High capacity baling of recyclable materials

Recycling Today, Oct, 2003

Evergreen Paper Recycling, located in Fort Worth, Texas, was using a typical, two-ram baler to bale approximately 5,000 to 6,000 tons per month of recyclable paper. This process required six days a week using two shifts. In an effort to be more efficient, Evergreen researched methods to improve its operation. The search led to Sierra International Machinery and Macpresse baling equipment. This high-capacity, single-ram baler could process all the monthly tonnage in a single shift, five days per week. The result was a reduction of staff with no baler operator required, fewer bales handled, significant savings in electrical costs and substantial improvements in equipment reliability.

The most obvious advantage of upgrading to a high-capacity horizontal baler was the elimination of a full-time baler operator. All functions of the Sierra high-capacity horizontal baler are completely automatic. "The Macpresse system has consistently performed better than I expected and processes material faster than represented in sales discussions, "says Tim Haugh, owner, Evergreen Paper.

Evergreen increased production from an average of 14 to 16 tons per hour to 25 to 29 tons per hour for OCC. Rebaled OCC is baled at a rate of 35 to 39 tons per hour.The bale weights and densities with the Sierra baler are much higher, with OCC bales weighing approximately 2,100 pounds. This is a 600 to 700-pound-per-bale increase.

Handling larger and heavier bales requires fewer employees to perform the same amount of work. Wear and tear on fork-lifts and other equipment is noticeably decreased because of handling 25 percent fewer bales.

Evergreen Paper has received favorable comments from paper mills regarding the dense, square, heavy bales produced by the Sierra system. Now, more tons can be stored in a smaller space. Maximum shipping weights are achieved in export containers and over-the-road vans.

The monthly electrical bill has decreased by approximately 30 percent, even though the new baler uses the same amount of horsepower as the older baler. This is achieved by using a more efficient hydraulic system and high-efficiency motors.