Dust Control Technology (DCT), Peoria, Ill., has introduced four new sizes of its dust suppression rings. DCT says the new sizes will give bulk material handlers a wider range of options that suit individual conveyor sizes and discharge flows.

DCT’s DustBoss DB-RTM Ring is designed for use at material discharge points, “creating a virtual curtain around the outflow for outstanding particle containment,” the company says in a news release. Surrounding the discharge flow on all sides -- and with no moving parts to wear out -- the DustBoss Rings are designed to provide dust management for radial stackers, crushers and screeners.

“The DB-R is designed for mounting at the end of conveyor belts to aid in dust suppression directly at the discharge point,” says Aaron Valencic, DCT’s vice president. “The most effective approach to dust management is to address the source whenever possible, and the ring applies suppression right as the material leaves the conveyor or discharge chute.”

The four new sizes include 30-inch, 48-inch, 54-inch and 72-inch models. DCT says the stainless steel rings are engineered for industrial strength and longevity and tested to withstand pressures of up to 900 pounds per square inch. They contain brass atomizing nozzles that deliver millions of 50-200 micron droplets per minute.

The rings are now available in nine standard sizes, from 17 inches to 100 inches in diameter. All models can be customized with DCT’s Variable Particle Sizing technology, allowing customers to specify non-standard droplet size ranges to match specific materials.

The number and size of the atomizing nozzles also vary by model, from 18 to as many as 85 on the largest ring, the DB-R 100. Water flows range from 3.25 to 52.95 gallons per minute. An optional booster pump can be added to increase water flow and pressure, and units can be equipped with a two-way valve to provide manual control over water flow.

More information about DTC and its new products can be found at www.dustboss.com.

The city of Houston has announced plans to expand the city’s residential curbside collection program by around 100,000 households by the end of 2013. The city also is moving more residents to its single stream program. Under the expansion plan residents will be given a 96-gallon container for recyclables.

Gary Readore, the chief of staff for Houston’s solid waste department, says the program will add 35,000 homes to its single-stream recycling program in July 2013 and will add 70,000 homes to the program by October.

The city will be involved in the collection of the material and Waste Management Inc. will be responsible for processing it. The city will share in the revenue generated through the sale of the recyclables.

The decision to expand the program follows the release of Houston Mayor Annise Parker’s 2014 fiscal year budget.

The cost of the expansion will be around $7.6 million, and the city expects the revenue generated from the sale of the recyclables, as well as other cost savings, to help cover the cost.

Readore says the city is anticipating a 60 percent participation rate when the single-stream program is expanded to more than 200,000 residents. Houston has an estimated total of around 380,000 households.

Readore says the city presently collects around 2,100 tons of recyclables per month.
 

Environmental Solutions Group (ESG), which encompasses Heil Environmental, Marathon and Bayne, has announced the acquisition of Curotto-Can Co., Sonoma, Calif.

Curotto-Can provides an automated carry can that mounts to a commercial front loader’s forks, which converts the unit to an automated front loader. The system enables a commercial refuse collection unit to be used for residential pickups, with efficiency and versatility superior to that seen in automated side loaders.

Pat Carroll, president of ESG, based in Chattanooga, Tenn., says, “We are very excited to have John Curotto and his team as part of Environmental Solutions Group. John is a fourth-generation hauler and an industry pioneer who approaches product design from the hauler’s perspective. This maximizes benefits for the end user, which aligns directly with our philosophy at Heil and ESG.”

John Curotto, president of the Curotto-Can, comment, “Being a part of Environmental Solutions Group will help us do more for haulers in our industry. Pat Carroll and the ESG Team aren’t satisfied with the status quo. They are innovating for today and tomorrow. They have the right philosophy and an energetic, experienced team, which makes all the difference when it comes to helping customers be more profitable. We want to be a part of that.

“We have been working with Heil for the past two years to integrate our automated carry can into their Heil Half/Pack and Half/Pack Freedom front loader designs,” Curotto continues. “This close collaboration has resulted in the development of a completely integrated system that represents the next generation of automated collection. We could not be more excited about being part of Environmental Solutions Group and about what this means for haulers who need to address an increasing number of collection and financial challenges.”

The Curotto-Can is designed to enable a driver to perform automated collection from within the cab while still watching the road, improving safety and ergonomics. Additionally, extra bulk next to the cart can be loaded with the same truck, eliminating the need for a manual rear loader.

ESG says refers to itself as a fully integrated equipment group serving the solid waste and recycling industry.
 

Atlanta-based aluminum producer Novelis has announced the opening of a new aluminum recycling and continuous casting line at its Pieve Emanuele facility in Milan, Italy.

The company invested about €12 million ($15.44 million) on the expansion, which Novelis says is the largest investment for the company in Italy in the past decade.

The technology included in the new line will allow Novelis to recycle aluminum scrap into aluminum sheet for further processing at its operations in Italy and Germany.

“This investment reflects Novelis’ ongoing commitment to our high recycled content strategy, to the environment and, importantly, to our longstanding operations here in Italy,” says Erwin Mayr, senior vice president of Novelis and president of Novelis Europe. “The opening of the new line not only increases the recycling and casting capacity at the Pieve plant, but it also contributes to the company’s global goal of increasing the recycled content of its products from 43 percent today to 80 percent by 2020.”

Comments Gianmatteo Martinelli, the plant’s manager, “The Pieve plant has over 50 years of experience in rolling and recycling aluminum. This investment and the wider program in Italy will strengthen our operations here while also bringing new sustainable manufacturing processes to the region through Novelis innovation.”

Novelis describes its Pieve Emanuele plant is an integrated recycling, continuous casting, rolling and finishing operation. The aluminum sheet and coil produced at the facility is sold to end users in a number of industrial and construction markets.

The Pieve plant also supplies aluminum sheet to Novelis plants in Bresso, Italy, and in Germany, where it is processed into pre-painted, textured and bright finish material for use in transportation, construction and industrial applications such as roofing, architectural cladding and domestic appliances.

The continuous casting equipment was developed by Novelis PAE, a Novelis group company that provides casting and molten metal treatment systems for aluminum producers around the world.