Touted as the most "purpose-built" machine in Morbark's 50-year history, model 1600 tub grinder purports to put up some impressive production numbers: up to 700 cubic yards per hour in green waste and more than 500 yph in stumps and logs, says the materials production manufacturer. These numbers can vary depending on material and screen openings, as well as operator and support equipment.
Base diameter measures 11 feet 2 inches, and tub capacity is 20 cubic yards, which Morbark says is the largest made. A choice of Caterpillar or Cummins diesel can provide a minimum of 1,000 or maximum of 1,200 horsepower. The 6-foot hammermill offers 22 hammers as standard, allowing enough space between hammers to grind landfill material; mixed debris; and large, chunky wood. In regrind applications, users can convert to a 30-hammer pattern in an hour.
The company says the grinder can easily keep up with a 13-yard wheel loader bucket feeding it material, and it built the discharge system with a 60-inch-wide belt for quick discharge. Morbark's three-auger system reduces abuse and wear on the belt, Brandon says, which can be damaged by "wood 'spears' that can be shot out of the hammermill at incredible velocity."
"These belts are a high-wear, high-cost replacement item," Brandon says. "Hard-surfaced steel augers are an efficient way to exit large volumes of material from under the mill." A pressure sensor will stop the tub if augers become overloaded.
Also standard on the 1600 is the company's Iqan system, although this is the first tub grinder that features the programming tool. A computer module receives input from hundreds of sensors that monitor hydraulic pressures, temperatures, loads, auger pressure, and other functions, Brandon says. The operator can set parameters based on the material in order "to achieve the greatest output while maintaining the optimum engine load."
"For example," he says, "if the discharge augers come under heavy load because of a large surge of material, the Iqan senses this and tells the tub rotation to slow down or even stop and reverse until the load on the augers reaches optimum parameters." In addition, Iqan has an optional satellite link that allows a service tech to monitor and diagnose problems.
Morbark Model 1600 Tub Grinder Specifications
- Power: 1,200 hp
- Operating weight: 101,080 lb.
- Transport length: 49 ft. 8 in.
- Transport height: 13 ft. 6 in.
- Screen area: 5,735 square inches
Morbark Model 1600 Tub Grinder Price
Model 1600 runs from $650,000 to $700,000 depending on power unit and options. Standard machine warranty is 6 months. For specs on this and 71 other machine types
