Worker bees: they aren't as loud and showy as larger equipment, but nimble forklifts and skid steers carry their fair share for recyclers

Recycling Today, Nov, 2001 by Brian Taylor

The beep-beep warning of a moving forklift truck is part of the audio setting at most industrial work sites, with recycling facilities being no exception.

Many recyclers of paper, light metals and curbside materials rely almost exclusively on forklifts and compact skid steer loaders to carry the mobile material handling load. High-volume operators may graduate to larger handlers and loaders, but even they still use the smaller machines to handle appropriate loads.

At scrap yards, material recovery facilities (MRFs) and other recycling plants throughout the world, these compact worker bees do what they are asked by plant managers and workers who have come to depend on them.

STICK A FORK IN IT

The high-rising cable cranes may catch a visitor's eye first. And solid looking hydraulic material handlers and skid steers gain attention with their rugged tires and treads and closed-in operator cabins.

But based purely on head count, smaller and quieter forklift trucks continue to perform a lot of the material handling work needed by recyclers.

In a survey recently conducted by Recycling Today, more than 90 percent of the companies responding that operate material handling equipment use one or more forklifts. The percentage outweighs those for all other types of machines, including skid steer loaders and wheeled loaders.

And in most cases, recyclers own more than one forklift, with the forklift owners among survey respondents owning an average of 3.8 of the industrial trucks.

Compared to results of a similar survey conducted four years ago, forklifts appear to be even more ubiquitous now than they were then. In the 1997 Recycling Today survey, 80 percent of respondents operated one or more forklifts, compared to greater than 90 percent in the 2001 survey. And in 1997, 46 percent of the forklift owners used just one of the machines, while this year 64 percent of forklift owners use more than one of the machines.

Recyclers operating indoor facilities often opt for forklifts powered by electric-charged batteries. The clean-burning battery models are devoid of emissions and generally operate at a lower decibel level, helping recyclers stay within noise limits.

Propane is also popular as a fuel choice, with these models also being used indoors or in applications where the lift trucks may work both indoors and outdoors and require a longer "cruising range" between charges or fill-ups.

Diesel models still maintain market share, with many lift truck buyers believing diesel forklifts can offer the most power for heavier work. The heaviest lift trucks--which look from a distance more like large wheel loaders--are generally equipped with diesel engines. The Daewoo D150, as an example, can lift more than 30,000 pounds with its Daewoo D1146 diesel engine.

The smaller forklifts are more commonly the ones filling a lot of needs for recyclers. Paper recyclers rely on lift trucks to move finished paper bales from the baling area to a waiting container or storage area.

Similarly, nonferrous metal recyclers who sort various alloys into Gaylord boxes or similarly sized containers use forklifts to convey full containers to the shipping area.

The forklift market is a competitive one, with several manufacturers vying for attention.

As with larger types of mobile equipment, companies are touting ease of operation and operator comfort factors inherent in their machines. Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill., says its lift trucks feature a "spacious operator's compartment, a specially contoured seat and flexible operator restraint system with a resilient belt [to] offer freedom of movement with security."

Safety factors are also a consideration, with companies such as Komatsu International America Corp., Vernon Hills, Ill., touting the "excellent overhead protection" armor it installs over the driver's seat, and "highly reliable power brakes." The company is also tapping into the desire for operator comfort by offering adjustable tilt-wheel steering on some models and orthopedically designed seats.

THE SKID STEER STORY

When something more multi-faceted than a forklift is required, the skid steer loader is often the next step up in material handling.

Skid steers, also called compact loaders, have replaced forklifts in some instances, but more often seem to work in tandem with lift trucks at recycling facilities. In many cases, skid steers work with incoming loose materials while forklifts continue to be used to transport bales or full Gaylord boxes and containers at the end of a processing operation.

Skid steers are so named because of the turning ratio of the machines, which allow them to operate in confined areas while minimizing driving in reverse. The machines are generally considered more versatile than forklifts, since they are designed to change out attachments, and thus can act as loaders, mobile shears and even as forklifts.

The machines continue to grow in popularity with recyclers, according to the most recent Recycling Today mobile material handling survey. While 49 percent of respondents owned one or more skid steers in 1997, this year's survey revealed a 64 percent ownership rate among respondents.