Equipment report

EBI Environnement completes MRF upgrade

EBI Environnement, headquartered in Berthierville, Quebec, has invested more than $2.3 million (CA$3 million) to upgrade its material recovery facility (MRF) in Joliette, Quebec. The upgraded MRF has been operational since mid-September 2016.

Machinex, based in Plessisville, Quebec, designed and installed the upgrade, which includes a ballistic separator that can sort fiber, containers and fines; a ferrous scrap magnet; an eddy current separator; and three MACH Hyspec optical sorters that clean newspaper, ejecting PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and other fiber, and sorting HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and mixed plastics.

David Marcouiller, Machinex executive vice president of sales engineering, says, “Optical sorting has become a major component of MRF upgrades since it can sort a large quantity of materials within a short period of time and obtain a higher quality.”

Now that the modernized MRF is operating, EBI Environnement employees who formerly had to manually sort materials now are working in a quality control capacity.

Audrey Castonguay, who serves as director of communications at EBI Environnement, says, “With our new equipment, we can increase the overall quality of material recovered, particularly with fiber, plastic and aluminum containers.”

Metso installs shear in Texas, develops housing design for shredders

Waxahachie, Texas-based Oak Cliff Recycling has selected an N Series Inclined Shear (NIS) made by Metso to accelerate the way it processes bulky, oversized scrap.

“Metso NIS has the design and ability to process difficult materials quickly and efficiently,” says Benjie Smith, owner of Oak Cliff Recycling. “Cutting cycle times are fast, and the design of the moving floor in getting the scrap metal to the blades removes the added time of folding and compressing in a box.”

Smith says the Dallas-area recycling company had struggled with unwieldy materials in conventional style shears that slowed down production. Oversized and often intractable material hampered recycling processes, and the company turned to Metso for a solution.

Scott Holder, Metso regional sales manager, describes the NIS as a state-of-the-art gravity-feed shear that can accept long material and large, bulky scrap. It is available with cutting forces that range from 600 to 1,250 metric tons. According to Metso, it is ideal in preparing heavy melting scrap, auto bodies, steel mill scrap, miscellaneous shapes, pipe, plate, railcars, demolition scrap, aluminum and stainless steel materials, as well as for use in shipbreaking applications.

In other company news, Finland-based Metso says it has developed a new housing design that is available for almost every Metso Lindemann shredder model. It is intended to cut service downtime and to facilitate equipment maintenance.

Newell Recycling Equipment to distribute CEG equipment

Scott Newell, CEO of Newell Recycling Equipment LLC (NRE), El Paso, Texas, and Gualtiero Rudella, CEO of CEG Srl, have announced that NRE is now the exclusive American representative and distributor for CEG’s extensive line of balers and shear balers for the scrap metal recycling market.

CEG, based in Daverio, Italy, manufactures the Taurus range of shears and balers.

Newell says he is pleased with the new arrangement because both companies have similar histories, having both begun manufacturing scrap processing equipment in the early 1960s and having strong reputations. Newell built and sold shredding plants, while CEG’s focus was on shears and balers. Both companies have sold their scrap processing machinery worldwide.

NRE says it has manufactured or licensed approximately two-thirds of the 850 full-sized shredders in the world and almost all the world’s shredders have design features based on the original Newell designs.

During the same period, CEG says it has manufactured and sold more than 700 shears and balers internationally, including more than 40 machines for the U.S. market that were manufactured under license.

The Newell family, beginning with Alton Newell Sr., who was an auto wrecking yard operator, has been operating scrap processing plants since 1939. Newell Sr. invented and began using what is believed to be the first truly mobile baler for automobiles. Around 1960, he invented and patented a shredder that was widely used in Newell Recycling Co. plants, the equipment supplier says.

The partnership with CEG allows NRE to be able to serve all scrap processors, not just the shredding industry.

Navistar launches Core Advantage Program

Navistar, Lisle, Illinois, has launched the Core Advantage Program, a new approach for core life cycle management. The Core Advantage Program allows fleet owners to manage their core and remanufacturing activity through tools like the Navistar proprietary software Core Management System (CMS).

Cores are used or failed parts that have been returned by the customer. They are used to remanufacture a returned part and to restore it to “like new” condition.

Remanufactured parts carry the same features and functionality as new parts and come with the same warranty, Navistar says. With the new Core Advantage Program, fleets can now have their own account number and location codes within CMS, which streamlines their ability to see and run reports on purchases, return history, core eligibility and core fallout rates across multiple locations.

Estes Express Lines Parts Manager Jim Cliborne, who was part of the pilot program, says, “The new program from Navistar has worked well for us. It’s been instrumental in increasing recovery on end-of-life trucks and reducing our maintenance costs.”

In other company news, Navistar was honored in the first-ever Analytics 50 Awards. Drexel University, Philadelphia, and CIO.com announced the winners, with Navistar’s Analytics team, represented by Dan Pikelny, vice president of analytics, being one of the honorees. The goal of the Analytics 50 Awards program is to honor 50 companies that are using analytics to solve business challenges.

To be considered for the Analytics 50 Awards, Navistar described how it came up with an analytics-based solution to address a current business challenge. The analytics team has developed algorithms to predict the lifetime failure rate and sets alerts on future risk, instead of focusing on historical experience, which means the team is helping fleet managers detect problems and prepare accordingly, the company says.

