So we’ve explained in our last couple of blogs a bit about scrap metal pricing, copper pricing, etc. etc. Enough for now about pricing, right? Now, lets talk about something really cool and unique (in Richmond, VA) to Smith Iron and Metal: The Shredder!

Customers ask us all the time about this huge piece of scrap metal equipment. What goes in that thing? How does the Shredder work? Where does the shredded scrap metal go?

In a nutshell: we generally shred basic items like appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, microwaves) and light iron (steel wall studs, barrels, roofing tine, fence pipes, auto parts, etc.)

Once we get the scrap material on our feed belt, we then feed the scrap into the shredder. After the shredder “does it’s thing,” we then run the scrap through what we call “The Mill.” The Mill uses high powered magnets to separate ferrous scrap and non-ferrous scrap from the pile. What’s left over is run through a current system to separate materials even further.

After all this filtering, separating and “milling,” we end up with three products: shredded steel, zorba (a combination of non-ferrous metals, high in aluminum) and plain ol’ trash, which we call fluff (hey man, we can’t salvage everything).

We send out the shredded steel, which is really useful stuff for a huge spectrum of applications, after being reprocessed. We send the zorba overseas, and the “fluff” ends up where most trash does… the landfill. While we hate that anything ends up there instead of being re-used, sometimes trash is trash!

See below for an awesome video of “The Shredder” in action!

Learn More about the Scrap Shredder!

Questions about “The Shredder,” how it works or why we use it? Call us at 804-271-1239 or contact us online! We’d be happy to answer any and all queries you have. We look forward to speaking with you! Other Questions? Check out our FAQ!