After being in the scrap business for 43 years, Steve Garber of Global Shredding Technologies has bought, sold, operated and maintained just about every brand of scrap handling equipment.
When it came time to replace his aging material handling equipment, he didn’t mess around.
“Being in the business as long as I have, I try to stay up-to-date on what is available, and what the industry is saying about scrap handlers. Sennebogen came to my attention a number of times through trade events, magazines and from talking to other people in the industry,” Garber said.
Global Shredding Technologies is a car-shredding facility that operates within the Gerdau Ameristeel steel mill in Baldwin, FL. The company operates on eight acres where it processes up to 30,000 tons (27,000 t) of scrap monthly.
Global acquired three Sennebogen 850 M Series “green machines” in summer 2005.
Gerdau Ameristeel, located right next door, is the fourth largest overall steel company and the second largest mini-mill steel producer in North America. The company has the capacity to manufacture more than 8.4 million tons (7.6 million t) of mill finished steel products annually.
Through an integrated network of mini-mills, steel scrap recycling facilities and downstream operations, the company serves customers in the eastern two-thirds of North America.
Global Shredding Technologies processes scrap material on behalf of Gerdau Ameristeel for delivery to its Baldwin mill. Ferrous output is sent to the adjacent mill, with the non-ferrous material being sold to other companies.
“These Sennebogen machines can keep pace with our schedule here. They’ve integrated well and I’m quite happy with them,” Garber said.
There are three rubber-tired Sennebogen machines onsite. Two are equipped with grapples, the third with a magnet. One grapple machine is kept busy feeding the shredder at a rate of 1,200 to 1,500 tons (1,100 to 1,360 t) per 10-hour shift, up to six days a week. The shredder must run 10 hours a day to maintain the company’s production schedule. The Newell 98-104 Shredder (with a 6,000 hp motor) is one size below the largest shredder available.
Keeping up with the busy demands of the company was a top priority when the company bought the new Sennebogen machines.
The other two machines in the yard are used to unload all the ferrous materials arriving for processing and to stack materials and other general yard work as necessary. They run throughout the unpaved eight-acre yard.
“These two machines are kept busy receiving about 2,000 tons each day and run at least 20 hours a day, six days a week,” said Garber.
“We can’t have machines out there that need attention every other hour. We knew we needed something reliable, heavy-duty and dependable. Otherwise, the machines become a liability,” Garber said.
Another important factor in choosing the right machinery when Garber went shopping was service.
Global does not retain a maintenance staff of its own, but has had a long service relationship with Briggs Equipment. Known as the largest Case equipment distributor in North America, Briggs Construction Equipment Division first took on the Sennebogen line in 2003.
It was Briggs that proposed the green machines to Garber when Global expressed its interest in replacing its scrap handling equipment.
“Some of the main criteria when we went looking for replacement machines was that they would complement well what we were doing, the availability when we needed them but most of all the service,” said Garber. “It doesn’t make any sense for us to invest in machinery of this magnitude and not have the service to back it up. The dealer has to be there and Briggs is. If we can’t get the service we need when we need it or the parts, it doesn’t matter how good the machine is. If it doesn’t run, we don’t run.”
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