Rotochopper Newsletter Quarter 1 2010

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ec256 electric horizontal grinder cd

Our quarter 1 newsletter showcases new equipment, like our fine grinding systems with hammermills and the track-mounted B-66 with transport dolly, as well as market updates and customer stories.

Rotochopper Track-mounted B-66 with Removable Transport Dolly.

In this issue
New Rotochopper Hammermill Line.

New Products

  • Track-Mounted B-66 with Transport Dolly. Tracks to cut handling costs and a dolly for convenient highway transport. Online version.
  • Fine Grinding Systems with New Hammermill Line. Rotochopper two-stage grinding systems offer “Perfect In One Pass” solutions for pellet fuel, animal bedding, suspension burner fuel,
    and other short-fiber finished products. Online version.
  • 90-degree Side Loading Discharge Conveyor. Fill open-top trailers parked parallel to your grinder with this unique option for Rotochopper horizontal grinders.
  • New Rotor & Tooth Designs. New and re-designed rotor teeth reduce part replacement costs and
    increase versatility.

Used Equipment vs Factory Refurbished Equipment

Part 1 of our feature on the Rotochopper Certified Factory Refurbishment Program

A Rotochopper Factory Refurbished Grinder Undergoes Field Testing.

Pictured above: A factory refurbished Rotochopper wood grinder undergoes field testing.
Pictured below: The infeed conveyor of the machine above is removed to allow inspection of the subframe.
Looking for a used wood grinder? Why buy it from the factory? Quite simply, with a certified factory refurbished Rotochopper grinder, you get the same commitment to detail that you get with a new machine.

  • Detailed inspection to determine necessary update, replacement, and refurbishment procedures.
  • Quality testing of all fluids, including engine oil and coolant.
  • Thorough refurbishment of all necessary components.
  • Operational testing to ensure proper function of all systems, including engines (or electric motors), pumps, conveyors, rotors, and other components.
Attention to Details

A Wood Grinder Undergoing Inspection & Refurbishment.Most importantly, when you choose Rotochopper factory refurbished equipment, you benefit from attention to the details that make the biggest difference in your bottom line—the results you need from your raw materials, whether you need to produce boiler fuel, colored landscape mulch, animal bedding, or any number of finished products. When you trust your resources to our grinding technology, you get a machine that is matched to your raw material volume and finished product needs. We make sure your machine is equipped to deliver the finished product specs you need. It’s no different whether it’s brand new or has a couple thousand hours.
And we back each machine that leaves our factory, new or refurbished, with the industry’s most responsive customer support, so you get the results you need, day after day.

Learn more in the PDF version of this newsletter.

Market Updates

Colored Landscape Mulch. Colored Mulch

The colored mulch market has posted double-digit growth over the last several years (according to statistics gather by
Amerimulch), with the US showing modest growth in 2009 and new markets slowly starting in other regions around the world. Colored mulch continues to offer growth opportunities for a diverse range of companies largely because it gives producers the flexibility to meet shifting market demands. The color-enhanced mulch market has evolved significantly since it began more than 10 years ago. Consumer preferences for color, particle size, and texture are becoming more demanding, particularly in more matured markets like the US Northeast. As more landscape products enter the market, nothing gives producers the flexibility to keep pace with evolving consumer demands like colored wood fiber mulch.

Online version of mulch market statistics provided by Amerimulch.

Online version of mulch market analysis.

Sorted C & D Recycling

Fiber shortages, along with increasing recycling mandates and public interest in greener solutions, is helping drive the sustained
growth of sorted C & D recycling.

Rotochopper EC-266 Processing Sorted C & D.The low moisture content of sorted C & D makes it highly suitable for various fuel products, animal bedding, and other value-added
materials. Because C & D recycling requires consistent uptime and exacting particle size control, Rotochopper electric grinders are growing in popularity among waste handling companies. For C & D recyclers, consistent uptime is not simply a matter of increasing
profits; it’s critical. As one of our customer puts it,

People depend on us, both to accept waste materials and to supply recycled products. The trucks don’t stop coming if we have downtime. Our wood fiber … end markets require strict size and quality specs we need to consistently meet, with a steady volume.

~Mark Pahl, Dem-Con Companies. Read the full article about this C & D recycling company.

Known for consistent uptime, Rotochopper electric grinders are proving to be an excellent match for C & D recyclers because they can be conveniently incorporated into sorting and recycling systems. Available with a wide range of horsepower, our electric grinders can be sized to match the flow of material from sorting lines, as well as meet the finished product specifications for various markets.

Colorizer Preparation Checklist

Rotochopper B-66 Grinding & Coloring Mulch.Rotochopper Grind & Color Equipment Owners:

With Spring approaching, now is a good time to make sure you’re ready for the mulch season:

  1. Check colorant supply. If colorant has frozen *  and separated, it may be still usable after thorough thawing and
    mixing. If thawing and mixing will not return the colorant to its proper state, additives may be available to restore colorant to
    usable form. Contact your colorant supplier for details.
  2. Check color pump hose & lubricant level. If hose is more than one year old, you may wish to have a spare on hand.
  3. Check the entire colorizer system for leaks. Check the in-line filter for clogging (if applicable).
  4. Check for colorant and water flow when material enters the grinding chamber.

* Always keep liquid colorants above freezing to prevent damage.

Need some refresher points on making colored mulch? Give us a call. If you’d like a factory technician to visit your site for preventive maintenance or operator training, give us a call early, before the mulch season gets into full swing.

Pellet Fuel Demo

MC-266 Processing Forestry Slash for Boiler Fuel.

 

MC-266 Processing Debarked Round Wood for Pelletizing.
At a recent demo, members of the pellet fuel and forestry industries watched a Rotochopper MC-266 processing debarked round wood for the pellet fuel market. Hosted by Rotochopper, Inc., Cutting Systems, Inc. (CSI), Forestry Pro, and James River Equipment, the demo was staged in a loblolly pine stand near Scottville, VA. During the event, a logging crew harvested, delimbed, and debarked round wood to achieve a clean wood fiber suitable for pellets. The clean stems were then processed to a dryer-ready short-fiber material with a single pass through the MC-266 using a unique rotor.

Forestry slash that was unsuitable for debarking was processed separately for various fuel products that ranged in size from 3″ minus to 1″ minus.

Read the full article in the PDF version of our newsletter.

Learn more about the unique rotor showcased in this demo.

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