by MARY M. COX
Manufacturer List
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Attachments used in the dismantling of discarded autos are integral to the typical recycling process that is involved at any facility that accepts such autos.
The Builtrite Auto Dismantling System is designed to offer auto recyclers a means to capture the maximum value from every end of life vehicle (ELV). This system consists of two excavator mounted attachments. The first is a grapple, capable of tearing into all types of automobiles and removing valuable nonferrous metals with surgical precision. To secure the automobile, a set of heavy duty, hold-down arms are mounted to the excavator’s undercarriage. Two large bore cylinders articulate the arms up and down, allowing them to hold every type of vehicle in place.
“In the past, most auto recyclers and pick your part yards would crush their vehicles and haul them to the local scrap yard, which had a shredder to downsize the remaining metals and then dispose of the fluff and plastics. Today, even this waste is now considered a valuable commodity, capable of being processed and re-manufactured into new products. These shredders, along with the downstream separation equipment, require huge capital investment, into the millions of dollars,” stated Uwe Kausch, senior vice president, sales and marketing.
Kausch claims the Builtrite System captures the valuable metals found in the radiators, engines, transmissions, wiring harnesses, heater cores, air conditioning units and even computers on the front end of the process, allowing the auto recycler to capture the value in this material. Much of the plastic and ferrous items such as doors, trunk covers, hoods, etc. can be torn off and put into separate piles for baling. The larger plastics found in newer bumpers and grills can be torn off and separated as well.
“Builtrite’s System is designed for a standard, 20-24 metric ton excavator or as an alternative, it can be combined with a stationary electric material handler which significantly reduces operating costs and can be used indoors since it does not give off emissions. Most customers report that they can process from six to eight automobiles per hour, providing a quick payback on their investment,” said Kausch.
According to John Kitchens, Iron Ax’s vice president, “Iron Ax produces a full line of scrap processing equipment and attachments. Part of our product line is comprised of shears and grapples. All of our shears feature replaceable wear parts, a removable tip and 360° continuous rotation. We offer 4 different sized shears with the smallest that provides 600 tons of cutting force and the largest that provides 1,000 tons of cutting force.”
“The various grapples we manufacture can be purchased as rotating or non-rotating. All of our rotating grapples feature 360° continuous rotation and we offer the standard 4-tine grapple with wings which gives the grapple greater enclosure for smaller pieces of scrap. We also offer opposing tine contractor’s grapples in 2 x 3 and 3 x 4 configurations. We’ve made custom grapples that have included a grapple designed for the placement of railroad ties for spurs and track repair and a grapple that was used in the Gulf coast to retrieve steel pipe from the seabed after Hurricane Katrina.”
Kitchens said that all of Iron Ax grapples are made out of domestic T1 plate; they are heavy duty and built to last. “The range in grapple pricing is extreme from one manufacturer to another. Not all grapple manufacturers build their grapples out of heavy duty plate. It is worth paying more to get a grapple that will last. We own and operate 5 scrap yards and have been in the scrap business for 45 years. We know what our customers need to get the job done and they seem to really appreciate our unique perspective,” he added.
Moley Magnetics manufactures scrap yard magnets, shears and grapples. Their grapple products span many applications, including scrap yards, railroads, landscaping, lumber and waste handling. “Our 2 in 1 magnet grapple is truly the state-of-the-art grapple solution for scrap yards,” commented Ron Slaby, vice president, sales at Moley Magnetics. He continued, “The majority of scrap yards use a grapple and a magnet in daily operations to load or unload material, then the magnet might also be used for cleanup duty. One difficulty some scrap yards face is limited excavator or material hander availability. If there is also only one machine available to operate the magnet and the grapple, the operator is forced to change attachments often, alternating between the grapple and the magnet. The magnet grapple was invented to eliminate this problem because it combines a magnet and an orange peel grapple.”
The product is available with either 24V or 230V magnets, to fit all budgets. Also, Moley Magnetics states they offer the only mag/grapple without diminished carry capacity in grapple performance. This characteristic is made possible by building the magnet into the body of the grapple vs. using a standard orange peel grapple that simply has a magnet bolted to the bottom of the grapple body. The Moley Magnetics product also offers a Hardox steel body and a 24 month warranty.
For the auto salvage industry, the product line at SAS Forks includes forks, buckets, grapples and several styles of hydraulic engine pullers. The forks are used for moving everything from a basic pallet to auction vehicles when speed and productivity are often essential. SAS Forks attachments are built for severe duty applications that require a product that can withstand abuse and provide zero down time.
Adam Lindley, sales manager at SAS Forks, commented, “With tight scrap metal prices, the SAS Extreme Auto Processor has become a popular product in the auto salvage industry as well as in scrap yards. This unit allows an operator to use an excavator to process vehicles quickly and completely, and to remove all nonferrous and any other components that can carry added value to the bottom line. We offer machines from 16 to 30 tons in size, and we can help customers to choose the machine that will work best for their needs. With its patented claws and replaceable teeth, the Extreme is the most precise machine on the market. If speed and power are more of a requirement, the SAS Scorpion or Claw are a perfect addition to any salvage yard. SAS Forks are built for severe duty applications where everything needs to be engineered tough to with stand the abuse and need for zero down time. The products allow operators to use an existing wheel loader to move, process, crush and load cars without switching attachments.”
Lindley said SAS recently took a step to make their products safer, “Previously, we used ID plates to identify load capacities and limits. Now our products are CE compliant and approved for use in Canada. This elevates SAS to a safety standard beyond the competition.”
Published in the October 2015 Edition of American Recycler News