References
The central warehouse of the Raiffeisen Association (RVS) in Salzburg was reopened in 2023. The main focus was on sustainable construction - including a biodiversity roof, photovoltaic system and surface unsealing. In order to also make the processes in the warehouse more sustainable and, for example, to recycle waste such as pallets and packaging wood ecologically and economically, the Raiffeisenverband Salzburg opted for a UNTHA shredder - this allows the waste wood to be shredded efficiently and processed thermally in a biomass cogeneration plant.
Raiffeisenverband Salzburg (RVS) operates 29 warehouses, seven specialist workshops and 24 petrol stations in Salzburg. This includes a central warehouse, which was reopened in 2023. Sustainable construction methods were used for the building: the concept includes a biodiversity roof, photovoltaic systems and surface unsealing. The central warehouse with its 18,000 pallet spaces serves as a transshipment point for over 10,000 different items.
The central warehouse accumulates around 700-800 tonnes of pallets per year. In order to recycle these as sustainably as possible, the Raiffeisenverband Salzburg – operator of the warehouse locations in Salzburg – was looking for a shredding solution including conveyor technology that processes bulky one-way and europallets as well as packaging wood into a homogeneous granulate, is energy-efficient and at the same time insensitive to impurities.
Requirements:
Energy efficiency
Feeding by forklift
Metal separation
Conveying technology
The decision was made in favour of the UNTHA LR1400 - a particularly powerful wood shredder that is ideal for processing large quantities of bulky material such as pallets and packaging wood. Thanks to the powerful yet energy-efficient drive and the two knife rows, the throughput rate is up to 10 cubic metres per hour for a fraction size of < 40 mm – which corresponds to around 40-50 pallets. The cutting system is particularly resistant to impurities and is additionally protected by the intelligent drive control system: in the event of an impurity ingress, it automatically switches off the motor. Thanks to its robust design and central lubrication system, the UNTHA LR1400 requires very little maintenance. The shredder has been equipped with a special hopper into which pallets and packaging timber can be loaded using a forklift. The shredded wood is transported into a roll-off container via an ascending conveyor belt and a distribution screw conveyor. Metal parts are separated from the shredded wood chips on the conveyor belt using a magnetic separator. The fill level of the container is monitored by a sensor. This stops the entire system if necessary.
With the UNTHA LR1400, we achieve a very high throughput rate when shredding pallets and at the same time a particularly homogeneous output material. The shredded wood is then processed thermally in a biomass cogeneration plant.
Roland de Greef
Head of the Bergheim central warehouse of Raiffeisen Warenbetriebe Salzburg
