To help reduce the likelihood of major machine damage caused by certain metal contaminants entering the hammermill, Vermeer offers the Damage Defense system—an option available for tub grinders and horizontal grinders. If the mill comes in contact with metal while grinding, the Damage Defense system alerts the grinder control and automatically initiates the shutdown process. The system idles the engine down, reverses the infeed or tub and disengages the clutch. Once the contaminant is cleared, normal operation can resume. 

“The optional Damage Defense system is ideal for any tub or horizontal grinder operation that may encounter metal mixed in their incoming material,” says Jeff Bradley, product manager for Recycling and Forestry equipment at Vermeer. “The system can be factory-installed on new Vermeer grinders and is available as a refitted option for many older Vermeer grinder models.” 

The Vermeer Damage Defense system uses exclusive technology to reduce the possibility of severe damage when large metal objects enter the hammermill, and operators can easily adjust the sensitivity settings for job site conditions to help reduce nuisance shutdowns. It is integrated into the grinder’s controls system and features robust components and a weather-resistant box.

Built for land clearing and pipeline right-of-way operations, the HG6800TX horizontal grinder features a 950-horsepower (708-kilowatt) engine on a tracked machine with a compact design. Low sidewalls and an aggressive infeed system aid in feeding whole trees and other larger material with less restriction, reducing the need for operator interaction with the material. Let’s clear the way.

Features & benefits:

• SERIES III HARD-FACED DUPLEX DRUM. The Series III hard-faced duplex drum offers durability and convenient maintenance, with the ability to remove and replace single hammers and balance the drum externally.
• LOW SIDEWALLS. Low sidewalls aid in feeding whole trees and other larger material with less restriction, reducing the need for operator interaction with the material.
• SMARTFEED SYSTEM. The SmartFeed system monitors engine rpm and adjusts grinding speed for optimal machine performance.
• OPTIONAL DAMAGE DEFENSE SYSTEM. The optional Damage Defense system reduces the likelihood of certain metal contaminants from entering the hammermill by reacting to the initial contact with the contaminant and reversing the feed system to allow removal of the contaminant.
• ADJUSTABLE FEED ROLLER. The feed roller can climb up to 50 inches (127 centimeters), helping the machine to crush logs or stumps that need to be rolled and allowing the operator flexibility for different material inputs.
• OPTIONAL SCREEN HOIST. Change screens easily utilizing the optional screen hoist and the remote control or main machine controls

Encore Wire Corp., McKinney, Texas, has announced net income of $210.5 million in this year’s second quarter, representing a 14.96 percent rise from the $183.1 million it earned in the second quarter of last year.

The producer of copper and aluminum wire and cable products, which also runs a wire recycling (chopping) line, says its net sales in this year’s second quarter were $838.2 million, a 12.6 percent increase of percent from the $744.4 million in sales during the second quarter of 2021.

“The average selling price of wire per copper pound sold decreased 0.7 percent in the second quarter of 2022 versus the second quarter of 2021, while the average cost of copper per pound purchased increased 3.2 percent,” the company says. Encore Wire does not disclose to what extent scrap purchases and wire chopping costs figure into its materials margins.

So far in 2022, the company says its gross profit percentage for the first six months was 36.2 percent, which compares with just a 30.4 percent figure for the six months of 2021. “The average selling price of wire per copper pound sold increased 15.6 percent in the six months ended June 30, 2022, versus the six months ended June 30, 2021, while the average cost of copper per pound purchased increased 10.2 percent for the same period comparison,” according to the firm.

Aluminum wire represented 15 percent of the company’s net sales in the second quarter, boosting the first-half figure to 13.4 percent. “Aluminum wire volumes and spreads have increased for both the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2022, compared to the comparative periods in the prior year,” Encore says.

Daniel L. Jones, chairman, president and CEO of Encore, says, “The results for the second quarter of 2022 establish another high-water mark both financially and operationally for Encore Wire. Our continued strong earnings in 2022 validate that our single-site campus model is a strategic competitive advantage in the market today, giving us unmatched flexibility to quickly pivot and adapt to ever-changing market dynamics.”

The company makes all its products in McKinney and invites its customers to ship wire and cable scrap to its facility. Via Encore’s Scrap Purchase Program, the firm will ship empty, folded Gaylord boxes along with products it sells. Customers can fill the Gaylords with scrap, obtain a purchase order number from Encore, ship the boxes to McKinney and receive payment for the scrap within 60 days, Encore says on its website. 

Looking ahead, Jones says, “This marks the third consecutive quarter of volume growth driven by continued increased demand for data center, health care and renewable product solutions. We believe existing market conditions and the current outlook support existing volume levels as well as support gross margin abatement continuing at a gradual pace.”

Land bank officials in Richland County, Ohio, have reportedly received 11 bids from contractors willing to tackle the demolition of a former Westinghouse factory in Mansfield, Ohio.

A report from the Mansfield News Journal assigns a price tag in the $4 million range for the vacant building, which the newspaper says sits on 14 acres of land. The bids received ranged from $2.7 million to $7 million.

The 11 companies who have bid on the project, along with their bid amounts, are: Michigan-based Dore & Associates, $2.7 million; Ontario, Canada-based Priestly Demolition, $3.4 million; Chicago-based Green Demolition, $3.8 million; Ohio-based E&D Excavating, $3.9 million; Michigan-based Homrich, $4.2 million; Ohio-based Eagle Abatement, $4.2 million; Indiana-based Renascent Inc., $4.4 million; South Carolina-based Target Contractors, $4.7 million; Cleveland-based B & B Wrecking, $4.8 million; Detroit-based Adamo Demolition, $6.2 million; and North Carolina-based Trifecta Services, $7 million.

The former appliance factory ceased production in 1990. In the mid-1950s, when the sprawling complex was at its peak, Westinghouse employed more than 8,000 people, according to the Richland Source.

The News Journal says the Richland County Land Bank may award the bid as soon as this week. Regarding a timeline, the publication writes, “Demolition could begin as early as this year. Abatement is expected to begin in August.”