Tomra equipment doubles council MRF capacity
Sensor-based sorting equipment supplied by Tomra has enabled a Welsh local authority to double the capacity of an in-house Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
Capacity at the dry mixed recycling MRF in Aberdare has now risen to 65,000 tonnes per annum, according to Tomra.
This came on the back of a £12 million plant refurb and investment from Cynon Taff County borough council.
The council appointed Blue Group to redesign the plant and manage the refurbishment project. Blue Group then recommended the installation of seven Tomra Autosort units as part of the upgrade.
Prior to the redevelopment, Amgen Cymru said it relied heavily on manual handpicking, with ballistic separators, two magnets and eddy currents being the only mechanical elements used.
Ian McAlister, operations manager at Amgen Cymru, said: “With the Tomra kit in place alongside the other equipment at the facility, we’re now achieving purity rates of at least 97% on our material before our final manual quality check. As a result, when the market recovers from its current flat period, we’re confident we’ll be able to attract higher prices for our recovered material.”
Bollegraaf baler celebrates 40th year in operation
A baler manufactured by the Dutch plant equipment specialist Bollegraaf has recently passed its 40th year in operation.
In 1980, the HBC50 baler was manufactured at the Bollegraaf factory in Appingedam in the north east of the Netherlands.
It was sold to Dutch recycling firm Gero, who used the machine for card, paper, plastics and aluminum baling. This was in operation at Gero until 1999, when it was sold to Triselec Dunkerque after a retrofit.
It has been working at Triselec ever since.
A spokesperson from the Bollegraaf said: “Durability is the key word at Bollegraaf. The machines are finished with a water-based paint, and are designed to have the lowest achievable energy consumption, the longest possible life cycle, and the highest residual value in the market”.
Grist turns to JCB for wheeled excavator
Grist Environmental has taken delivery of a JCB JS200W wheeled excavator to work on its waste transfer site in Devizes, Wiltshire.
This will form part of Grist’s 25-strong fleet supplied over the years by another manufacturer.
James Grist, director of Grist Environmental said: “We looked to JCB and also had quotes from competitors but the decision was not down to price but the warranty and service back up. Those offered by other suppliers saw benefits start to drop off after the first year, JCB however offered a full warranty for the full length of time.”
Established in 1972 by James’ father Nigel, family run Grist Environmental is a waste recycling business that has around 200 employees.
Lowmac expands fleet with ‘UK first’ A914 handler
Lowmac Waste and Recycling has become the first UK operator to bring the Liebherr A 914 material handler into service at its materials recycling facility in Ayr, Scotland.
The A 914 will join a fleet of dedicated material handlers from Liebherr and will be used to sort and load the large volumes of mixed waste and recyclable materials that are managed on the site.
Commenting on the new machine, Kenny Smith, managing director of Lowmac’s said: “The A 914 has already proven itself capable of combining high levels of productivity with excellent levels of economy.
“Its considered design and build quality was also an important factor as it enables us to provide a safe and pleasant working environment for our operatives in what are often challenging conditions.”
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