust, and animal bedding. The units are available in a variety of sizes with capacities ranging from 1 TPH to 30 TPH. The WFR Series are available with common bed plates to unite both shredders and motor to a common base, structural steel stands and air pans.

Tryco Mfg. Co. Inc. offers the Untha Model RS-50 grinder/shredder, a four-shaft grinder available with two motors up to 30 hp. Processing capacities of 8,000 to 10,000 lbs an hour are possible and cutter widths are available up to 56 in., the company says.

The Nicholson WastePro is a compact and rugged portable high-production wood hogging system. The WastePro is designed to process a wide range of materials including: stumps, brush, pallets, stringy bark, railroad ties, demolition debris, log yard residues, and other wood waste. Production rates of 40 to 120 tons per hour are possible, depending upon the material being processed.

C2000 Tooling and Grinding Inc. offers Reinbold low noise waste grinders. Three different series are available: RZH Series for regular use; AZH for demanding jobs; and the C2000 Series for severe applications. The cutting knives are round in shape. hollow ground, and made from vacuum-treated tool steel. A speciality is the knife holder, which is mounted to the rotor, avoiding pressure or force.

Nordfab Systems Inc. says the Vortex wood waste grinder is designed to grind whole pallets easily, economically and quietly, saving on landfill dumping costs. The Vortex also shreds wet and dry wood, paper, boxes and complete tabletops. The machine uses less horsepower than a hog and accepts larger pieces, according to the company.

Cresswood says its wood grinders can cut scrap removal costs up to 70%. The grinders feature: heavy-duty construction; low rpm/low hp operation; minimal noise and vibration; advanced logic controls; and an "aggressive" cutterhead with hardened steel inserts. The grinders can be used on green or dry wood.

Williams Patent Crusher & Pulverizer Co. offers the Model C-32 "no-knife" hog, which it says is ruggedly built with no knives to sharpen. Alloy steel hammers and massive breaker plates fight wear. The welded steel frame has replaceable liners.

Montgomery Industries offers its LRW Series wood waste grinders. These machines operate at a slow speed with a low noise level and require a maximum of 50 hp. All three models - 20, 40 and 60 - are electronically controlled and fully automated. These units grind blocks, trim ends, edgings, particleboard, pallets and pallet scrap and corrugated boxes.

Schutte Pulverizer Co. Inc.'s Series HZF wood scrap grinder can be used by sawmills, furniture plants and other woodworking operations. The horizontally-fed grinder features easy access to hammers and bed knives for servicing, durable design and automatic grease feeder.

Newman Machine Co. Inc.'s SS-24 shaving mill has a production capacity of one to three tons of shavings per hour and can produce shavings from slabs, logs, truss mill scrap, end mill blocks and other materials.

Woodtech Machinery Inc. offers low noise, low hp and low rpm wood grinders. Features include: reversible cutting knives, various screen sizes, Allen Bradley controls, batch or conveyor feed and heavy-duty construction. The company adds that screws or nails are no problem.

Wood Power Products Inc. offers top feed and horizontal grinders in addition to hot air, hydronic and low/high pressure industrial steam boiler systems.

Equipment Manufacturing Co. manufactures whole pallet grinding systems, slab grinders, bark grinding systems, high-speed hammermills and other volume reduction systems for wood waste recovery. Machines include the SD Series and the HD Series, which is a heavier version of the standard SD mills. The SD Series will accommodate material up to 2-in. thick. The HD Series accommodates material up to 4-in. thick and grinds whole pallets down to a mulch-size product in one pass, the company says.