UNTHA supplies system solutions for efficient wood waste recycling

UNTHA has been developing high-performance shredders for over five decades. In addition, the team at the Austrian premium manufacturer plans and implements complete systems for waste wood recycling – including conveyor technology, metal separation, and integration into existing production processes. The aim is to optimally coordinate the entire material flow from shredding to energy recovery.

Intelligent system solutions for the wood industry

The wood shredders in the LR and RS model series can be operated flexibly as stand-alone machines or as part of a complete system. Conveyor belts, trough chain conveyors, and magnetic separators ensure automated material flows – safely, efficiently, and with low maintenance. In addition, UNTHA takes care of the entire project management and adapts the system to the conditions on site. UNTHA‘s system solutions also have CE marking thanks to clearly defined interface transfers in accordance with EU standards. “Our system solutions are as individual as the requirements of our customers. From needs analysis and system planning to commissioning, we take care of every step – including installation and service on request,” explains Markus Regelsberger, Sales & Business Development BU Wood at UNTHA.

UNTHA‘s product portfolio:

Conveyor technology: rigid and flexible screw conveyors, conveyor belts, trough chain conveyors, distribution technology for distributing wood chips in containers and wood chip storage facilities

Conveyor technology can also be designed to comply with ATEX

Metal separators: pipe, drum, and overband magnets

Wood chip centrifuge

Hydraulic tipping tables, special funnel solutions, and much more

OWI GmbH relies on UNTHA system solutions

The example of OWI GmbH, a medium-sized family business with locations in Germany and Hungary, shows how this approach works in practice. OWI has been producing molded parts from wood and plastic since 1927, including seat shells, loudspeaker housings, and technical components. The production process regularly generates large quantities of wood waste: plywood sheets, veneers, pallets, MDF and solid wood residues, often containing metal inclusions such as screws, sleeves or metal plates.

The aim was to use wood waste containing metal inclusions for energy generation in the company and to no longer have to dispose of it externally at great expense. In order to process the wood waste on site as efficiently as possible – i.e., in an energy-saving manner and without high personnel costs – the company opted for a system solution from UNTHA. An important criterion was that the wood chips be transported to the silos via the existing extraction system, but that metal separation be fully automatic – without manual stripping of magnets. In addition to filling from above via a tipping box, it should also be possible to fill the system at floor level via a feed belt with increased safety requirements. A particular challenge was to implement this concept in a very confined space while at the same time meeting the strict safety requirements.

The UNTHA LR1400, including peripheral equipment, is the optimal shredding solution for OWI: a powerful single-shaft shredder that can easily handle even particularly large and bulky pieces of material. The robust cutting mechanism is resistant to metal inclusions, and material handling is carried out via a specially designed feed belt with extended safety functions. The wood chips produced are fed by a screw conveyor to a drum magnet, which automatically separates the metal content into a collection trough. At the same time, the extraction system transports the cleaned wood chips to the silos, which supply the company‘s wood chip-fired heating system.

With the LR1400 wood waste shredder, OWI can process all wood waste – including metal inclusions – for thermal utilization. This has increased the available energy resources to around 300 t of fuel per year. The company thus covers its entire annual heating requirement of around 1300 MWh. This corresponds to the energy equivalent of 125 000 liters of heating oil or 133 000 m³ of natural gas – a value that corresponds to approximately 133 000 € to 188 000 € (estimated value, as of October). “The project at OWI is a prime example of how well-designed system solutions can take waste wood recycling to a new level. The plant runs fully automatically, requires hardly any intervention, and closes the material cycle within the company‘s own operations,” emphasizes Markus Regelsberger.

The customer also draws a positive conclusion: “The LR1400 meets all our expectations and the UNTHA team has also completely won us over. Initial consultation, detailed planning, installation, commissioning – everything from a single source and in great cooperation with our in-house maintenance team. We are very satisfied,” says Markus König, Production Manager for the wood division at OWI GmbH.