Wrightspeed and The Ratto Group unveil range-extended electric collection truck

Wrightspeed Inc., an Alameda, California-based manufacturer of range-extended electric vehicle powertrains for heavy-duty applications, and The Ratto Group, a Santa Rosa, California-based waste, yard waste and recycling collection and processing company, have unveiled the first commercial application of a range-extended electric collection truck.

Wrightspeed says that with the support of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, communities in Sonoma and surrounding counties will be served by a fleet of clean, quiet trucks from The Ratto Group that are powered by Wrightspeed’s range-extended powertrain, The Route.

The Route powertrains are displacing conventional diesel engine and transmission systems in commercial trucks and mass transit fleets, Wrightspeed says. Designed to deliver economic, environmental and performance benefits in original equipment manufacturers- (OEM-) installed new vehicles and existing fleet retrofits, The Route is a scalable solution that has been recognized by the state of California for its ability to help meet climate and air quality mandates. Wrightspeed was awarded $7 million in grants by the California Energy Commission to further develop the technology for broad-based adoption.

Wrightspeed and The Ratto Group presented the new truck during a Nov. 2, 2016, press conference in Sonoma County that included comments from Sonoma County Chairman of the Board Efren Carrillo, Chief Operating Officer of The Ratto Group Lou Ratto and Wrightspeed Founder and CEO Ian Wright.

“Today is a milestone for Sonoma County in terms of improving local air quality and upholding environmental standards,” Carrillo said at the time of the press conference.

“Sonoma County citizens have shown their high interest and support for innovative solutions that benefit our greenhouse gas reduction goals.”

He continued, “We applaud Wrightspeed and The Ratto Group for their commitment to innovation and for blazing a path for the future of solid and compostable waste as well as recycling in Sonoma County and beyond.”

The Ratto Group’s fleet services more than 140,000 customers in Sonoma County, Mariposa County, the city of Novato and in West Marin. Ratto and Wrightspeed say they plan to roll out more than 15 Route-equipped trucks to meet community needs.

AgPro joins JCB dealer network

AgPro Equipment Services Inc., headquartered in Hettinger, North Dakota, joins JCB’s North American dealer network as AgPro JCB. The dealership now offers JCB’s agricultural equipment, including high-speed Fastracs, telehandlers, skid steers and compact track loaders with side-entry doors and a patented, single-arm PowerBoom.

Founded in 2007, AgPro Equipment is an independently owned and operated business offering a wide range of agricultural services to individual farmers, ranchers and equipment dealers. In addition to a full line of diverse agricultural equipment, AgPro Equipment features a full-service department for equipment maintenance and repair, as well as for financing and leasing opportunities. The dealership also offers agricultural, industrial, heavy-duty truck and automobile parts through many suppliers and distributors and has a fully authorized NAPA auto, truck and ag parts store.

In addition to offering JCB equipment, AgPro JCB has adopted JCB’s overall look and brand at its Hettinger location. The dealership says it will use advertising and marketing materials to further communicate the availability of JCB equipment within central and southwestern North Dakota.

“In less than a decade, the company has managed to create an outstanding business and a network of customers who know they can rely on AgPro Equipment’s products and services to meet their agricultural needs,” Richard Fox-Marrs, Savannah, Georgia-based JCB North America president of agriculture, says of its new dealer. “We’re excited to be a part of the company’s growth and look forward to working together for a successful future,” he adds.

Crigler Enterprises expands its role with American Baler

American Baler, headquartered in Bellevue, Ohio, has announced that it has assigned the state of Florida to its Georgia dealer, Crigler Enterprises.

Crigler is based in Atlanta with established operations in Florida.

Companies in Georgia and Florida that are interested in American Baler’s products can contact Wayne Crigler by email at wcrigler@crigler.com or by phone at 404-874-4401.

For more than 70 years, American Baler has been building horizontal balers used for recycling a wide range of materials. Additional dealer contact information is available at www.americanbaler.com.

Zimmer America adds Beccaria product line

Spartanburg, South Carolina-based Zimmer America Recycling Solutions has announced it is the exclusive sales representative to North America for equipment made by Beccaria Srl, Scarnafigi, Italy.

Beccaria manufactures a range of equipment and plants for the plastics industry, including for mixing and blending, batching, storing and transporting plastic granulate, flakes and powder.

Other equipment made by Beccaria includes:

• big-bag emptying, filling, and weighing stations;
• screw conveyors and pneumatic conveying systems;
single and double-shaft batch mixers and rotating double-cone mixers;
• hot air mixers/dryers for granulate;
• mixing/blending silos;
• storage silos for granulate or powders; and
• storage and dosing plants for extruders.

Shared Logic announces new Ohio DPS integration

Holland, Ohio-based The Shared Logic Group Inc. has announced the integration of the state of Ohio “Do Not Buy” list. In a letter from Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS) sent to scrap metal businesses that are registered in Ohio, the new “one swipe” functionality was announced as a way to have to swipe the potential seller’s identification card only one time.

Shared Logic’s RIMAS (Recycling Industry Management and Accounting System) NTP software has integrated and uploaded Ohio DPS information since it was first available in 2015. The company has now upgraded this integration to include a check from the state of Ohio’s “Do Not Buy” list. This check calls upon the list for each ID card and displays data if any are found.

“This development allows our customers to cross-reference the state’s database directly from our software instead of using a web browser to login and run a query for each ID card,” says The Shared Logic Group. “This upgrade is being made available at no additional costs to our customers.”

Since 1982 The Shared Logic Group has been providing the recycling industry with accounting and management software solutions and has more than 3,000 licensed users today.