Selecting the Right Metal Recycling Machine by Scrap Type
Scrap yards in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand handle a wide range of metal waste-from automobile hulks and cast iron engine blocks to aluminum turnings and electronic waste. No single machine processes all of these efficiently. Selecting the right metal recycling machine requires matching equipment type to your dominant scrap material, feed size, throughput target, and downstream separation needs.
Tiangong manufactures 18 product models across shredders, crushers, and integrated recycling lines, all built in a 12,000 m² facility under ISO 9001 quality management. This guide maps common scrap types to the appropriate machine category, with specific model recommendations based on real product specifications.
Scrap Type 1: Mixed Ferrous and Automobile Scrap
Automobile bodies, light steel, tin plate, and mixed ferrous scrap are the bread and butter of most Southeast Asian scrap yards. This material varies in size, shape, and density, requiring equipment that can handle bulky, irregular feed without stalling.
Recommended: TG-Hammer 800 Heavy-Duty Metal Crusher
- 750 kW main motor sized for continuous-shift processing of mixed ferrous scrap
- 500-ton hydraulic compression ram maintains consistent feed engagement on bulky stock
- Throughput of 40 to 60 tons per hour depending on feed density and fragment size setting
- CE-marked frame with technical file and declaration for facility installation
- Reversible manganese steel hammers extend service intervals
- 60 Hz electrical variant available on request
The hydraulic ram is critical for auto scrap: gravity-fed machines let light car bodies bounce or bridge at the rotor mouth, while the 500-ton ram maintains consistent engagement. For complete vehicle processing, vehicles must be drained of fluids and have batteries removed before feeding, following standard end-of-life vehicle (ELV) processing requirements.
For smaller volumes or lighter feed, the TG-2200 Twin-Shaft Metal Shredder provides low-speed, high-torque shearing that handles mixed scrap without pre-sorting.
Scrap Type 2: Hard Castings and Dense Ferrous
Cast iron engine blocks, thick-walled steel pipe, railway components, and large machinery castings arrive at recycling yards in sizes and hardness levels that stall twin-shaft shredders or cause accelerated wear on cutting discs. These materials require compression crushing rather than shearing.
Recommended: TG-Jaw 600 Primary Jaw Crusher
- 600 × 900 mm feed opening for large single-piece input
- Manganese steel jaw plates (Mn13 standard, Mn18 for abrasive cast iron)
- Hydraulic wedge discharge adjustment-no manual shimming
- Compression mechanism fractures hard metal along natural cleavage planes
- 50 Hz or 60 Hz configurable
The jaw crusher is a primary stage. Oversized output can feed a secondary crusher or shredder for further reduction. It is not designed for light-gauge sheet metal or loose mixed scrap-those materials do not compress and fracture effectively between jaw plates and are better handled by a shredder directly.
Scrap Type 3: Aluminum Scrap and Non-Ferrous Swarf
Aluminum turnings, extrusion offcuts, and sheet scrap have very low bulk density (0.2–0.5 t/m³) and often carry cutting fluid residue. They also frequently contain tramp ferrous from machining operations-broken tool tips and steel chips that cause iron pickup in the alloy if not removed before remelting.
Recommended: TG-AluLine 200 Aluminum Scrap Recycling Processing Line
- Four-stage process: twin-shaft shredder -> magnetic separator -> eddy current separator -> hydraulic briquetting press
- Raises bulk density from 0.2–0.5 t/m³ to 2.0–2.5 t/m³ (5–8x improvement)
- Unified PLC control with stage interlocks prevents material spillage
- Cutting fluid drained during processing and recoverable
- Designed for facilities processing 3 to 15 tonnes of aluminum scrap per day
For standalone briquetting of clean aluminum chips without contamination, the TG-BriqPress 250 Metal Briquetting System provides hydraulic compaction into dense cylindrical briquettes. It also handles steel, cast iron, copper, and brass chips.
Scrap Type 4: Steel Drums and Containers
Empty 55-gallon steel drums, pails, and metal containers require specialized shredding. Standard shredders let cylindrical drums roll and bounce on flat cutting shafts without being gripped.
