UNTHA Shredding Technology

Resource conservation and sustainable recycling in focus

A pioneer and international specialist in shredding technology

UNTHA shredding technology develops and produces tailor-made and reliable shredding systems. The range of applications of industrial shredders extends from the recovery of valuable materials for recycling to the reutilisation of residual and waste wood to the processing of waste into secondary fuels. In this way, the company makes an important contribution to resource conservation and sustainable recycling as well as the reduction of waste.

With subsidiaries in Germany, Great Britain, the USA and Poland as well as a worldwide sales network, the Kuchl/Salzburg-based company is represented in more than 40 countries on all continents. The export rate is about 90 percent. This makes UNTHA one of the most influential manufacturers in a growing and future-oriented industry. “Our shredding solutions conserve valuable raw material resources, eliminates large amounts of waste and recovers precious energy,” said Alois Kitzberger, CEO of UNTHA shredding technology, explaining the company’s vision and its contribution to the sustainable protection of the environment.

In the beginning, there was the pioneering spirit

Around 190 employees work at the Kuchl site today. The company founded in 1970 by Anton Unterwurzacher started as a small machine shop with five employees. The success story began its course with the request of a local SPAR merchant, Mr. Hasenbichler, who wanted to shred his wooden boxes and cardboard boxes. Anton Unterwurzacher then designed the first shredding machine for exactly this purpose. Subsequently, the company founder with inventive genius, who is regarded as a pioneer in the shredding technology, developed the world’s first 4-shaft shredding system with perforated screen and is granted the international patent in 1983. The company name UNTHA was coined by the two gentlemen Unterwurzacher and Hasenbichler.

From research to manufacturing everything under one roof

Every year, UNTHA delivers around 350 to 370 industrial shredders machines worldwide. The in-house production share in the plant in Kuchl – the only production site of the company – is 80 percent. The in-house welding shop, paint shop and CNC machining centres guarantees maximum flexibility, adaptability and short delivery times and ensures quality in the best possible way. An in-house research and development department is working on the continuous development of technologies and researching trend-setting shredding solutions. In addition, UNTHA has a pilot plant with its technical department, directly in the factory.

There, the customer’s material is tested in a constellation of machines, technologies and applications in order to filter out the optimum solution. The applications, or more specifically, the scope of the machine design depends on the requirements of the customer and the materials that need to be processed. The majority of machines from UNTHA production are custom-made products. Three different shredding systems are available with 1-, 2- and 4-shaft technology.

Reliability as a quality standard

The UNTHA brand is shaped by the history, culture and values of the company. “We define ourselves as the quality leader in shredding technology. Reliability is our top priority. Especially in today’s fast-paced business world, a partner that you can rely on one-hundred-percent is a very valuable asset. We are shaped by our tradition and are committed to our unfailing qualities being perceived internationally as an outstanding feature,” according to Alois Kitzberger. This is also how the UNTHA motto “The reliable brand” ought to be understood.