Vezzani polishes a scrap processing gem

In the 1970s, and in the face of widespread scepticism, Italian company Vezzani invented the gravity-fed shearing concept with its launch of the PC-AC, which stands for Press Shear-Continuous Feed. A revolution then as it still is now, Vezzani has continued to refine this iconic shear system.

Now more than ever, Vezzani’s PC-AC distinguishes itself owing to its ability to outclass other shearing systems. Driven by its passion for engineering, Vezzani has earned a reputation as a high-end manufacturer which has concentrated on producing scrap shears with the same production rates as a typical medium-size shredder.

In the case of the PC-AC, production rates of 170 tonnes per hour have been recorded and verified.   But while Vezzani enjoys having this reputation, the company wants to dispel the myth that its equipment is just for an elite few.

Most companies like Vezzani’s PC-AC shear, but not everybody needs high production rates of over 100 tonnes per hour. Unfortunately, many smaller scrap companies still think Vezzani makes only big machines that are beyond their budget, or even worse that Vezzani is not interested in talking to them.

Well, the good news for these companies is that the new PCAC range costs the same as comparable semi-mobile equipment. Owing to its redesigned feeding box, the PCAC now processes light and heavy scrap materials with ease and faster than any traditional semi-mobile shear.

It can process three times faster at a third of the cost, and almost eliminates the need for expensive preparation prior to feeding. The end result is higher-density, attractive, well-prepared scrap that steel companies really want in their mix.

Too good to be true?

Not at all. In fact, Vezzani has been developing a new range of shears specifically for scrap processors who thought the company’s equipment was out of their price range. A new customer from India with a small induction furnace has just purchased an 800-tonne Vezzani and recently stated: ‘Now I can say that Vezzani has created a shear for smaller companies like us.’

Development of the new PC-AC range is the result of 15 years of design and site testing. Vezzani does not want to cut corners in order to offer an attractive price; instead, to become more competitive, it has patiently concentrated on design improvements and higher efficiency use of components.

Cheap to buy and run

Vezzani will study your scrap situation and future goals, and then it will offer you a PC-AC built to fit your business demands. So you’ll have greater flexibility to tackle more scrap types than before, meaning more business can flow through your yard. And for every tonne the PC-AC processes, you could be saving Euro 3-10 in processing costs.

In tough market conditions, these savings could mean the difference between winning a deal or losing it. The working life of the average PC-AC is two or three times longer than for a standard semi-mobile machine. And so during its extra-long life, the PC-AC will save you many hundreds of thousands of Euros.

PC-ACs are fully maintainable with bolted liner plates in all areas that are in contact with scrap and that are subject to wear, and there are no hinges or long cylinders to maintain. Furthermore, areas subject to wear in a PCAC are 30-40% lower than for a typical semi-mobile shear, which means less to maintain and less to spend on maintenance for the life of the shear. All this adds up to extra profit.

Correcting a misconception

‘The PC-AC is only good for heavy scrap.’ This outdated opinion comes from the 1980s when scrap was different and so were scrap machines. Vezzani wants to correct this misconception with the launch of the new PC-AC range. The redesigned feeding boxes, which gulp down even the lightest scrap without any pushing from the loading grapple, are wider and taller but with a lower feeding height suitable for a standard mobile crane.

Radically redesigned to eliminate the need for expensive foundations, the new PC-AC sits on a simple, small plinth and can be fed with any typical scrap handler. And thanks to its totally automatic cycle, it doesn’t require a dedicated shear operator. Your crane operator can do it all himself: he can feed 100% of the time without having to stop to take command of the shear.

Another important point is that the PC-AC shear range has doubled its output while reducing the overall kW of installed power. Electric motors are extremely reliable and do not require regular maintenance. Maintenance-free means more money makes it through to bottom-line profits.

Mobility and semi-mobile machines

Machines with legs, how often are they actually moved? Almost never, according to Vezzani. For such spurious mobility, Vezzani is not willing to compromise the whole machine by limiting its efficiency in such a way that the user will be spending more for every tonne of scrap sheared.

It is worth remembering that a Vezzani machine can be moved just like any other shear, and soon the company will be launching a special PC-AC with exactly this in mind. However, Vezzani won’t be saying too much about this until it is ready for the product’s launch.

In essence, Vezzani is continuing to gear its product development towards increasing customers’ efficiency and profit levels. The process is ongoing and will never stop. Vezzani is committed to helping its clients meet their goals through the use of its dynamic products.