|
Sweed choppers handle bale wire efficiently, safely
Sweed Machinery, Inc., Gold Hill, OR, manufacturer of linear material reduction equipment, designed its bale wire chopper specifically for the rigors of hightensile steel, which is more demanding than steel banding or plastic. Western Pulp, a leader in molded fiber solutions in industries such as packaging-shipping, nursery-greenhouse and floral, says it has enhanced safety, efficiency and recycling with a heavy-duty Sweed bale wire chopper. As its primary bulk input, bundles of used paper enter production bound with bale wire that must be removed and safely disposed of. Previously, operators cut the bale wire then rolled or wadded it to fit into outside dumpsters. “The primary driver for us was safety, to reduce the risk of pokes and cuts posed from loose, tangled bale wire,” says Terry Glasgow, maintenance supervisor at Western Pulp’s Corvallis, OR, plant. By handling the bale wire once, instead of multiple times, after it is cut from incoming bales of paper, the company is saving a significant amount of labor. Glasgow highlights another economical, ecological plus: “Instead of paying to haul unmanageable bale wire to a landfill, a scrap dealer is now paying us for the chopped, more easily processed bale wire. Our improved process will help move us toward green certification, as we aim to recycle 100% of our input material, including bale wire.” Sweed Machinery, Inc., www.sweed.com |
|
|