Vermeer Corporation has redesigned the HG6000 horizontal grinder with new design enhancements and a Tier 4i/Stage IIIB engine to meet wood-waste processors’ needs for productivity and government emission regulations.

“Vermeer spent considerable time redesigning the HG6000 horizontal grinder,” says Jay Sarver, environmental sales manager for Vermeer Corporation. “The machine incorporates features that will help enhance productivity, and a new Tier 4i/Stage IIIB engine provides more fuel-efficient horsepower while meeting tier regulations.”

The HG6000 is powered by a Cat C18 Tier 4i/Stage IIIB engine that meets all U.S., Canada and European Union tier regulations while producing 755 horsepower (563 kW), a 20 percent increase in horsepower over the previous Tier 3 engine.

A dual-screen system allows screens to be mixed and matched to attain the desired end product. The screens are also reversible and interchangeable to obtain the maximum usage of the wear portion of the screen. Customers also have the ability to adjust the screen support on the HG6000, allowing the screen to be moved closer or farther away from hammer tips to match clearance with the type of material being processed. Vermeer eliminated the transition area between the anvil and screen, increasing the screen area on the HG6000 by 20 percent, which allows for more throughput.

The Series II duplex drum hammermill consists of 10 hammers and 20 cutter blocks with a 36.4-inch (92.5 cm) cutter tip diameter and 62-inch (157.5 cm) cutting width. This patented design helps to decrease daily maintenance time, while increasing the life of major wear components simply by reversing the cutter blocks, hammers and center section of drum.

A box beam-style anvil — with replaceable wear surfaces on top — uses a wedge system to maximize retention while providing good resistance to bending. Additionally, serviceability is increased by providing ground-level access. All hardware used to secure the anvil is located on the outside of the machine, away from the wear path of material.

Vermeer also increased the thickness of the mill box sidewalls in front of the mill, as well as made it easier for the plates between the end of the mill and sidewall to be replaced. Optional, abrasion- resistant wear plates are available.

The Vermeer-exclusive SmartGrind system stops and reverses material from feeding into the hammermill when engine rpm drops below a preset droop speed. This helps increase machine and jobsite productivity by reducing operator effort. The feature reduces wear to vital engine and machine components by constantly monitoring engine loading. The feed table and feed roller pull material into the grinding chamber or reverse material away from the chamber when prompted. The operator can reverse the feed roller independently of the feed table to reposition irregular material as it enters the hammermill. Feed roller hydraulic down pressure can be applied using the remote control unit. Down pressure aids in feeding difficult material sizes and shapes.

A single-piece 48-inch (121.9 cm) wide belly and discharge conveyor belt eliminates the transition point from belly to load-out, helping to reduce the occurrence of plugging or bridging in some conditions. Vermeer also enhanced the overlap of the infeed and discharge conveyors to reduce spillage on the ground, resulting in less cleanup time under the machine.

The thrown object deflector (TOD) is designed to reduce both the quantity and distance of thrown material, allowing operation in smaller and controlled worksites. The TOD can be temporarily raised to reduce interference when loading over-length or bulky material if required.

Improved site maneuverability and a smaller turning radius were achieved by moving the fifth wheel pin under the 20-foot (6.1 m) long infeed. This design change also allows for enhanced weight dispersal for better tow vehicle traction and reduces the load on trailer axles.

A multifunction, wireless remote allows the operator to control most operating functions from as far away as 300 feet (91.4 m). This feature enhances jobsite productivity by allowing the operator to control machine functions from the loader vehicle while performing other functions. An optional air compressor is also available to speed up end-of-the-day cleaning of the machine.