Recommended: TG-DrumShred 60 Steel Drum and Container Shredder
- Hook-style cutting tools catch drum walls and fold them into the shearing gap
- Hydraulic feed ram keeps containers engaged with shafts
- 2 × 22 kW drive, low-speed shearing (25–35 RPM) minimizes spark generation
- Volume reduction of 70–85%
- Safety: drums must be emptied, vented, and certified residue-free before processing
Scrap Type 5: Electronic Waste and Cable Recycling
E-waste and cable recycling require multi-stage processing to liberate metals from plastic, rubber, and other non-metallic materials.
Relevant equipment:
- TG-EWasteLine 150 E-Waste Metal Recovery Line: Integrated line for recovering metals from electronic waste
- TG-CableLine 100 Cable and Wire Recycling Line: Designed for separating copper and aluminum from cable insulation
- TG-FourShaft 400 Four-Shaft Metal Shredder: Screen-controlled particle size output (20–60 mm) ideal for WEEE scrap where consistent fragment size matters for downstream separation
Integrated Scrap Processing: The Turnkey Approach
For scrapyards processing mixed feed streams that include multiple metal types, a turnkey line eliminates the complexity of matching standalone units from different vendors. The TG-ScrapLine 150 Integrated Scrap Processing System combines:
- Twin-shaft primary shredder (handles auto scrap, light steel, mixed ferrous without pre-sorting)
- Overband magnetic separator (separates clean ferrous from non-magnetic residue)
- Hydraulic briquetting press (raises bulk density above 4.0 t/m³)
- Conveyors and PLC control system managing stage sequencing and interlock safety
Rated at 15 tonnes per hour, this line is CE certified and includes installation supervision and operator training. The PLC interlock system is a key advantage: if any downstream stage pauses or overloads, upstream feeding automatically stops to prevent material spillage-a common problem when individual machines from different suppliers are controlled independently.
Metal Recycling Machine Selection: Key Questions for Southeast Asian Buyers
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| What is your dominant scrap material? | Determines machine type: shredder for mixed/light scrap, jaw crusher for hard castings, briquetting press for chips |
| What is the maximum single-piece size? | Sets the minimum feed opening or hopper dimension |
| What throughput do you need (t/h)? | Prevents undersizing (bottleneck) or oversizing (wasted capital) |
| Does feed contain contaminants? | Determines whether magnetic separation, eddy current, or pre-sorting is needed |
| What is your site power supply? | 50 Hz/60 Hz configuration and transformer capacity must match |
| Do you need CE or other certification? | Affects documentation scope and electrical panel configuration |
| Will the machine be standalone or part of a line? | Standalone is simpler; integrated lines require PLC coordination and more floor space |
Regional Considerations for Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand
Vietnam: Scrap yards serving the growing manufacturing sector in Bac Ninh, Binh Duong, and Hai Phong handle increasing volumes of mixed industrial scrap. Transport infrastructure varies-priority should be on machines that produce transportable, high-density output to reduce logistics costs.
Indonesia: The archipelago geography means scrap must often travel between islands. Volume reduction through shredding and briquetting is economically essential. Contamination levels in Indonesian scrap streams can be higher, making magnetic separation and eddy current capability important.
Thailand: The established automotive supply chain generates consistent volumes of steel and aluminum scrap. Facilities serving OEMs may require CE-marked equipment and documented quality management. The TG-ScrapLine 150 and TG-Hammer 800 both carry CE certification suitable for buyers with stringent procurement standards.
After-Sale Support and Spare Parts
Every Tiangong metal recycling machine ships with a spare-parts kit, and standard lead time for replacement wear parts is under 45 days. Installation supervision, operator training, and a 12-month warranty are included with commissioning. The engineering team configures rotor knife profiles, screen mesh openings, jaw plate profiles, hydraulic pressure settings, and hopper dimensions to match each buyer's input material and downstream separation requirements.
To receive a configured proposal, include your typical scrap material types and maximum piece size, target throughput, site power supply, whether you need downstream separation equipment, and any regional certification requirements.