A good drum makes all the difference when it comes to the performance and reliability of grinders in the marketplace. “The drum is the heart of any grinder, and it has to last,” says Vermeer Recycling and Forestry Product Manager Jeff Bradley. The patented Series III duplex drum incorporates innovative technologies that make tree grinder maintenance convenient to help extend the wear life of your equipment.
Early drum design maintenance
Many of the early machine designs in the industry didn’t utilize a true rotor; it was more of a pin-and-plate design. Pin removal for hammer changes required high maintenance time with this design. If you needed to replace a hammer located in the middle of the rotor, a long pin had to be pulled through a series of discs and maybe two or three hammers as well. This increased the potential of creating out of balance issues while performing this task.
To overcome these issues, some manufacturers moved to a drum design. Hammers were often welded to the surface of the drum. However, difficulty with welding hard materials made replacement and repairs more difficult and time consuming.
Vermeer streamlines grinder maintenance with innovative design
Vermeer engineers constantly refine and improve products based on customer feedback. They addressed this drum-design challenge and created a drum that was different from anything that was previously available; the Series III duplex drum. Now a featured component of Vermeer horizontal grinders and tub grinders, the Series III duplex drum is designed with reversible hammers and cutter tips. These innovations minimize maintenance time and ease replacement by eliminating the need to weld on hammers.
“To be hard you must have a lot of carbon, and when you have a lot of carbon you cannot weld it easily,” explains Recycling and Forestry Project Engineer Keith Roozeboom. “We wanted to have something that was very robust, but not so difficult to replace, change or fix.”
This problem required an innovative solution. “What it comes down to is the through hammer design, which is really different from anything that has previously been in the industry,” says Bradley.
The Series III duplex drum also features an improved hammer retention design over its predecessor that holds the hammers secure. A rounded hole in the drum to hold the hammer minimizes stress points in the drum versus the previous rectangular hole. This helped prevent movement that could lead to wear.
Rebalance efficiency
Balance is critical on these grinder drums. Consider that the drum on a Vermeer grinder can weigh from 3,500 to 10,000 pounds (1,587.57 to 4,535.92 kg). When it’s spinning, it requires precise balance. As the drums wear, they need to be rebalanced. Being able to bolt on weight to the rotor end plate versus having to weld on pieces of metal eases the task.
Learn more about the Vermeer duplex drum
To hear more about the history of the duplex drum, watch this short documentary featuring Recycling and Forestry Product Manager Jeff Bradley and Project Engineer Keith Roozeboom. They explain innovations made to the duplex drum with each series and share details about how the Vermeer duplex drum has transformed tree grinder maintenance for customers.
If you are ready to see how Vermeer grinders can make a difference for your operation, contact your nearest dealer to learn more.
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