by MARY M. COX
Manufacturer List
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The disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the most difficult disposal dilemmas we face. Electronic waste consists of old TVs, monitors, laptops, cell phones – the list goes on. Many of the components in these electronic devices aren’t particularly valuable so recycling methods vary.
Fluent Conveyor products are customized to each application brought to them by a client. “We offer slider bed transfer conveyors, infeed conveyors and more. With most waste applications, transfer and infeed conveyors are required to get products moved through the processes involved.
“Solutions we provide depend on the complexity of the application and requirements from an engineering standpoint. There is a great deal of planning and implementation required for a project to succeed. Our team provides over 30 years combined experience in engineering and sales of conveyors and over 40 years of manufacturing experience,” explained Jeremy Axel, sales representative.
Core markets for the firm include: custom applications, e-waste, bio-fuel, corrugated, paper, single stream, dual stream and package handling. “Industry regulations include the ban on exports from China and some general manufacturing guidelines. I believe we’ll see more robotics in the waste processing industry, and an increase in automation and technology to help remove contamination within resold materials. Waste and processing industries overall are trending upward in technology as manufacturing, dealers and integrators find solutions to remove waste from landfills and reuse/repurpose as much as possible. With e-waste, processes vary state-by-state and conveyors aren’t regulated but we always ensure that our clients are aware of all related specifications for their process,” said Axel.
E-scrap components are difficult to recover, and the Karl W. Schmidt Company is committed to addressing the predicament. There are a large number of parts involved and a wide variety of sizes and different materials too—some of them of course, quite small. Further complicating the situation, often the devices contain hazardous material. And the problem isn’t going away. Electronic waste is already 5 percent of the total waste in the U.S., and it’s growing every year.
“We’ve put our talent for innovation to work to overcome the challenges posed by e-waste recycling. The knowledge we’ve acquired through many years of designing recycling equipment gives us insight into what will really work, and we thoroughly test all of our e-recycling equipment to ensure we’re providing clients with products that meet our standards, explained Karl Satrum, sales manager.
He added, “If you want electronic waste equipment that represents the best in engineering while exemplifying the latest in technological know-how, we’d love to talk to you about our innovative ideas for solving the difficult problem of e-waste.”
“The most recognized and versatile of the PRAB conveyor line is the traditional steel belt conveyor. Steel belt conveyors are a relatively inexpensive and practical way to move and elevate large volumes of material in harsh environments,” Mike Hook, national sales manager, stated.
Hook also said that “Due to the large amount of variation in the e-scrap environment, the proper conveyor system for moving this material may contain a variety of conveyor products. To ensure that maximum uptime is achieved over the long life of the equipment, PRAB provides full-process consultation and product testing on in-house lab systems at no cost to clients. Our full-service sales, engineering and technical service departments all work together to optimize the customers’ process and mitigate their risk.”
Though steel belt conveyors make up much of the conveyor market, PRAB also manufactures other types of conveyance products. For instance, rubber belt conveyors are an economical method for moving scrap over long distances.
Mesh belt conveyors allow hot scrap to cool during the conveyance process. Magnetic conveyor products can be used to transfer and/or sort magnetically susceptible material. Drag flight and screw conveyors offer efficient transfer of flow-able wet material in a sealed environment. Oscillating (horizontal transfer) conveyors move large volumes of scrap without the scrap contacting any of the moving components of the machine, therefore eliminating much of the wear and associated maintenance observed in most other forms of conveyance.
“PRAB Conveyors help combat the challenges of removing scrap and spent fluids away from core operations which allows for optimum production cycles, longer run times, increased worker safety, improved housekeeping and less fork lift traffic. Unique proprietary designs such as the Pivot Belt™ and powered automatic take-up, along with built-to-suit designs differentiate PRAB within the marketplace,” stated Hook.
Starting in 1950 with a small fabrication shop for the automotive industry, PRAB has expanded worldwide with a product line that includes a full line of heavy duty scrap conveyors, metal chip processing equipment, fluid filtration equipment and industrial water treatment systems for the automotive, aerospace, electronics, defense, energy, and other industries.
Some companies specialize in providing conveyor components. Sampla Belting Megadyne has manufactured conveyor belts for several years. “Speed, impact, cuts, abrasion and precision…all those words may surround the challenges involved when manufacturing a conveyor belt for recycling settings. Some applications require a little bit of finesse to find the right belt for the process involved. For example, a situation may require a light weight, thin belt that can move at very high speeds, while magnetic waves pass through it and it runs through small pulleys—all while simultaneously remaining strong and resistant to cuts and abrasion,” Marco Martinez Guerrero, business development manager, commented.
Published in the June 2018 Edition