Infrared Camera Side Mount on Scrap Metal Shredder Feed Chute — a K2 Castings project.
To ensure the best possible throughput, your shredder operator needs the best possible view of the material entering the shredder. It’s why you’ll often see shredder control cabs mounted to a tower; the set up allows the operator to peer into the infeed and get the last possible glimpse of the feedstock before it enters the shredder.
The view from this point of entry allows your operator to adjust the feed to keep the shredder operating right in the sweet spot. Too slow of a feed and you’re giving up productivity, too fast and you risk jams and incomplete shredding.
It’s tempting to place your operator’s chair as close to the mouth of the shredder as possible, and while this position gives the operator the most direct view, one can achieve just as much, if not more, with cameras.
When properly located, a camera can give your operator a near direct view down the throat of your shredder. Additionally, close-up views of the output can give him the information he needs to produce the highest quality shred, as well as knowing when the hammers need replacement.
Not only that, but FLIR cameras, properly utilized, can give your operator a view through the steam produced in a shredder with water injection, while also giving him an intuitive sense for the temperature of the machinery, without the need to be staring at dials.
Additional reading on the K2 blog: Infrared Camera Positions for Shredder Infeed.
