The Many Benefits of Self-Contained Trash Compactors

 

Self-contained trash compactors, sometimes called Roll-on/Roll-off compactors, provide many benefits to building owners in a variety of commercial and industrial businesses. Self-contained trash compactors improve efficiency and waste management, prevent infestations with clean disposal of wet waste, and prevent tampering.

Self-contained trash compactors operate with hydraulic and electrical power, with a rolling bin that mechanically lifts trash into the compactor. A self-contained compactor remains sealed, providing sanitary disposal of wet waste, and remains sealed other than during operation. Once the compactor is filled to a certain level of capacity, typically about 80%, a signal will alert to let the hauler know that it is time to pick up the unit.

Benefits of Self-Contained Trash Compactors

Switching to a self-contained trash compactor provides many benefits over other types of waste disposal. Some benefits realized by many companies include:

 

●       Fewer trips are required by waste haulers to dump trash due to compaction

●       Lower costs for disposal can offset much of the initial cost

●       Increased capacity to dispose of more waste compared to traditional ways containers

●       Odor reduction and some may include an odor neutralizer

●       More sanitary than other containers or dumpsters and prevent bacteria growth

●       There is no need to store trash before sending to the compactor

●       Self-contained units are closed to prevent rain and other weather elements from causing rest and decay.

●       Difficult to overload and sturdier structurally than other types of dumpsters.

●       Maintains a cleaner waste management area without trash pileups and overflow

●       Secure waste disposal prevents unauthorized use of trash dumping

These are some of the many benefits that companies realize when switching to a self-contained trash compactor.

Who Benefits from Self-Contained Compactors?

Businesses of all types can realize these many benefits when using a self-contained trash compactor. Some typical locations where you might see a compactor unit like this include:

●       Restaurants

●       Department stores

●       Grocery stores

●       Hospitals

●       Nursing homes

●       Hotels, motels, resorts

●       Shopping centers and malls

●       Industrial manufacturers

●       Colleges and universities

This is just a short list of the many types of businesses that can enjoy the benefits of a self-contained compactor.

Considerations When Choosing Your Self-Contained Trash Compactor

When evaluating the many benefits of a self-contained trash compactor unit, there are some important things you should consider:

●       Know of any certain electrical requirements to operate the compactor

●       Obtain the exact space dimensions and specifications

●       Make sure there is enough space for loading and unloading

●       If placed above an open underground area such as a parking lot, verify the structure’s weight capacity

●       Evaluate the amount of waste generated at your facility for an accurate cost comparison

●       Verify the pick-up requirements with the waste hauler

●       Train all employees on the proper operation including safety measures, lock-out-tag-out procedures, and potential hazards.

●       Keep a controlled record of keys and authorized personnel. At least two keys should exist with one remaining in a manager’s office and one with the employee who is operating the device.

●       Self-contained compactors can last up to 20 years with proper maintenance. Be sure to change the hoist oil and grease moving parts regularly.

●       Protect your compactor with the Compactor Break Away Safety System (C-BASS)

C-BASS Protects Your Compactor From Serious Damage and Causing Harm

Innovative products are available to protect your compactor against experiencing serious and costly damage and from causing harm to anyone nearby. The C-BASS Break Away Safety System by Stucchi was developed specifically to protect self-contained compactors against damage occurring from common practices that frequently put companies at risk. Every time the hauler picks up your compactor, the driver must disconnect hydraulic hoses prior to driving off - most companies are unaware how many times hoses are left connected inadvertently causing hydraulic spills, electrical damage, and even projectile equipment putting people at serious risk of life-threatening injuries.

Watch this quick video to show how this damage occurs and see the FREE Whitepaper to learn more about the many benefits of C-BASS.

Stucchi has been an industry leader, providing hydraulic solutions worldwide to a variety of industries and applications for more than 60 years. We offer high-quality, reliable and durable hydraulic quick coupling products and solutions designed to meet your specific application needs. Contact us to learn more about protecting your self-contained trash compactor with Stucchi’s C-BASS solution.

This article was previously published at: https://cbass.info/blog/blog/the-many-benefits-of-self-contained-trash-compactors/

Why Hydraulics and Steel Go Together: Heat, Power, Precision

The steel industry has forever relied upon hydraulic power for a few good reasons. Hydraulics provides the only method of power to meet the demands of steel production such as:

 

●       Imperviousness to the high heat generated in the harsh steelmaking environment

●       The power density and force required to process slabs of steel

●       Precision processing with coiling, cutting, and slitting achievable even in the high heat and high-power environment

No other method of power makes sense with the severe applications of heat and force required in steel mills. Just one steel mill plant can have hundreds of hydraulic power units.

