What Is Wipes Ready® Cutter Thin Technology?

Clogged sewer pumps have always been a problem in wastewater treatment operations, but the added problem of disposable/flushable wipes has worsened this problem. While today’s sewer systems have been upgraded to handle these resilient materials, wastewater facilities aren’t immune to disruptions stemming from these materials, especially if the right cutter technology isn’t used.

JWC Environmental carefully studied how different grinding technologies dealt with wipes. During this research, we discovered that many conventional two-shafted grinders cut wipes in one direction, resulting in long strips that reweave when mixed with hair and FOG (fats, oils, and grease) in the sewer and cause massive clogs. But, if the grinder cuts the wipes into small pieces, reweaving would not occur, avoiding the formation of ragballs that cause clogs. This discovery led us to develop our proprietary Wipes Ready® Technology, and now, our refined upgrade: Wipes Ready® Cutter Thin.

Wipes Ready® Versus Wipes Ready® Cutter Thin

Both Wipes Ready® and Wipes Ready® Thin have 17 teeth, each with multiple serrations to improve material shredding by puncturing material, creating a uniform confetti-like cut that is less susceptible to reweaving with hair and grease. Our original Wipes Ready® features .438-inch-thick cutters for open-channel pump station applications and other general applications, while our Thin® technology features cutters with a .310-inch thickness, ideal for applications with sensitive downstream equipment.

A Breakdown of Our Wipes Ready Technology

Wipes Ready is designed to capture all wipes in the waste stream and shred them into small pieces, preventing reweaving without sacrificing grinder performance.

The different technologies within our Wipes Ready suite include:

• Cutters
• Delta P Side Rails
• Optimized Cut Controls

Cutters

 

Our cutters feature serrated teeth and knurled spacers, which cut wipes in two directions, resulting in smaller particles that cannot reweave downstream. As a result, ragballs cannot form and help keep pumps clean for efficient operation.

Wipes Ready is available in two size thicknesses:

• .438-inch: Our original design that works well in typical applications, such as open-channel pump station applications, where 7-tooth cam cutters were previously installed and the process flow exceeds 10 MGD.
• .310-inch: For applications, such as open-channel and pipeline pump stations, where 11-tooth cam cutters were previously installed, the process flow is below 10 MGD, and the pump is sensitive to clogging.

Our cutters are constructed from heat-treated alloy steel (AISI 4130 or AISO 4140, depending on corrosion resistance requirements) and are hardened to 45-50 Rockwell C.

Delta P Side Rails

Our patented Delta P Side Rails drive solids into the cutters, ensuring they can effectively shred wipes. The hydraulic flow characteristics of the Delta P Side Rails prevent debris buildup in the grinder. Additionally, the flow rates with the Delta P Side Rails are higher than those of traditional grinders without sacrificing shredding performance.

Optimized Cut Control

The Optimized Cut Control (OCC) gear ratio optimizes the shaft speed, cleans the cutters during operation, helps cut wipes into smaller strips, and improves the grinder’s performance and lifespan.

Although OCC has a different gear ratio from legacy JWC Environmental grinders, the motors and reducers from these legacy units are compatible with OCC.

Which Products Can Be Upgraded to Wipes Ready or Wipes Ready Cutter Thin?

Most of our municipal and industrial wastewater equipment can be upgraded to Wipes Ready or Wipes Ready Cutter Thin cutters. We recommend using caution when considering these cutters for applications with combined sewers and high grease content; heavy grease can adhere to the serrated cutters more than a straight-edge cam cutter. We do not recommend using Wipes Ready with an Auger Monster.

Municipal Wastewater Models

• Muffin Monster 10K
• Muffin Monster 30K4T
• Muffin Monster 30K5
• Channel Monster CMD-XD2.0
• Channel Monster CDD-XD2.0
• Channel Monster CMF

Industrial Wastewater Models

• 1-HYDRO-C
• 1-HYDRO-I
• 3-HYDRO-C
• 3-HYDRO-IX

See the Impact of Wipes Ready

JWC Environmental is committed to finding solutions to common wastewater problems. You can read our case studies to learn more about the impact of our award-winning Wipes Ready Technology.

If you’re interested in learning more about our Wipes Ready solutions or want to upgrade an old JWC Environmental unit, please contact a JWC product specialist today.