Metal Shredder
Counter-Rotating Roller Shredder for Bulk Metal
The counter-rotating roller shredder is an 80 kg comminution unit that reduces bulk metal scrap into chips suitable for downstream melting, delivering a throughput of 50 kg per hour at an 8:1 reduction ratio. Powered by 500 W BLDC drive motors, the system uses tungsten-carbide cutters within a hardened-steel housing. On the lunar surface, the counter-rotating design cancels reaction torque to maintain mechanical stability in 1/6 g, where reduced normal force also alters feed mechanics. A vacuum-tight enclosure protects internal components against abrasive lunar dust, and modular roller cartridges allow robotic replacement over a 15-year operational lifetime.
Counter-rotating tungsten-carbide roller shredder reducing metal parts to chip/shred size suitable for downstream melting.
Purpose
Counter-rotating tungsten-carbide roller shredder reducing metal parts to chip/shred size suitable for downstream melting.
Context
Child of L2-WMS-METAL within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸Counter-rotating rollers cancel reaction torque (suitable for 1/6 g)
- ▸Tungsten-carbide cutters for long life on hardened steels
- ▸Variable speed accommodates different metal hardness
- ▸Reduction ratio 5:1 to 10:1 per pass
- ▸Dust containment via sealed enclosure
Typical implementations
- ▸Industrial metal shredders (terrestrial)
- ▸Mining ore comminution
- ▸Aerospace scrap reduction
Lunar considerations
- ▸Lunar dust containment via vacuum-tight enclosure
- ▸Robotic-replaceable roller cartridges via L1-MNT
- ▸1/6 g reduces normal force — design adjustment vs. terrestrial
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Counter-rotating tungsten-carbide roller shredder reducing metal parts to chip/shred size suitable for downstream melting. |
| throughput kg per hour | 50 |
| reduction ratio | 8 |
Physical
| mass kg | 80 |
| materials | Tungsten carbide rollers, Hardened-steel housing, BLDC drive motors |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 500 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 15 |
| mtbf hours | 10000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Shredded metal feed
Requires
- Sorted metal input
- Shredder drive (~500 W)
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Metal Shredder" (L3-WMS-METAL-SHRED). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-WMS-METAL-SHRED
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.