New levels of efficiency

Hannay Reels, Westerlo, New York, manufactures hose and cable reels for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and aftermarket applications. The company says it is committed to listening to the needs of its customers, responding by manufacturing high-quality products that perform safely, efficiently and economically.

The reel manufacturer found a similar business philosophy in International Baler Corp. (IBC), Jacksonville, Florida. IBC helped Hannay Reels replace a small vertical baler that had been tasked with baling triple-walled old corrugated containers (OCC) at its Westerlo manufacturing facility with a Titan-60-XHD-10 wide box horizontal baler.

Guy Jubert, facility manager for Hannay Reels, says the company typically bales 19,000 pounds, or 9.5 tons, of OCC per month, which it ships out in two trailer loads.

With the vertical baler the company had been using, an average of five hours per day was spent baling, Jubert says. “During the busy season, we had to go to two men running the baler for an extra three hours.”

With the Titan unit, which was installed in August 2018, the company has been able to shave time from its baling operations: The task is done in 45 minutes on most days. Additionally, a dedicated operator is no longer needed.

This is accomplished in part because the baler is equipped with automatic ram cycling, which saves the labor of a dedicated operator. Employees throw the OCC into a hopper, and the baler takes control from there, Jubert says.

Bales produced with the Titan require manual tie-off, but the overall operation is “much quicker than the vertical baler was,” he says.

The Titan-60-XHD-10 produces bales of a set weight—1,400 to 1,500 pounds—that Hannay Reels’ recycler prefers, Jubert says. “That is a big feature for us.”

The company’s fleet mechanics take turns operating the baler and appreciate the Titan’s ease of operation. “It’s not overly complicated and easy for everyone to operate and bale,” Jubert says.

“It’s not overly complicated and easy for everyone to operate and bale.” – Guy Jubert, facility manager, Hannay Reels

Jubert was already familiar with IBC, having previously used a Titan. “That was one of the reasons I got directly in contact with Sean (Usoff, IBC’s director of sales and marketing).”

He says Usoff recommend the Titan-60-XHD-10 because it could handle the triple-walled OCC Hannay Reels was processing.

Jubert says he “absolutely” would recommend the Titan line. “Their communication was excellent,” he says of IBC.

Regarding the Titan, he says, “I’m pretty happy with it, and so are the owners here. It’s been trouble-free.”