Operations Focus: The Right Fit

When customers approach Mikeal Keremes about buying a material handler, Keremes will usually ask what sounds like a simple question.

“What are you planning to do with it?”

“We are going to load scrap,” is the usual reply he gets from buyers in the scrap metal processing sector.

But the vice president of sales for the Western Pennsylvania region of Cleveland-based equipment dealer Gibson Machinery says the answer is much more complex.

In order for Keremes to make the best recommendation, he will need to know what is being loaded, how many tons a day are being shipped out of the yard, what material is being moved, and the layout of the facility.

“All those questions make a difference in the size machine they are looking for,” explains Keremes.

Other factors to consider for recyclers of scrap metal or any other material, according to Jeff Wilson of Charlotte, N.C.-based Liebherr dealer Republic Crane, are:

• reach;
• material density;
• ideal operator eye level for visibility; and
• required safety measures.

“These are just a few items to address when the purchasing process begins,” says Wilson. “Material will determine whether the use of a grapple or [another attachment] is needed.”

A smaller facility can get away with a smaller machine. If the facility handles larger volumes each day and week, a higher capacity machine may be necessary. While a smaller machine might offer more mobility and transportability between work areas or even job sites (and lower operating costs per hour), it may not be able to handle the volume of a larger, more powerful machine or provide the same stacking height.

“There are situations where mobility is more important, and there are situations where weight class is vital due to feeding a shredder or a large shear,” says Wilson.

Steve Brezinski of Terex Fuchs, Southaven, Miss., says some recycling facilities use a combination of larger and smaller material handlers. In scrap applications, the larger material handlers will do the heavy lifting while the smaller machines will handle the peddler traffic materials or engage in yard clean-up with a magnet.

Expansion goals should be taken into consideration in the machine decision as well. “Depending on what their expansion goals are, [recycling companies] may want to buy a bigger machine,” says Brezinski. Essentially, if a company is planning to expand its processing capacity at a future date, it generally makes sense to go with a larger machine.
 

Weighing the Options
Size is not the only consideration a recycler will have to take into account when deciding on a material handler. From automation to safety to power source, there are many options available. Wilson says there are some features that every material handler should have, including a boom and stick, a safety lever and a rear view safety camera.

Brezinski says Terex offers a “quick attach,” which Brezinski describes as a hanger at the end of the stick. This allows operators to change between a grapple or another attachment without having to remove the pin at the end of the stick. “Other features depend on the application,” he says.

A straight boom and stick are typically standard on machines, but there also are options for specialized applications. For example, a facility that is loading a below-grade or ground-level sorting system infeed conveyor may benefit from having a bent boom on their material handler, which will allow for a lower reach.

Recyclers using a material handler to sort material at a transfer station may require an optional stick with a cylinder at the end of it for greater flexibility and motion.

One aspect Keremes appreciates about the Sennebogen machines he sells is that many key components are made in the U.S. This is important, he says, because if the dealer or manufacturer does not have a part, they can easily look through common distribution channels to find what a customer needs.
 

On the Ground
Determining which platform to select on a material handler has a lot to do with terrain and how much movement is necessary. Dealers and manufacturers indicate that wheeled material handlers are more popular than the track-mounted models in the scrap recycling sector, where yards have become increasingly more concrete- and asphalt-covered.

Brezinski says tracked machines are useful in the dirt or mud, which is certainly terrain demolition contractors are familiar with, and often mixed C&D recyclers as well. Tracked machines can also be useful in more stationary applications, say equipment industry sources.

In addition to wheeled and track-mounted material handlers, pedestal-mounted material handlers also find a place in recycling facilities in the proper circumstances.

Keremes says fuel savings is a key reason recyclers are choosing this type of machine. While the initial cost may be 20-to-25 percent higher, he points out, “The fuel savings will pay for the difference in two-to-three years tops.”

Other benefits of pedestal-mounted material handlers are reduced maintenance and increased efficiency because of their ability to run longer and stay cooler without an engine. They also last longer, according to Keremes. A typical diesel engine-powered material handler can run about 20,000 to 25,000 operating hours before needing to be rebuilt. Keremes estimates an electric-powered machine can run 30,000 to 40,000 hours. Onsite emissions also are eliminated with the use of electricity compared to a diesel engine-powered machine.

With so much to consider not only about a recycling facility’s needs but also the capabilities of the machine, talking to a salesperson is an important step in the purchase process, according to Keremes. “A good sales representative should know the products, what they can handle and what they are capable of doing,” he comments. “They really need to narrow down what it is the customer wants to do.” 
 

The author is associate editor of Construction & Demolition Recycling and can be reached at ksmith@gie.net.

This article originally appeared in the Nov. 2011 edition of Recycling Today magazine (www.RecyclingToday.com).