Efficiency Experts

The economic downturn and the slimming of operating margins has made efficiency a foremost goal for many recyclers. Suppliers to the recycling industry have responded to this need in many cases, introducing new products and technology that can help recyclers maximize their productivity and performance.

On the following pages, Recycling Today has assembled some of the products and technologies that have been introduced to the recycling industry in roughly the last 12 months. These products represent a variety of equipment categories, from container loading systems to balers to material handling equipment to separation and sorting technology to size-reduction equipment. While the diversity of products is considerable, they share a common goal of helping to improve the operational efficiency of recycling operations.

AL-JON MANUFACTURING CONTAINER LOADER SYSTEM
Al-Jon Manufacturing, Ottumwa, Iowa, has introduced a container loading system that it says will “dramatically improve” an operation’s productivity and safety.

The 4020CLS container loader system is suitable for use with 20- or 40-foot containers, according to Al-jon. “Weighing 30,000 pounds heavier than our competitors, the Al-jon 4020CLS is built to last the most rugged applications,” says Curt Spry, Al-jon scrap sales manager.

The 4020CLS features a hopper that an operator loads with a material handler. A digital readout alerts the operator as to when the maximum weight has been loaded. Then, with a press of a remote button, the 4020CLS automatically loads the container. The tractor trailer remains stationary during the loading cycle.

More information is available at www.al-jon.com.

ANVIL ATTACHMENTS “LIVE MOUNT” SCRAP HANDLING GRAPPLE
Anvil Attachments, Slaughter, La., has introduced the “Live Mount” line of scrap handling grapples. The primary advantage of grapples in the Live Mount line is that they do not require a costly material handling machine, according to Anvil. Users can use a standard excavator, removing the bucket and installing the Live Mount grapple. No welding or modification of the excavator is required.

The other advantage offered by the Live Mount grapple is that both sides of the unit are “live” and articulate, Anvil says. Typically such grapples require one side to be fixed to the machine, meaning there is only one “live” side, while some grapples featuring two live sides require an additional hydraulic circuit to move the “fixed” side of the grapple.

More information is available at www.anvilattachments.com or by calling (225) 654-8222.

ERIEZ P-REX SCRAP DRUM
Eriez, Erie, Pa., has introduced the P-Rex Scrap Drum. Tim Shuttleworth, Eriez president and CEO, says, “P-Rex enables better meatball recovery than ever before thought possible.”

According to a press release from Eriez, “Engineering breakthroughs give P-Rex the advantage in critical performance areas: superior edge-to-edge separation, no ‘transfer point’ drop in magnetic force and no decline in performance due to heat rise.”

The P-Rex uses a permanent magnet rather than an electromagnet, which extends to the edge of the drum, according to the company, providing wider and more efficient separation.

The P-Rex also offers transfer of ferrous material, flipping it from magnetic pole to magnetic pole to magnetic pole, for improved cleanliness and recovery, the company says.

According to Eriez, P-Rex drum magnets outperform electromagnetic drums by more than 20 percent in hot and cold conditions. More information is available at www.eriez.com.

HARRIS HLO 5543 BALER
The HLO 5543 horizontal baler from Harris, Peachtree City, Ga., features a compact footprint, which makes it well-suited for use in tight spaces.

The baler is designed to be powerful as well as energy friendly, according to Harris. It is suitable for processing OCC (old corrugated containers), ONP (old newspapers), PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and other plastics. The HLO 5543 is suitable for use in distribution centers or for conveyor-fed and air-fed trim applications, according to the manufacturer.

More information is available at www.harrisequip.com.

HERBOLD SHREDDER/GRANULATOR
The German company Herbold has introduced a machine that can both shred and granulate. It combines a feed hopper, hydraulic ram and granulator and is designed to accept an intermittent feeding of large quantities of material without the risk of material jamming, Herbold says.

The high cutting frequency and grinding chamber’s design allow recyclers to transform a number of materials into finished products in a single step, according to the company. It also offers space savings, reduced maintenance costs and lower energy use than a two-machine system.

More information is available at www.herboldusa.net.

JAVELIN MANUFACTURING EDDY CURRENT SEPARATOR
Javelin Manufacturing, based in Fort Wayne, Ind., has introduced an eddy current separator designed for the material recovery facility (MRF) market.

Javelin says its eddy current units are designed for ease of maintenance, with easy-access lubrication points, easy guard removal, a mechanical belt tensioning system and one-piece belt changes. Options include two- or three-split splitter box, vibratory feeders, controls and more, depending on the application.

The Javelin line includes specialized UBC (used beverage container) eddy currents as well as “higher performance” units for use in glass cleanup systems and electronic scrap recovery that are capable of capturing smaller nonferrous particles, according to the company.

More information is available at www.javelinmfg.com.

KODIAK METAL-MINER SEPARATION SYSTEM
Kodiak Group, a Grayling, Mich.-based engineering and equipment company, has announced that its Metal-Miner separation system is available to the recycling industry.

Piston-actuated diverters sort and separate metals from an eddy current’s discharge waste stream. The Metal-Miner initiates with an inlet feeder to spread out the material over the full width of the vulcanized belt array. High-speed sensors then communicate with downstream diverters, made of wear-resistant material, to separate the desired materials, according to the company.

More information is available at www.kodiakgrp.com.

