With a line-up that spans 20 units and chipping capacities from 100 mm up to 220 mm, the Warwickshire-based manufacturer says it has a woodchipper to suit a wide array of end-users – from arborists and landscapers to local authorities, sports surface managers and many more.
FOUNDED in 1993, GreenMech puts its success down to the innovative nature of its products – all of which are designed, tested and produced in-house at The Mill Industrial Park in Warwickshire. Producing the vast majority of ideas and component parts under one roof gives the company the flexibility to turn customer and dealer feedback into functional reality – which, GreenMech said, has given rise to a number of groundbreaking innovations.
One of the first developments, introduced into the range in 1995, was the disc-blade chipping system. Having experienced the vulnerability of conventional, straight blades when contaminants such as stones or nails are inadvertently introduced into the chipper, GreenMech developed circular chipping blades intended to greatly reduce the replacement of damaged blades and the resulting machine downtime.
In operation, only one third of the disc blade’s circumference comes into contact with the woody material, while its slicing action makes it less prone to damage. When the first edge then becomes worn or damaged, the blades can be turned twice to the next unused edge, before the need to sharpen. The disc blades are described as easy to sharpen, using GreenMech’s own Sharpener unit; there is no need to reset the gap to the shear bar and, when necessary, they are cheaper to replace. By giving effectively three blades in one, the system provides longer blade life while reducing maintenance time and cost, and emitting lower noise levels when compared to conventional straight blades, the manufacturer says.
Shortly following this, in 1999, GreenMech produced the first tracked woodchipper. After initially working on a design that utilised a conventional track carrier similar to that used on mini excavators, further research and development led to the introduction of the patented SAFE-Trak system in 2002. Its launch broke the mould, GreenMech says, describing it as the first chipper that was both tracked and narrow, increasing accessibility and making it ideal for difficult-to-reach locations, as well as work on slopes and embankments.
The SAFE-Trak system incorporates two independently adjusted track-mounted legs. By extending one track at a time, embankments up to 35° can be traversed safely; and with both track mounts fully extended, a ground clearance of over 500 mm can be achieved. Incorporated on the SAFE-Trak 16-23 and the larger 19-28 model, this track feature made them a popular choice for de-veg contractors working on power line and railway track maintenance.
In 2018, further improvements were made to the stability and performance of the 19-28 model, through the introduction of SURE-Trak, the industry’s first pivoting track system. With independent pivoting track assemblies, GreenMech’s SURE-Trak System allows each track to maintain contact with the ground while following the contours of even the most difficult terrain, to provide a surer footprint and improved stability. The SURE-Trak System provides an extra level of adjustment above normal tolerance, to ensure not only the safety of the operator, but also to assist in keeping the body of the machine level, protecting the engine by keeping it within its approved manufacturer tilt levels.
In 2008, GreenMech launched a full 360° turntable chipper in the shape of the QuadChip 160. Its ability to position the infeed chute at any given angle allows for convenient and safe loading at the kerbside or in restricted spaces. Originally launched in a road-tow format, it was followed by the QuadTrak 160 in 2010. The combination of the QuadTrak’s accessibility, along with the tilt and turntable system, is intended to give the operator ultimate versatility, GreenMech says.
The manufacturer’s latest woodchipper series – the EVO 165 – launched in 2019, created in response to industry demands to deliver more aggressive torque, more powerful bite and more throughput. Together with utilising disc-blade technology and a new horizontally expanding track system (165DT model), GreenMech has paired a wide infeed chute with a new heavy-duty flywheel to deliver processing power it says is unrivalled by any other machine on the market.
The EVO is also fitted with a new safety bar system to minimise nuisance tripping while offering a better inflow of material. The vertical and horizontal shear bars have been re-engineered to be more accessible and a centralised greasing point has been introduced to make regular servicing easier to carry out. Thanks to its new lined bonnet, it is also said to be the quietest machine in the GreenMech portfolio.
As the requirements of today’s end users continue to evolve, it is vital that manufacturers are listening and providing them with the tools to meet their growing demands, and GreenMech, with its years of design and manufacturing experience, believes it is well placed to respond.
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