Biffa invests in PP line at Redcar plastics plant

Manufactured and installed by Middleton Engineering, the conveyor system will be used as part of a process to produce mixed PP plastic flake.

Biffa has been processing PP-rich plastic packaging waste from pots, tubs and trays at the site since 2013 – with resulting flake product suitable for use in applications including paint trays, plant pots, storage boxes, pallets, car parts and office furniture (see letsrecycle.com story).

The new conveyor, which has an overall length of 9.3 meters, carries material from a shredder, up to an in-feed conveyor for a granulator. It incorporates a 600mm wide cross-stabilized 3-ply rubber belt, with a rising section angled at 25 degrees to carry material at a rate of 1.5 tonnes per hour.

The unit will improve the purity of the material handled, Middleton claims, as it includes a magnetic head drum for separating ferrous contamination at the head of the belt or discharge end of the conveyor.

Separation

This provides secondary metal protection with continuous separation, trapping metal debris as the drum rotates, while clean product is discharged, according to Middleton. A stainless steel chute diverts the non-target material into a collection bin below.

Sprung castor wheels maintain belt tracking while 50mm high cleats across the belt together with valances to either side at 275mm high, prevents material from slipping back to ensure a consistent feed rate.

The installation forms part of a continued investment in production capacity for Biffa Polymers – which also operates an HDPE milk bottle processing line at the site.

In April, Biffa Polymers announced a £6.5 million investment to double output for its HDPE recycling capacity to some 20,000 tonnes from early 2017 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Requirements

Alan Edwards, project and improvement engineer for Biffa Polymers said: “Running the Poly Prop processing line 24/7, as with all our production processes, requires robust and reliable equipment. Selecting Middleton Engineering for this new conveyor was the obvious choice. The company takes the time to understand our requirements, is quick to resolve issues and support has been excellent.”

Middleton Engineering, which has been supplying balers and recycling equipment to Biffa for over 15 years, including sites in Bradford, Cardiff, Grimsby, Hull, Dewsbury and the Isle of Wight, installed its first conveyor to Biffa Polymers in 2015 following modifications to the granulator on the recycled HDPE bottle recycling line.

Mark Smith, engineering director for Middletons said: “Repeat business is always a strong signal that clients are happy with the quality and durability of the machinery we design. Biffa’s Redcar facility is a plant we know well and it is good to know that Middleton conveyors are playing a small part in diverting plastics from landfill, to be recycled time and time again.”