FAQ

The first step to deciding if your company will benefit from a chopper is to evaluate how your company currently manages its scrap. Here are some questions to think over to help make the decision:

Do you use dumpsters or containers to collect your banding?
How often are the dumpsters and containers emptied?
How full are they when picked up?
How much does your company spend on scrap disposal?
How much space is required to store your scrap? Could this space be put to better use?

The material you are trying to process may be too large for the chopper model that you have. Refer to your operation manual or contact a Sweed representative to learn your chopper’s scrap capacity.

The knife edges may be dull. Each chopper knife has four sides and can be turned three times to an additional side to obtain a new edge. Refer to your operation manual or contact a Sweed representative to learn how to properly turn you chopper knives.

Chopped strapping is compacted and costs less to dispose of.
As environmental regulations become more stringent, dumping fees will continue to rise.
Every time you pay to have a dumpster of scrap emptied, you erode your company’s profits.
In some areas, the fee for emptying two 30-yard dumpsters is equal to the price of a Sweed Chopper!

Sweed can process bulk materials using shredders, prechoppers and granulators either as standalone components or within a full system (depending on the material).

The quantity of bands or wires that can be fed depends on the tensile strength and width or diameter of the material and whether there are knots, clips, or other processing challenges. The best way to determine if a chopper will meet the processing requirements is to perform a test using the maximum loads that it might experience on the job.

Virtually any kind of ferrous or non-ferrous materials can be converted to a more manageable state using Sweed Choppers. The following is a short list of linear scrap materials that Sweed Choppers are processing (either as stand-alone units or within a Sweed system) around the world:

ACSR cable
ASR
Baling wire
Bandsaw blades
Brass alloy rod wire
Bread blades
Carbon core of ACCC Cable
Carbon fiber panels
Co-ax cable of all sizes
Coater blades
Copper rod
Doctor blades
Foam rope
Insulated copper tubing
Mini-blind scrap
PET strapping/banding
Plastic extrusions
Plastic tubing
Poly strapping/banding
Radiators
Slitter line scrap
Small gauge mesh wire
Steel extrusions
Steel plate and bar stock
Steel rod
Steel strapping/banding
Titanium rods
Triplex cable
UHMW plastic
Utility cable
Welding wire
Wire rope and logging cable

Chopped ¾” steel banding: 1200 – 1300 lbs; 26,000 feet

Chopped ½” plastic banding: 300-400 lbs

Just introduce the scrap banding into the infeed funnel. The feedworks will grab the material and pull it into the rotating knife path until it is consumed or the operator releases the feedworks via the release lever. It’s as simple as feed-and-forget!

The chopper’s feedrolls are likely worn and need to be replaced. These are typically an in-stock item. Contact a Sweed representative to place an order.

Sweed provides installation drawings and oversees the mechanical placement of equipment and assures electrical termination is done correctly. We also offer start-up support and training to assure our systems and equipment operate properly and to their full potential.

Yes! Sweed sales and engineering work closely with customers to meet safety, footprint and production needs.

Yes! From parts to technical assistance, Sweed sales and engineering are available for troubleshooting and recommendations for maximizing your systems’ efficiencies.

Sweed systems typically require a total of 2 employees; one for feeding the system and the other for operating and monitoring equipment and material flow.

Sweed systems are designed to chop and process wire from 500 pounds per hour to over 12,000 pounds per hour. Contact a Sweed representative to inquire on the system that is best suited for your material and production goals.

All types of jacketed and insulated wire and cable
ACSR (aluminum conductor steel-reinforced)
ACSS (aluminum conductor steel-supported)
ASR (auto shredded residue)
Aluminum and steel BX cable
#1 ICW (insulated copper wire) – typically medium to high yield wire that is thicker than 12 gauge; produces a clean #1 chop copper
#2 ICW (insulated copper wire) – low or high yield, typically smaller than 12 gauge; produces a #2 chop copper
#3 ICW (insulated copper wire) – very fine low yield wire less than 35%; produces a #2 chop copper
URD cable (underground residential distribution)
CAT5 cable (category 5)
TEC cable (tubing encapsulated cable)
Zorba fines
Tech cable
THHN cable (thermoplastic high heat-resistant nylon-coated)
Auto wire harness
ACR (aluminum copper radiator)
Radiators (aluminum)

Sweed provides installation drawings and oversees the mechanical placement of equipment and assures electrical termination is done correctly. We also offer start-up support and training to assure our systems and equipment operate properly and to their full potential.

Yes! Sweed engineers work closely with customers to meet their safety, footprint and production needs.

Yes! Sweed dryer infeeds and outfeeds are individually engineered to fit your current dryer configuration.

Standard turners are built to turn up to 5’ wide x 12’ long.

Sweed can custom build any size turner, inverter or upender to your specifications.

Yes. They can be power roll-case loaded and unloaded, gravity loaded and unloaded, end loaded and side loaded.

Yes! From parts to technical assistance, Sweed sales and engineering are available to help you work through difficulties you may encounter during operation.

All panel type products including plywood, OSB, Masonite, gypsum, concrete siding and hardwood flooring. In addition to pallets and steel and paper coils.

Yes. The Rotating C-Turner and the Open-Clamp Bundle Turner both turn the load over and around, allowing the forklift driver to load and unload from the same side.

Stock turners can turn up to 3,500 pounds.

Heavy-duty clamp turners can turn up to 5,000 pounds.

Custom units are available to accommodate weights up to 20,000 pounds plus.