Check your shredder’s health in 8 steps

Checking the health of your industrial shredder can be quick if you know what to do and can help to elongate its life span. Let’s face it, you want to ensure your shredder lasts as long as possible, they aren’t the cheapest bit of kit.

What can I expect from a shredder service?

During a service your shredder will be completely checked over. Think of it like you would a car service or MOT, you wouldn’t skip one of those so don’t skip your shredder service.

The engineer will check connections on the hydraulic screw and main motor for any leaks, wear and tear on rams, change the hydraulic oil filter and very importantly check the condition of the rotor knives and the blade gaps. If the knives are blunt, they may just need to be turned rather than replaced. If knives are running efficiently, you’ll get a much quicker rate of shredding and a smaller size of output, so it is worth keeping on top of when your knives need turning.

8 quick ways to check your shredder health

We asked our industrial shredder service manager Rob Woodhouse to give us 8 of the most important ways you can quickly check whether your shredder needs some immediate TLC or if it’ll hold out till its next yearly service.

• Check the machine foundations and fixings. Do they look unstable? Is there cosmetic damage? It could lead to something worse and could be much easier and less costly to sort at this stage

• Are there cracks and leakage, corrosion, and deformation on the hydraulic fittings?

• Look at the oil level in the hydraulic unit. Is it running low?

• Check the main pump pressure, is it too high or too low? Are there any signs of wear and tear?

• Test the safety locks and emergency stop devices fitted. Are there problems with their operation?

• Inspect the condition of the counter knife special bolt heads. Are they worn and rusty?

• What sort of condition are the screen segments in? Are they impaired or blemished?

• Check for wear on the guide plastics found on the main ram. Are the broken, damaged or looking worn?

If you answered yes to any of these, your shredder could really benefit from a quick service check.

Further checks

Upon request, Rob can send out another check list which delves deeper into the operations of your shredder and again could save you money on calling out an engineer.

It covers how to use a profile gauge to measure the rotor wear and how to check the cutter holders for wear and tear.

How to book a service

To book your shredder service and check the efficiency of your shredder with one of our specially trained Weima shredder engineers, get in touch with our service manager Rob Woodhouse.

By catching any minimal damage when it first occurs, you could double the life of your shredder or its knives. Saving you a lot of money!

To book your service contact our Service Manager Rob Woodhouse:

Direct dial: +44 (0)1622 882920

Email: rob.woodhouse@fercell.com

Further shredder operator reading

If you want to find out more about shredder operator training so you can learn to spot any issues quickly click here.