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Recyclers have adapted a number of common industrial processes
and machines and invented or altered an number of others to
fill the needs of this relatively new industry. There is a
great deal of overlap between the recycling methods used for
different commodities, particularly for the collection and
compaction of material prior to shipment to the consuming
mills. We have broken down the different types of machinery by
commodity.
Aluminum Can Recycling makes
use of the following pieces of equipment:
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Densifiers
These are hydraulic compaction machines that automatically
press cans into medium density briquettes between 20 and 50
Lb. ( 9 to 23 Kgs ) that meet the ISRI 'Taldork"
specification.
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Baling Presses
are large hydraulic presses that make a light to medium
density bale of cans that weighs between 400 and 1400 lb. (
180 to 635 lb.). and have dimensions of roughly 3 by 4 by 5
feet and are tied with wire.
-
Magnetic Separators
of which there are various formats of conveyor belts remove
any magnetic materials that may be mixed in the cans.
-
Eddy Current Separators
are used to separate cans from other types of non-metallic
materials.
-
Shredders
are high horsepower grinding mills that tear cans into
various sized shreds.
-
Screeners
are often employed to remove dirt and moisture from loose
cans.
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Buying Lines
are convoy/separator/scale combinations used for buying
aluminum cans from the public.
-
Scales
are essential for tracking the weight you purchase and ship
out.
Steel can recycling may require :
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Tin Presses
are high density hydraulic presses that make a heavy brick
from tin cans.
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Baling Presses
make a medium density large bale of tin cans that requires
wire to hold it together. this package is acceptable by most
integrated and mini mills.
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Conveyor Belts,
which are either rubber conveyor belts or steel apron
conveyors, are normally use to feed processing equipment.
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Magnetic Cranes
are hydraulic cranes with large electro magnets to lift and
transport loose and baled tin cans.
-
Cross Belt Magnets
are permanent magnets
mounted under cleated conveyor belting to lift steel and tin
cans from streams of mixed recyclables.
Glass Recycling may use the following machinery:
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Glass crushers
come in a variety of formats, but all essentially reduce
bottles to small pieces of cullet to ease shipping and
handling.
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Conveyor Belts,
which are either rubber conveyor belts or steel apron
conveyors, are normally use to feed processing equipment.
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Screeners
are used to size and clean broken glass and whole bottles.
There are a number of different formats.
-
Magnets
are used inline to remove any magnetic metals mixed in the
glass
-
Ceramics Detectors
are available in various levels of sophistication, but all
essentially remove rocks and ceramics from cullet.
Plastics Recycling may require some of this equipment:
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Granulators
are mills with rotating
knives that cut bottles into plastic flakes.
-
Baling Presses
are the desired method of compacting plastic bottle for
shipment.
-
Conveyor Belts
The rubber cleated conveyor belts are an excellent method of
feeding and moving plastic bottles.
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Washing Equipment
usually custom built systems for washing granulated plastic
for reuse or repelletizing.
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Repelletizers
form plastic flake into small roundish pellets that are used
as feedstock for industrial processes.
Scrap Metal Recycling Uses lots of equipment including:
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Metal Shears
are hydraulic scissors that cut non-ferrous metals to clean
them or size them for resale.
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Baling Presses
are relatively heavy duty
hydraulic compression presses used for bundling metal for
shipment to smelters.
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Tin Presses
are high density hydraulic presses that make a heavy brick
of metal usually used for lighter gauge steel scrap.
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Magnet Cranes
are hydraulic cranes with a heavy lifting magnet used for
moving loose and bundled steel scrap.
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Fork Lifts
are essential for almost any
recycling operation. They allow for quick loading and
unloading.
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