LUBO USA PAPER MAGNET
Stamford, Conn.-based Lubo USA, the North American distributor of Lubo and TiTech recycling equipment, has introduced the Paper Magnet from Lubo Systems, based in the Netherlands, to the North American market.

The Paper Magnet is designed to remove paper, film and cardboard from containers in commingled material flows. It is suitable for dual- and single-stream residential systems as well as for systems processing C&D material and commercial and industrial material.

According to Lubo USA, the Paper Magnet offers high recovery and a short ROI in addition to be easy to operate.

More information is available at www.lubousa.com.

MAS DRD PLASTICS DRYING AND CLEANING SYSTEM
As the U.S. representative for MAS (Maschinen und Anlagenbau Schulz GmbH), Austria, Efactor3 LLC, Charlotte, N.C., has introduced to the North American market the DRD (Double Rotor Disc) dry cleaning system for plastics.

Cleaning is carried out using DRD technology developed by MAS associate Ekuma GmbH of Pucking, Austria.

According to Efactor3, the DRD is suitable for nearly all kinds of wet and contaminated plastic scrap with moisture levels of up to 30 percent containing impurities, such as dust, sand and soil, that are removable by friction.

The company says the DRD system operates at nearly half the cost of a conventional washing system. It combines a cleaning centrifuge and thermal drying and can be used with conventional washing plants.

More information is available at www.efactor3.com.

REDWAVE PLASTICS PROCESSING SYSTEM
BT-Wolfgang Binder GmbH, an Austrian manufacturer of recycling equipment, has introduced its Redwave plastics processing system, which is distributed in the U.S. by Karl W. Schmidt & Associates, Commerce City, Colo.

This sensor-based sorting system begins with two input lines side-by-side. A ballistics separator sorts out foil and fine material. The optical sorter can sort for clear and colored PET plastic, identifying material using near-infrared spectroscopy and cameras. A metal detector to reject steel and nonferrous metals is optional.

More information is available at www.redwave.at/en/start-page or at www.karlschmidt.com.

RIVERSIDE ENGINEERING M-69 SHREDDER
Riverside Engineering, based in San Antonio, has introduced the M-69 Shredder Series.
The M-69 X 107 design uses many of the technological advances of the company’s MegaShredder product line but offers a smaller size for companies processing from 3,000 to 8,000 tons per month.

When powered by a 2,500-horsepower drive motor, the M-69 shredder system is capable of processing more than 75 tons per hour, according to Riverside Engineering.

The complete system package includes shredder, motor drive, infeed, one magnet downstream, single-roll feeding, chute and controls package complemented by project management and installation services.

More information is available at www.megashredder.com.

SERAM UK 7460 SHREDDER
Manufactured under license in North America by Hammermills International, Tulsa, Okla., the Seram UK 7460 shredder features a patent-pending “squeeze box” feed chute, which, according to the company, allows a 60-inch wide shredder to process a car. The 7460 is primarily designed to process miscellaneous scrap, according to Hammermills International.

The shredder uses a 74-inch diameter rotor, designed to use standard wear parts, which enables it to easily shred autos and miscellaneous scrap, Hammermills International says.

More information is available at www.hammermillsintl.com or by e-mailing hmi@osborneng.com.

SIERRA INTERNATIONAL REB-1 BALER
The REB-1 two-ram baler from Sierra International Machinery, Bakersfield, Calif., is designed to be the “recycle everything baler.”

According to a Sierra news release, the baler can be deployed across the scrap metal and recycling industries. “It will bale all nonferrous material, including difficult-to-bale items like stainless steel, wire and radiators as well as recyclables such as OCC (old corrugated containers), plastics and paper,” the company says.

The REB-1 features a remote power pack designed for ease of installation; a 3-micron filtration system that cleans the hydraulic oil when the baler is offline; and stationary shear knives with segmented, serrated edges that have four usable sides.

More information is available at www.sierraintl.com.

U.S. SHREDDER 98115 SCRAP SHREDDER
The U.S. Shredder & Castings Group, Trussville, Ala., has introduced the 98115 Heavy-Duty Scrap Shredder. The shredder joins rotors already in production at the company’s manufacturing facility.

The 98115 includes U.S. Shredder’s “E-Shred” Control System, which offers integrated control, data collection and Web-based solutions. It joins the company’s 80108, 98115 and 120118 shredders.

More information is available at www.usshredder.com.

VECOPLAN V-EBS RESHREDDER
Vecoplan AG, with U.S. headquarters in High Point, N.C., has introduced its V-EBS reshredder.

The V-EBS offers high throughput and produces homogeneous granulate with few fines and almost no excess lengths, according to Vecoplan. It features two HiTorc synchronous electric motors with a total drive capacity of 406 kilowatts and a low rotor speed (infinitely selectable between approximately 150 and 250 rpm).

More information is available at www.vecoplan.com.

WINKLE TOWER FEATURE
Winkle Industries, Alliance, Ohio, has introduced an addition to its line of lifting magnets that the company says will practically allow operators to combine a grapple and a magnet on the fly in the form of a permanent tower that is placed directly on top of the magnet.

The design is intended to address the limitations associated with using a magnet-grapple combination, according to Winkle.

Mark Volansky, director of sales for Winkle, says the grapple’s tines close around the tower, and the tower suspends the magnet below the grapple, “allowing the operator clear view of the magnet for placement and ease of operation.”

More information is available at www.winkleindustries.com or by e-mailing sales@winkleindustries.com.