Twin-shaft grinders are known as the toughest solids reduction equipment available. They are praised for their ability to cut through tough solids and stringy waste. Everyone loves them. Well, except for the guys who service them. Unless you’re talking about Vogelsang’s Twin-Shaft Grinder known as the XRipper. 

Traditional twin-shaft grinders are built with two long cutter stacks made of blades and spacers — as many as 150 blade/spacer sets on the largest grinders. When it comes time to service these things — or worse, when they jam or fail — the blades and spacers come apart easily for repair. But that’s when things go sour. Maintenance guys say that putting other twin-shaft grinder blades back together is a nightmare. Getting the spacers just right takes hours. And if you don’t see that you’ve misaligned something soon enough, you’re going to have to take the whole thing apart and start over.

So Vogelsang did it differently. Instead of the nasty stack of blades and spacers, the XRipper Twin-Shaft Grinder was engineered with two monolithic Ripper Rotors, each made from one solid block of steel. No spacers, nothing to align or stack. The XRipper is also designed with no lower bearings and an easy-to-replace cartridge mechanical seal.

Unlike a traditional twin-shaft grinder, the XRipper grinder is easy to maintain. Everything can be done inline without removing any connected piping. Simply remove a few retaining hex nuts, and the unit can be lifted vertically while the flanges and housing remain connected to the piping.  

The XRipper’s ripper blades are both removed at the same time and come off in solid sections versus individual pieces like ordinary twin-shaft grinders. Typical routine service such as changing ripper blades takes only a fraction of the time required to service a typical twin shaft grinder. In addition, there are no cartridge-style parts that require factory refurbishment.

Vogelsang also has made it easy to replace a traditional twin-shaft grinder with a drop-in replacement for many common grinders in the market.

Here are some of the advantages of using a twin-shaft grinder in wastewater applications:

• Reduces clogging: Wastewater twin shaft grinders are designed to shred large solids into smaller pieces, reducing the likelihood of clogs in downstream equipment, such as pumps and pipelines.
• Improves efficiency: By reducing the size of the solids in the wastewater, the twin shaft grinder helps improve the efficiency of downstream processes, such as sedimentation and filtration.
• Protects equipment: By removing large solids from the wastewater, the twin shaft grinder helps protect downstream equipment from damage and wear.
• Improves quality of effluent: By reducing the size of solids in the wastewater, the twin shaft grinder helps improve the quality of the effluent discharged from the treatment plant.
• Lowers maintenance costs: The use of a twin shaft grinder can help reduce maintenance costs associated with downstream equipment by preventing clogs and damage caused by large solids.
• Reduces odors: The twin shaft grinder can help reduce odors associated with wastewater treatment by processing solids more efficiently and preventing their accumulation.

The use of a wastewater twin shaft grinder can help improve the performance and efficiency of a wastewater treatment plant, reduce maintenance costs, and improve the quality of the effluent discharged from the plant.

By Joshua Price, Service Manager, Envirep

Envirep/TLC is a leading manufacturer’s representative and service provider for municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment and pumping systems. We represent manufacturers of quality products, serving Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, and part of West Virginia.

Envirep’s staff of application engineers and field service technicians have decades of experience in equipment selection, design, operation, and maintenance. We are committed to providing our customers with prompt and professional service. We assist consulting engineers and end-users with technical support, from new plant design and plant upgrades to equipment replacements and service. Our experienced team is here for you, to recommend the right product, part, and service for your application.