# **Application Case Study: 1600-ton Multi-blade Shear for a Major Metal Recycling Park in East China**

## **I. Market Background: Scale and Precision Drive the Upgrade of Scrap Steel Processing**

Driven by China's "Dual Carbon" goals and strong policies promoting the circular economy, scrap steel's strategic importance as a green raw material for steelmaking has become increasingly prominent. East China, as the core manufacturing hub of China, hosts a large number of dismantling centers, end-of-life vehicle processing plants, and steel structure manufacturers, generating massive volumes of long scrap steel resources, such as rebar, I-beams, channel steel, steel pipes, and vehicle frames.

Traditional processing methods like flame cutting, single-blade shearing, or manual dismantling have shown their limitations in meeting large-scale recycling demands:
* **Efficiency Bottlenecks:** Single-cut methods reliant on manual labor are slow, becoming a key choke point limiting recycling throughput.
* **Rising Costs:** Labor costs continue to increase. Flame cutting incurs high gas consumption and subsequent grinding costs, coupled with poor working environments.
* **Inconsistent Quality:** Uneven cutting lengths and poor cut surface quality affect the economic value of subsequent baling, steelmaking, or direct sales.

Therefore, leading scrap recycling companies are actively seeking to transform their processing through equipment upgrades to achieve **batch-based, automated, and high-quality** operations, thereby establishing core cost and efficiency advantages.

## **II. Client Pain Points: Struggling with 300 Tons of Long Scrap Daily Using Traditional Methods**

The client in this case is a leading recycling enterprise within a national-level metal resource recycling industrial park in East China. It specializes in processing heavy, long scrap steel from sources like building demolition, factory decommissioning, and equipment dismantling. Before introducing the new equipment, the production manager faced three major challenges:

1. **Peaked Production Efficiency, Order Backlog:**
* The park receives approximately 300 tons of long scrap daily, relying on multiple dispersed flame cutting machines and old single-blade shears.
* Slow processing speed and complex coordination often led to massive stockpiles of raw materials due to untimely processing, hindering quick monetization and affecting the overall flow within the park.

2. **High Comprehensive Processing Costs:**
* The flame cutting team was large, with gas, consumables, and labor costs accounting for nearly 40% of processing costs.
* Post-cutting material deformation and severe slag adherence necessitated secondary processing, and yield was heavily dependent on operator skill.

3. **Mounting Safety and Environmental Pressures:**
* Open flame operations posed significant safety hazards, and environmental regulations on dust emissions were becoming increasingly strict.
* High-intensity manual handling and cutting work increased both the risk of workplace injuries and management costs.

The enterprise head stated clearly during the survey:
> "We need a 'process revolution,' not minor fixes. We need equipment that can continuously and quickly 'harvest' this 'forest of steel reinforcement,' cutting it into neat 'segments.' Efficiency, cost, and safety—none can be compromised."

## **III. Solution: The 1600-ton Hydraulic Multi-blade Scrap Shear (An Efficient "Cutting-off Production Line")**

Addressing the client's core demands for **high efficiency, low cost, and automation**, we recommended our newly developed **1600-ton Hydraulic Multi-blade Scrap Shear**. This solution is not just a machine but a systematic processing upgrade:

1. **Thousand-ton Shearing Force Combined with Multi-blade Action for a Productivity Leap:**
* **1600-ton hydraulic system thrust** ensures easy shearing of high-strength, large-cross-section scrap (e.g., round steel below 300mm, large I-beam webs).
* **The core lies in the multi-blade design:** Multiple sets of blades can perform multiple shears **simultaneously or sequentially in a single stroke**, integrating the function of several single-blade shears into one machine. Coupled with a powerful hydraulic feed system, it enables a continuous cycle of "feeding-positioning-multi-blade shearing."
* **Result:** The single machine's theoretical processing capacity far exceeds that of traditional equipment, directly tackling the client's **300 tons per day** bottleneck and potentially replacing multiple previous dispersed workstations.

2. **Automated Control System, Reshaping the Production Process:**
* **PLC Fully Automatic Control:** After setting the shear length and frequency, the machine automatically completes the feeding, shearing, counting, and discharging process.
* **High Length Accuracy:** Feeding controlled via servo or encoder ensures minimal shear length error (controllable within ±3mm). The produced segments are uniform, suitable for direct sale as premium scrap or efficient baling, significantly enhancing product added value.

