Our machine park consists of 100% Komptech

Over 14 hectares are lined with over a dozen compost heaps, supplemented by mounds of bark mulch and wood chips

Image credits: Offenblende

 

 

The company site in Appenweier is located in the Ortenau district, the largest district between the Rhine and the Black Forest. You should know this before visiting the ORICO site, because everything here is big. More than a dozen open compost heaps, around 40 metres long and 3.5 metres high, are lined up close together on the 14-hectare open-air site. In between are mounds of bark mulch or wood chips. The plant is designed to process 75,000 tonnes of green waste and natural wood residues per year, with around 30,000 tonnes coming from the Ortenau district, 10,000 tonnes from the Emmendingen district and a further 10,000 tonnes from the Zollernalb district. It is a rural region and a lot of green waste is produced here. “We do the best business with our quality-assured bark mulch for gardening and landscaping,” explains company boss Joshua Weber. ORICO’s woody biomass is also in high demand. It accounts for around 30 per cent of the input and, after processing, is sent to the surrounding combined heat and power plants for energy recovery.

 

OCO H. Weber GmbH & Co KG processes 75,000 tonnes of green waste every year

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SUITABLE FOR ORGANIC CULTIVATION

The “ORICO service department”, as Weber calls it, also produces bark humus, green waste compost and potting and plant soils. Everything is RAL-certified and therefore suitable for organic cultivation. “The quality requirements on the market are extremely high, but the prices need to be low,” says Weber. With this balancing act, the technical equipment at the recycling centre simply has to be right. When it comes to shredding and screening, ORICO relies on Komptech machines throughout: a slow-running Crambo 5200 and the high-speed Axtor 4510 take care of the coarse pre-shredding and fine shredding of the input material. The Multistar One and XL3 star screens and, more recently, the new Multistar L3 KP are used for precise screening. According to Weber, star screen technology is particularly suitable for fractionating biomass, compost and wood. By simply adjusting the screen section, defined useful fractions in grain sizes 0-10, 0-20, 15-40 and 20-200 can be separated. Otherwise, only bucket loaders can be seen in action on the company premises. “Komptech machines are the central component of our processing plant. They ensure efficient, high-quality processing of our products,” says the plant manager with satisfaction.

 

Managing Director Joshua Weber (centre) with team

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RESIDUAL MATERIALS FROM THE BLACKWOOD SAW MILLS

Green waste processing accounts for around 15 per cent of the family business’s total turnover. The largest part of the waste disposal service comprises the collection and processing of food and meat waste. This is also where OCO H. Weber GmbH has its roots. In the 1960s, company founder Helmut Weber had the idea of collecting calf stomachs, hides, skins and bones from smaller butchers in the region and putting them to good use. Today, OCO’s customers include well-known companies from the meat processing, food production and food retail sectors. They come from the entire Upper Rhine region and neighbouring Alsace. The “green” recycling segment was added a few years ago. Joshua Weber: “Making an active contribution to a sustainable circular economy is at the heart of our company.” In view of the nearby Black Forest with its wood processing companies, the expansion of the company in the direction of sawmill by-products was obvious. A large number of sawmills in the region now regularly unload their waste materials at ORICO. Added to this is the green waste from municipal and private waste disposal companies, from gardening and landscaping and from private households.

 

The slow-running 2-shaft shredder Crambo 5200 takes over the pre-shredding of the green waste

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PARTNER WITH COMMON ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS

The topic of “environment” was also what brought Komptech and the Weber family of entrepreneurs together. “Over the years, our shared goals have developed into a partnership that is characterised by mutual trust, technical expertise and solution-oriented communication,” explains the company boss. “Open dialogue on an equal footing and the joint search for innovative approaches are particularly important to me.” Weber is very satisfied with the quality and performance of Komptech machines, but the overall package, which also includes service, is crucial. “Our own mechanics are in top shape, so we solve most technical problems ourselves. But in tricky cases, we call on Komptech support – which fortunately is rarely necessary,” he explains. Nevertheless, service is an important point for him when buying a machine. Komptech is also the first point of contact for him when it comes to new challenges in processing.

 

As a powerful high-speed shredder, the Axtor 4510 complements the shredding process

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ECONOMICAL AND SAFE OPERATION

This year and last year, two Komptech machines were replaced with new models. Electric drive is not yet an issue, as Weber explains, as the infrastructure is not yet suitable. But: “Of course we want to develop in this direction at some point, perhaps with a test machine first,” he says. When purchasing new machines, the company boss takes great care to ensure that the applicable legal requirements with regard to occupational safety and environmental protection can be complied with exactly. TA Luft is currently a major issue for the company, as a lot of dust is produced when processing waste wood. Enclosed processing would be a major investment and would require more space. Growth in this area is therefore limited. ORICO is currently well positioned, everything is approved and running. “The biggest problem is finding motivated employees,” says Weber. Like many companies in the industry, he is looking for qualified staff. And what else does he wish for the company? “A stable market and good weather,” says Weber.

 

ORICO relies on Multistar star screens for precise fractionation:Flexibly adjustable screen sections enable defined grain sizes.

Image credits: Offenblende

 

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This is the online version of the article “Our machinery is 100% Komptech” from Komptech Magazine Germany

Image credits: All images used © Komptech GmbH, unless otherwise labelled

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