Described as the ultimate squash, the powerful new DRP rotary crushing machine from SolvAir Environmental, guarantees a single solution to crushing for all types of metal cans, tins, and PET containers, leading to considerable savings on storage and haulage costs.
The DRP is a common sight in Europe, where it sits outside many supermarkets, sporting venues, or in recycling centres, crushing up to 240 aluminium cans per minute. One tonne of aluminium equates to about 50,000 cans, and with the new crusher this will take up just 4.5 m2 of space, providing significant cost savings on waste transport charges.
It is also helping to maintain a safer, tidier working environment, and its introduction into the UK is intended for a wide variety of uses from household waste recycling centres (HWRC) and material recycling facilities (MRF) to sports facilities, schools and colleges.
Inside each machine are two large metal discs, these rotate once a container is put in, and efficiently compact cans to up to a sixth of their original size.
An uncomplicated design means the machine is very simple to work, and almost anyone can operate it. It is also very safe, with electronic cells on the side, to detect once a can has been put in, another cell then instantly determines whether it is safe to crush, and if it is the wheels turn, speedily squeezing the can. Crushed containers then fall directly into a bin for economical emptying.
Capable of crushing 180 PET bottles per minute, the DRP's impressive capacity is more than capable of feeding one automated line or two manual lines at an MRF, it will also happily work continuously at an HWRC, compressing cans all day long for the public.
It will easily crush metal or aluminium cans up to 120mm wide and 350mm tall. It compacts PET bottles down to 20mm and cans down to between 3-5mm.
Stand alone units are ideal for recycling centres, they can also be compactor mounted, or incorporated onto any MRF designs and assembled by SolvAir engineers on-site. Alternatively, they can be retrofitted into existing conveyor lines. Easily adaptable, the DRP has many options and can be modified for multi-station use.
The DRP is manufactured from 1.2mm galvanised steel with a decorative polyester powder coated finish, and measures 676mm x 1200mm x 600mm. The machine is mobile and comes with pre-drilled ground fixing holes for added security.
One tonne of cans equates to about 50,000 cans; crushed these will take up about 5 cubic yards.
Can facts:
Recycling 1kg of aluminium saves up to 6kg of bauxite, 4kg of chemical products and 14kWh of electricity.
Recycling aluminium requires only 5% of the energy and produces only 5% of the CO2 emissions as compared with primary production and reduces the waste going into landfill.
Aluminium can be recycled indefinitely, as reprocessing does not damage the structure. Aluminium is also the most cost-effective material to recycle.
A recycled aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours. If all the aluminium cans in the UK were recycled there would be 14 million fewer full dustbins each year.