by MARY M. COX
Manufacturer List
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A good baler for paper will not always be a good baler for plastic. When condensing paper, a horizontal extrusion baler works best with a tension cylinder compressing against the first bale as the second bale is made. High volumes of paper can be baled in this continuous operation. When plastic material is involved and because of the memory of the material, baling against a wall or door is best. A two ram baler can provide a large feed opening for fiber as well as controlling the harder to bale plastic containers.
American Baler Company designs for specific applications and specializes in both the horizontal auto tie baler and the two-ram style of balers.
Mike Schwinn, sales manager for American Baler explained, “Regardless of the baler type, you’ll want to make sure your baler performance follows the latest codes and safety specs. The best baler manufacturers have already converted to Category 3 safety standards, which include safety guards and controls that benefit those who are involved in baling operations. An operator should also be sure to select the right speed or horse power for the application involved. Choosing a dual horse power configuration will provide electrical savings as you start up the baler, as well as redundancy, allowing you to run on reduced horse power. Choosing the correct thrust or compaction force for an application is critical as this factor affects bale quality and weight. After you make the bale, it is moved around about six to seven times before it is recycled. The heavier the bales, the less wire, electrical, and material handling cost you have. All of these components, along with consideration of the feed opening and the tie process, are part of selecting the right baler.
“Selecting a company with a good dealer network is important not only for after product support, but also for the perspective dealers possess because of their experience with so many applications. A manufacturer may know the baler models the best, but a good distributor can also help assure you’ve selected the best product for your particular operation.”
Schwinn also mentioned that plastic recyclers are often concerned with storage issues. “Much more storage is required for a ton of plastic vs. a ton of paper. Due to the various grades of plastic involved, the storage areas required for each may be quite numerous. American Baler features the Versa Door on their two-ram balers, which allows the machine to run with a closed door for best bale quality, but also for ease of reducing contamination between grades of plastic being processed.
“We continuously strive to stay abreast of changes in baling technology. In addition to PLC information, we can also provide clients with custom reports and the ability to view real time bale count data displayed on a large production board – info that can be useful in maximizing productivity,” he said.
Since 1946, International Baler Corporation (IBC) has been a leader in the design and manufacture of commercial and industrial balers for paper, plastics, metals, and numerous specialty materials. “Offering more than 200 different baler models,” said Sean Usoff, director of sales and marketing, “allows us the flexibility to adapt to customer needs.”
Those needs, Usoff said, may be changing. “The industry is experiencing some tough times due to new regulations relative to China, and how prices have dropped a bit over the last year, but I believe the industry can recover. The challenge is finding new end buyers that can take material currently available. As equipment manufacturers manage the effects of new tariffs, not only will the cost of raw materials for new equipment construction be affected, but also the cost as recyclers maintain existing equipment.”
After more than 70 years in the industry, IBC is no stranger to these kinds of changes. Usoff reports that IBC’s two-ram line has become increasingly popular for recyclers who want a solid, heavy-duty baler as well as quick material changeover for reduced contamination. The higher pressure of a two ram is also perfect for tough products like plastics, making preconditioning unnecessary.
“Most recent trends have skewed toward more centralized, large, single stream recycling operations. Effects of the new contamination regulations relative to China will most likely trickle down to global single stream operations, which will then result in the need for cleaner material output. This process will likely spur heavy investment in new sorting equipment, and perhaps more dedicated baling practices, to minimize material cross contamination.”
For single material applications, Usoff suggests IBC’s open-end auto-tie for a combination of high-volume throughput and heavy bale weights, making quick work of shredded paper from document destruction or daily pile-up of OCC in a distribution center. Lower volume facilities will find our horizontal and vertical manual-tie balers to be long-lasting workhorses –a staple on many loading docks, producing 1,000 to 2,000 lb. bales of OCC.” Heavy duty models are available for plastics and scrap metal.
“With a focus on customer satisfaction,” Usoff said, “our balers are engineered for reliability, safety, and ease of operation. More importantly, they’re designed to meet ever-changing industry demands and customer feedback so we stay at the forefront of baler technology and emerging markets. IBC also offers expertise in systems integration, customer support services and application consultation.”
Maren Engineering manufactures recycling balers and has been doing so since the mid 60s. “Our manufacturing process, along with the design of our balers produces a more structurally sound baler than other balers available in the market. With the use of piston pumps, our balers provide speeds similar to higher horsepower machines, but our baler still saves on the electrical cost of running the machine. The high pressure performance of our baler also creates a smaller bore cylinder, compared to other baler brands that run at a lower pressure. While all balers perform the same task by compressing material, the baler manufactured by Maren is set apart by the product’s Smart Bale Operator Interface. This feature is a duplicate of the interface on the baler and is a tablet that can be carried with an operator. It makes the operator’s job easier by providing control over the baler without the need to leave the loader, Bobcat or forklift. An operator is free to change the grades of material being baled, tie off a bale, or even start or stop the conveyor,” stated Roger Williams, western regional sales manager.
He noted that during installation, it is important that a user be actively involved, to understand the basics of the equipment. “For instance, regularly scheduled maintenance will allow the equipment to operate smoother and longer. Regardless of market conditions, our goal is to help customers increase their bottom line. We believe the best way to accomplish that is to always stay in close communication with our clients about the products and service we offer, relative to the needs of their particular operation.”
Sierra manufactures heavy duty high quality two ram balers and conveyors for MRFs, recycling centers, waste processors, and scrap metal recyclers. Sierra two ram balers handle between 200 to over 6,000 tons of material per month, depending on the model and other factors such as the type of material involved and hours baling per day. Sierra’s two ram balers have standard features such as energy efficient flooded suction power units with standard kidney loop filtration, fully lined with ½” AR 450 liners with a tongue and groove floor, 1 ½” thick tool steel shear blades with four cutting edges, shimless “hold down” adjustments, bale separation/oversize bale release door, operator’s platform, bale eject table, “and many other standard features that are options on other balers,” said Brian Mihm, director of sales. “Sierra balers and conveyors are set up and fully tested before shipment, to speed up the installation and start-up process. Other features that expedite the installation process are hard piping along the baler – with flexible hosing between the baler and power unit, a bolt on ejector assembly, plug and play electrical connections, and conveyors shipped pre-wired with the belt installed,” Mihm stated.
He expressed how he believes “this industry is trending toward cost savings with items such as power units that are more energy efficient, machines that run without an operator, programs that allow users to track electrical consumption, and materials that are baled per shift and average tons per hour per material, downtime, wire consumption, etc.”
“One of the most important things a potential buyer needs to look at when purchasing equipment is the company’s commitment to parts and service. Sierra believes in stocking parts for all equipment from small electrical parts to motors, pumps, and cylinders. Sierra also stocks parts on the East and West coast with service technicians located throughout the country. This allows Sierra to reduce customer downtime when problems arise,” he concluded.
Sierra also provides material handlers for the waste, recycling and scrap metal industries, baler/loggers and shear/baler/loggers for the scrap metal industries, and is also the exclusive North American distributor for Macpresse, high volume auto-tie balers, shredders and conveyors.
Published in the May 2018 Edition