Application
Report 18
The Problem...
Distribution Center Carton Recycling
The distribution center for Mervyn's Division of Dayton Hudson in Ontario,
Calif., generates 112,500 cu. ft. of trash per day, mostly in the form
of empty 20"x30"x36" corrugated cartons. Their disposal system consisted
of a 60" wide conveyor feeding a "big-mouth No Shred" baler which densified
the waste to 1/5 lb. per cu. ft. In order to prevent clogging and keep
the system operating, personnel had to be assigned on a full-time basis
to stand under the conveyor with long poles and push the cartons into
the baler inlet hopper. This was not only inefficient, but also presented
a serious personnel safety hazard.
The Solution...
A BloApCo 5-shaft, 58" wide Shredder
After a year's operation, Mervyn's engineering staff determined that
the unsatisfactory system had to be inproved. A BloApCo 5-shaft, 58"-wide
shredder was mounted "piggyback" over the baler. The shredder's unique,
patented, slow-speed "Pierce-and-Tear" action with teeth specifically
designed to handle corrugated material actually "pulls" the 20"x30"x36"
cartons into the shredder without having to rely on gravity. The shredder
effectively tears apart the corrugated cartons to reduce them to smaller,
relatively uniform pieces, eliminating clogging in the baler inlet hopper.
Mervyn's standard 20"x30"x36" carton weights 2.5 pounds, or 1/5 lb.
per cu. ft. The shredded carton when compacted weighs 2 lbs. per cu.
ft., resulting in more densified bales. This the baler's capacity for
carton scrap was effectively increased by a factor of 10. The revised
system operates completely unattended. Once material is tossed onto
the conveyor, the next time it is handled is as part of a 1,500-lb.
bale ready for shipment and recycling.