Hydraulic Power Tolerates the High Heat of the Steel Industry

Just about every area of a steel mill is going to be hot, from the coke oven itself which requires hundreds of cylinders to the processing plant, hydraulic power can withstand the heat. The ambient heat alone around the coke oven, at the cars, the pushers, and the doors, is intense. This steelmaking process begins with converting coal to the more efficient and cleaner fuel source, coke, which can burn extremely hot and produce very little smoke. Coke has multiple roles in the steelmaking process as it is used as the fuel to provide the heat necessary to melt iron ore, it also “steals” oxygen from the ore through a chemical reducing agent to reduce iron oxides and leave only pure iron behind. Coke also acts as permeable support for the molten material in the furnace.

Coke ovens are multi-level, extremely large buildings where oven doors are opened and closed with hydraulic cylinders and motors to push and transfer material on a coke pusher car. These actuators and cylinders are designed to withstand extreme temperatures.

One inherent danger when working in a heated environment like a steel mill is the risk of fire. Hydraulic systems must perform with reliability in the midst of tremendous heat while not contributing to any danger. Traditional hydraulic fluid is highly flammable and any cylinder failures or leaks present a high risk for ignition, particularly in the presence of scorching coke. Due to this risk, mineral oil is typically not used in the steel industry but rather fire-resistant hydraulic fluids like water-glycol or the use of water in oil emulsions are common.

The caveat with both of these safer fluids is that traditional sealing options are inappropriate. Glycol fluids require sealing technology that is capable of both water resistance and high heat. Some nitrile seals work well for glycol although not typically at high temperatures. Viton seals perform well in high temperatures with heat resistance but are not so compatible with water-based fluids. PTFE seals are the best choice to withstand exposure to water and high heat.

Stucchi offers heavy-duty hydraulic quick couplings and adapters designed and engineered with PTFE seals as well as Nitrile and Viton where appropriate to support hydraulic steel industry equipment.

Only Hydraulics Provide The Heavy Duty Power Needed In Steel Making

After the production of coke, the next step is mixing with ore in the blast furnace, a massive structure that can be as tall as several hundred feet with a diameter up to 50 feet and relies on hydraulics for motion control.  The coke melts the ore to create pig iron in the blast furnace which can produce up to 15,000 tons daily at some large steel mills.  The iron is exposed to pure oxygen in the furnace which is the beginning of the conversion into steel.

Various additives are incorporated at this stage to form hundreds of steel alloys and then the molten steel is moved to the next stage where continuous casting forms slabs of red-hot steel.  Most of the steel output in North America is in slabs although a continuous caster can also make diameter bars. 

The hot strip mill is an intensely hot area, the workhorse of steel making, and heavily outfitted with automated, hydraulic equipment. It takes the power of hydraulics to transform a slab of steel several inches thick into sheet metal.  Powerful hydraulic cylinders squeeze large metal slabs into other forms of metal, with heavy-duty flanged construction and some rated up to 5,000 psi.  PTFE seals are well suited for the hydraulic cylinders used in steel mills.

Hydraulic Precision Processes Steel for Finished Product Production

Once metal slabs are transformed into coiled sheets of steel, they are then ready to be finished into products for various industries like construction, appliances, and automotive. Cold rolled coiled metal sheets go through a pickling process to remove any contamination and then they are galvanized to provide resistance to rust. This process of uncoiling metal sheets, putting them through various processes, and recoiling them again requires intensive hydraulic power and precision.

Stucchi Offers Hydraulic Solutions for the Steel Industry

Stucchi supports the steel industry with heavy-duty threaded, flat-face quick couplings and multi-coupling plates designed and engineered to withstand high heat with reliable power and precision. Our multi-coupling plates offer endless solutions to connect multiple lines including fluid power, pneumatic, electric, and other media systems. The intense processes in the steelmaking industry require heavy-duty hydraulic equipment that can be relied upon to perform without failure.

Stucchi has been providing hydraulic solutions for more than 60 years, offering quality products and knowledgeable hydraulic support. Our hydraulic specialists possess decades of experience and in-depth market expertise to customize the right hydraulic products and solutions to meet your needs. Contact us to learn more about our hydraulic solutions for the steel industry.

This article was previously published at : https://www.stucchiusa.com/blog/why-hydraulics-and-steel-go-together-heat-power-precision/