3. **Reducing Operational and Hidden Costs at the Source:**
* **Directly Eliminates Gas and Significant Labor:** No flame cutting required, removing gas costs and the complexity of managing large cutting teams.
* **Improved Working Environment:** Pure hydraulic shearing produces no open flame, high-temperature smoke, or dust, creating a safer, cleaner workspace that easily meets environmental standards.
* **Superior Cut Quality:** Clean, flat cuts with minimal deformation and no slag adherence reduce subsequent processing steps and material loss.

4. **Robust Structure and Smart Design Ensure Lasting Stability:**
* The body is constructed from high-strength steel plate welding, optimized via Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to ensure stable operation under long-term heavy loads.
* The hydraulic system features intelligent protection and fault diagnosis. Key components utilize internationally renowned brands, guaranteeing equipment availability and service life.

## **IV. Client Feedback: "One Machine Replaces Multiple Lines," Comprehensive Benefits Exceed Expectations**

After a quarter of operation, the client provided positive feedback across multiple dimensions: production efficiency, economic benefits, and site management.

* **Production Bottleneck Completely Eliminated:**
> "Now, a single multi-blade shear production line can handle over 70% of the park's long scrap. The scenes of mountains of piled-up material are gone. The cycle time from raw material arrival to processed furnace-ready charge has shortened from 3-5 days to within 1 day. Our processing capacity now outpaces our acquisition capacity."

* **Immediate Economic Benefits:**
* **Processing cost analysis shows:** Cost per ton (including labor, electricity, depreciation) decreased by approximately 35% compared to the previous flame cutting model.
* **Significant Product Premium:** The uniformly sheared, sized furnace charge is highly sought after by surrounding large steel mills, commanding a price increase of 50-100 RMB per ton.
* **Safety & Environmental Benefits:** Major fire risks are eliminated, plant dust has dissipated, the work environment is transformed, leading to significantly improved employee satisfaction and recruitment appeal.

* **Greatly Reduced Management Complexity:**
* Production shifted from reliance on "master craftsmen's" skills to controllable "equipment parameter management," making production planning and output forecasting highly accurate.
* Reduced number of operators and lower labor intensity shifted the work focus from manual labor to equipment monitoring and maintenance.

The client summarized its value in one sentence:
> "For us, this multi-blade shear is not just an equipment update; it's an upgrade of our entire business model. It transformed us from 'scrap steel movers' to 'premium raw material suppliers.' Now, **stable, uniform, and efficient output is our strongest leverage for securing long-term orders from large steel mills.**"

## **V. Summary: Typical Application Scenarios and Selection Advice for Multi-blade Shears**

Through this successful implementation in the East China recycling park, the 1600-ton hydraulic multi-blade scrap shear has proven particularly suitable for the following scenarios:

* **Large scrap recycling and processing bases or industrial parks** processing **over 200 tons of long scrap daily**, pursuing scaled, automated production.
* **Leading end-of-life vehicle dismantlers** needing to efficiently process large volumes of vehicle frames, chassis, and other large metal structural components.
* **Scrap processing departments of steel structure manufacturers or rolling mills** requiring rapid shearing and recycling of large quantities of cut-off remnants or substandard materials.
* **Processing centers** with **higher requirements for output material size, specifications, and cut surface quality**, aiming to produce premium scrap commodities.

For companies considering such an upgrade, we recommend the following approach:

1. **Precise Analysis of Material Profile:** Detail statistics on the **types, maximum cross-sectional dimensions, strength/hardness, and daily volume** of materials to be processed.
2. **Define Core Requirements:** Prioritize **ultimate efficiency**, or **shearing precision and output quality**? This influences the choice of feed system, control accuracy, and blade configuration.
3. **Choose a Reliable Partner:** Multi-blade shears are technology-intensive equipment. Prioritize evaluating the supplier's **R&D capability, key component configuration (e.g., hydraulic system, blade material), and local service support system.**

Investing in an advanced multi-blade shear is essentially investing in a **more efficient, controllable, and profitable future for scrap processing.** It is not only a tool to solve current production challenges but also core equipment for building long-term competitiveness in the wave of the circular economy.