SIZED RIGHT
A 72 x 104 mill from Magnatech Engineering helps Martin Brothers Scrap Metal expand into shredding.
After years of selling material to a large Memphis scrap processor for shredding, Benny and Henry Martin, owners of Martin Brothers Scrap Metal in Sardis, MS, and yard foreman Scott Martin decided to do away with the associated transportation costs and install a shredder at their own yard.
"We’ve always been a family business," Scott says of Martin Brothers. The Martin family has been in the scrap business for five generations and has been at its current location in Sardis since 1977. The company also operates yards in Byhalia and Clarksdale, MS, which it now uses as feeder yards for the Sardis shredder.
The size of Martin Brothers Scrap Metal’s new shredder was an important consideration. Scott considered 60 x 104 mills, but determined they were too small to easily handle junked automobiles. However, an 80 x 104 mill would cost several million dollars more than the company was able to pay, and Scott was uncertain that Martin Brothers would be able to obtain enough material to profitably operate the shredder. That’s when the company turned to Magnatech Engineering, Tonganoxie, KS.
Magnatech’s 72 x 104 shredder offered an ideal compromise for Scott. "It was the biggest machine we could buy on our budget," he says. "It’s a good machine for the money."
Magnatech’s reputation and that of the Graveman family’s also were a factor in choosing the 72 x 104 shredder. Like Martin Brothers, Magnatech is a family company, and that appealed to Scott, as did the company’s roots in shredder manufacturing.
Scott uses the word "experienced" to describe Bill Graveman, president of Magnatech Engineering, and Don Gravemen, the company’s founder. Their history certainly attests to that. Don began his career in the recycling industry in 1960, forming Engineered Systems, the forerunner to Magnatech Engineering, in 1965. Bill holds three patents and is active in engineering, production, design and development at Magnatech.
The Graveman’s knowledge, which has been learned through years of experience, appealed to Scott, Benny and Henry. "Some things you have to learn in the field, and they have been around long enough to know a little something about everything," he says.
When it comes to the shredder, Scott says, "The actual mill itself is very well made; it’s built to last.” He adds, “The in-feed is huge. In general, I am really pleased with the whole setup."
In addition to the in-feed conveyors and the 72 x 104 mill, the system includes downstream conveyors, a trommel, two magnets and an eddy current separator.
Scott says Martin Brothers has been able to process 50 to 70 tons per hour, depending on the in-feed material, since the shredder was installed in March of this year. This was a pleasant surprise, as Magnatech had indicated a throughput rate of 25 tons per hour initially, he says.
The shredder is economical to run in light of its natural-gas-powered engines. Martin Brothers uses two 2,000-horsepower natural-gas-powered engines to operate the shredder, which offers redundancy and extra capacity when needed. “We were worried about energy costs and went with natural gas because it’s cheaper than electric motors," Scott says. With the natural-gas motors, Martin Brothers doesn’t have to confine itself to running the shredder during off-peak hours to get a better rate from the electric company.
Since adding the 72 x 104 shredder from Magnatech, Martin Brothers Scrap Metal has seen a 20 percent to 30 percent increase in volume. "We can get more money for our scrap," Scott adds. "Really, as soon as it started running, we started making money.
Scott adds, "It’s a nice size shredder for small, independent yards. It’s the right machine, it’s priced right and it’s well built. Anyone would be happy with it."