Bright ideas

In the last year, equipment suppliers to the recycling industry have released a number of products designed to help recyclers operate more safely and efficiently, improve the quality of their final products and maximize their uptime while reducing their maintenance costs. These goals are especially important in light of the slimmer margins and the slower generation that many recyclers have been reporting.

Slower markets also are a time when many recyclers contemplate upgrading or adding equipment to their operations so they can better position themselves for when markets rebound. They are on the lookout for new equipment that can give their operations an advantage when the volume and prices turn up.

Recycling Today has combed through our monthly Product Spotlight as well as our website to compile a number of new and updated products that have been featured throughout the last 12 months. Their descriptions and features follow.

Bruker EOS 500 hand-held spectrometer

Bruker Corp., Kennewick, Washington, has introduced the EOS 500 hand-held laser-induced breakdown spectrometer (HH-LIBS), which is designed for high-speed analysis of metals and alloys. The EOS 500:

• provides grade identification and chemistry in light element alloys containing lithium, magnesium, aluminum or silicon;
• offers speed, accuracy and repeatability with light element analysis approximately 10 times faster than hand-held XRF; and
• features an Air-Flow Optics Shield designed to create a continuous air shield in front of the optics.

Visit www.bruker.com/hhxrf for additional information.

Cat Inspect Mobile app

Caterpillar, Peoria, Illinois, has launched the new Cat Inspect Mobile application for machine inspections. Cat Inspect Mobile:

• enables downloading machine-specific inspection forms and capturing actionable information during walkarounds;
• features technical analysis (TA1) inspection forms and preventive maintenance (PM) checklists that are serial-number specific;
• produces inspection reports that list items requiring attention;
• send important alerts to VisionLink; and
• is available free for Android, Apple and Windows 8.1 devices.

Visit www.cat.com/catinspect for additional information.

Catawba Baler Gold Rush Series

Catawba Baler & Equipment (CB&E), Greensboro, North Carolina, has introduced the Gold Rush Series 12/9 two-ram baler with optional Free Jam technology to eject jammed recyclables from the charge chamber without manually digging out the material. The Gold Rush Series 12/9:

• features technology that replaces the “gathering wall” of a conventional baler with a jam-release system;
• a push-button control clears jams;
• offers enhanced baler accessibility and serviceability; and
• includes twin 75-horsepower electric motors for continuous operation even if one motor is out of service.

Visit www.cbebaler.com for additional information.

Cumberland Combi Shredder

Cumberland, New Berlin, Wisconsin, has introduced the Combi Shredder inline shredder and granulator system, which the company says offers rugged construction in a compact footprint. The Combi Shredder:

• features an advanced control system with remote control and diagnostics capabilities;
• includes safety-enhancing mechanisms designed with the user in mind;
• is available in a wide variety of sizes and configurations; and
• is available in two- or four-shaft models with sharp-corner disks or hooks that drive material toward the cutters to provide a sharp cut.

Visit www.cumberland-plastics.com for additional information.

Eriez Rougher/Cleaner/Scavenger System

Eriez, Erie, Pennsylvania, has released the Rougher/Cleaner/Scavenger (RCS) System, combining three Eriez eddy current separators to create a premium zorba product. The RCS System:

• is intended to be the first nonferrous separators in the scrap yard;
• features the Rougher to “aggressively” maximize recovery of nonferrous;
• the Scavenger recovers zorba misplaced by the Rougher;
• the Cleaner removes unwanted materials from the final zorba product;
• is positioned downstream of ferrous separation; and
• can be followed with sensor sorters.

Visit http://ow.ly/MDSR8 for additional information.

Genesis Attachments Jaw Armor

Superior, Wisconsin-based Genesis Attachments has introduced Jaw Armor, a weld-on, modular protective system for severe-duty contractor grapples. Jaw Armor:

• is constructed of abrasion-resistant, proprietary GenGuard steel that maintains structural integrity;
• virtually eliminates the need for buildup and hard-surfacing of the protected wear areas;
• is available in full and tine Jaw Armor kits for new and existing Genesis contractor grapples; and
• is available for new and existing Genesis shears.

Visit http://genesisattachments.com for additional information.

Machinex MACH Hyspec optical sorter

Machinex of Plessisville, Quebec, has introduced the MACH Hyspec optical sorter, a high-speed, short-wave infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral detection system. The MACH Hyspec:

• is available in different models that can detect various material types, such as plastic grades, fiber products, wood products and wood by grade;
• offers color recognition and metal detection options;
• provides higher depth field detection of 430 millimeters for efficiently ejecting rolling objects; and
• features a patent-pending light system that generates reduced heat to reduce the risk of fire.

Visit www.machinextechnologies.com for additional information.

Metso EtaPreShred mobile preshredder

Finland-based Metso Recycling has introduced the EtaPreShred 4000 Mobile, which is available in a semitrailer version and is designed to make it easier to process a variety of materials in any location. The EtaPreShred 4000 Mobile:

• is designed to be easier to load and operate, more efficient to run and easier to service than earlier models;
• features aggressive knife design and an open cutting table;
• uses bi-directional shredding for a consistent flow of shredded material;
• includes a Cat C15 403-kilowatt power pack and new power pack cooler; and
• features an updated mobile controller.

Visit www.metso.com/recycling for additional information.

Sicon EcoShred Compact shredder

Sicon America LP, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, has introduced the EcoShred Compact shredder for small to midsized scrap processors and automobile recyclers. The EcoShred Compact:

• combines a preshredder followed by a heavy-duty hammermill;
• includes a hopper or optional infeed conveyor and all hydraulic and electric controls and drives;
• can process materials including flattened cars, bales, logs, mixed scrap and nonferrous metals;
• features four 250-kilowatt motors; and
• produces 45 metric tons per hour.

Visit www.sicon-america.com for additional information.

SwissRTec Kubota vertical shredder

Kensington, New Hampshire-based swissRTec America Inc. has introduced the Kubota vertical shredder for processing automotive shredder residue (ASR). The shredder can be used as a stand-alone unit or in combination with other processing technology. The Kubota:

• can process domestic appliances, metal scrap and other bulky items to 1 inch or less in size in a single pass;
• produces an output particle size of ¼- inch when processing ASR;
• features choke rings that allow for adjustment of particle size; and
• is available in various models, sizes and power options.

Visit www.swissrtec.com for additional information.

TOMRA Sorting Recycling Autosort Flake

Germany-based TOMRA Sorting Recycling has launched the Autosort Flake sorter, which offers simultaneous triple-sorting capability for recycled plastic flakes. The Autosort Flake:

• combines color detection and enhanced material information to maximize recovery of recycled products;
• features next-generation sensor technology that also detects metal;
• can be combined with other TOMRA sensor-based sorting equipment; and
• combines TOMRA’s patented Flying Beam technology with the Fourline 2-millimeter optic module for continuous calibration.

Visit www.upgrade-your-flake.com for additional information.

Tribogenics Watson hand-held analyzer

Tribogenics, based in Los Angeles, has introduced Watson, the company’s X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer that uses proprietary X-ray technology and sells for less than $10,000. Watson:

• uses a process similar to static electricity, the triboelectric effect, to generate X-rays;
• features field-exchangeable X-ray source cartridges;
• offers a software library that includes high-speed, high-precision aluminum alloy identification; and
• features a front-facing camera and a user-replaceable kapton shield that protects internal components.

Visit http://tribogenics.com for additional information.