Balers & conveyors: Selection matters

Today the horizontal baling press is a common feature across the recycling sector and the heart of operations at most Materials Recovery Facilities. But, there are a number of industrial sectors too, including packaging manufacturers, paper, tissue and corrugated card producers, as well as the retail distribution sector, where the baler is also essential. Here, a range of bulky waste materials including rubber, plastics and card, as well as offcuts and trimmings from production processes, can be compacted into dense and easily-handled bales and sold on to mills and processors for recycling.

With factors such as storage, production speed and onward transportation costs to consider and with a growing range of machines on the market, each with different capabilities and motor sizes, making the right choice can be challenging. Expert assessment can help you make the right choice and ensure the operational efficiency of your site or process.  

The density of the material to be baled and the volume you expect to handle over a given time will dictate the type and size of baler you need. This might be an entry level closed-end baler, a channel or shear press machine more suited to continuous processing or a top of the range twin ram machine. 

Speed of processing may be important, especially if there is limited storage for incoming waste and a potential knock-on effect to other processes. How the bales are strapped or tied should also be considered. Traditionally the industry has used steel wire but polypropylene twine or straps are more cost effective and in many cases more acceptable. Dual tying heads that allow you to switch quickly between wire ties and plastics straps are now available to increase flexibility. If baled materials are particularly friable or dusty then a bagging or wrapping system may also be required.

Perhaps the biggest issue for the industry is the rising cost of transportation and storage. Bale size and density are crucial factors here if you expect to maximise space and weight for transportation. A state-of-the-art twin ram baler with a combined pre-press will give you the ultimate in compaction with uniformly shaped bales. This will ensure vehicle fill is optimised every time. But even if you don’t operate a twin ram machine, it is important that you can adjust compaction pressure and bale size. 

The challenge for many operators is balancing throughput – the speed at which you can process a given volume of material – with bale density; how much stuff you can crush into the same space.

Another key area to consider is the feed conveyor. This is often an afterthought, but how you feed and load material into your baler will have a direct impact on the uniformity of each bale as well as quality, speed and efficiency. The choice can be confusing with a wide range of options including slider-bed, steel slat or rubber belt, chain driven, inclined, swan neck, fully enclosed, or in-floor designs and automatic or operator controlled. 

Achieving a continuous and even flow of material will depend on factors such as belt width, motor sizes – powerful enough to handle the weight of the material to be conveyed – and control systems used. Other design features should cover dust control, incline angle, loading pit requirements, operator safety systems and safe access for clearing debris, inspection and maintenance. Bespoke solutions designed and tuned for your specific environment are nearly always superior, and in the long run guarantee to be more cost effective and safer to use.

Minimising downtime

Plant machinery often needs to run 24h a day five days a week or more, so reliability, regular maintenance and frequent servicing is crucial. Your experienced operatives should be trained to lubricate, do visual checks, sort out minor faults and clear all jams and malfunctions.  The real secret to smooth operation though is the simplest – regular cleaning, especially parts that are susceptible to overheating from dust and debris.