An Iron Will

It takes a more rugged machine to process and bale ferrous scrap than other, lighter materials. Ferrous balers come in portable and stationary models, and some are combined with a guillotine shear and have logging capabilities.

Shear/baler/logger combinations offer versatility but do not typically have the powerful compression force of machines built solely for creating ferrous bales.

Ferrous balers are built ruggedly to handle scrap metal. They typically have a long charge box compared to the chambers in balers made for other materials, and their compression force creates bales that do not need to be tied off.

Ferrous balers can be designed as two- or three-ram balers, with rams and compression tops and sides that are hydraulically operated.

In a two-compression model, one side or wing door squeezes the material along with the main ram. A three-ram model has a gathering ram, a second compression ram and a third compression ram that both completes the form of the bale and ejects the bale when the door opens.

Ferrous balers produce bales of different sizes, with the most common size being 24 inches by 24 inches. But the size of the bale is often determined by the specific material that is being processed. Material such as reject steel coil, for instance, is not usually baled in 24-inch cubes, but will be handled by a baler with a bigger charge box that also produces larger bales.

The size of bales produced can range from as small as 10 inches by 10 inches to as large as 30 inches by 60 inches.

Regarding bale density, three-ram balers will produce cubes ranging from 100 pounds per cubic foot to more than 150 pounds per cubic foot in density.

Scrap recyclers have a variety of things to consider when buying a ferrous baler, including portability, power units, crane features and whether to sacrifice compression force and instead buy a multi-purpose machine that shears and logs ferrous scrap.

A ferrous baler can be portable or stationary, and there are distinct reasons for buying one over the other. The obvious benefit of a portable ferrous baler is the ability to take the baler out of the yard to serve off-site points of generation.

In a typical portable configuration, the baler is powered by a 150- to 200-horsepower diesel engine. Portable models can range in price, with new machines often priced in the $250,000 to $550,000 range.

Stationary models are chosen in applications where scrap is generated in large amounts (such as stamping plants) or in scrap yards with predictable, steady flows of material. The stationary model is most often operated electrically, which is a plus with many processors because it means low noise, less air pollution and possibly lower operating costs, depending on market prices for electricity and diesel fuel.

The upfront cost of a stationary baler can be higher, but a processor has the ability to achieve greater production. As an example, a 1,200-ton stationary shear can process about 17 tons per hour while a 500-ton portable unit is more likely to max out in the nine or 10 tons per hour range, according to equipment vendor Gunn Phillips of Gunn Phillips Associates, Dade City, Fla.

How to best feed the baler creates another shopping consideration. An integrated crane—one that is attached to the baler—is an option that some processors consider. A limitation of that configuration is that scrap has to be staged only within reach of the stationary crane.

The crane also should have an adequate reach—somewhere between 20 and 30 feet. A longer reach means less double handling of material. Also, crane cabs that rise up can offer a better viewing range.

Many recyclers prefer the flexibility of shopping for a wheeled or tracked hydraulic scrap handler that can offer good reach and lift capacity while also being used to perform other jobs if necessary.

The size of the charge box is another variable to be considered by those shopping for a ferrous baler. Many charge boxes are 12 to 15 feet in length, and a processor may choose a larger box in part because it presents a bigger target for the crane operator.

The application and expected material is also crucial in this decision. "You have to choose the size of the baler and the size of the charge box to match what you are going to do," says Phillips. "And what you are going to do is determined by the material you are going to be processing. As the density requirement of material goes down, so does the size of the box."

Phillips notes as an example, "If a mill service location is running steel mill rejects, such as coils that have to be uncoiled, you need a box that is about 20 to 25 feet long and 6 feet wide and 6 feet deep. That’s a huge baler, but the application calls for it."

Smaller balers or balers equipped with a shear knife may be more suitable for other applications.

Recyclers who require portability may wish to buy a smaller unit if they anticipate it will be used off site on a regular basis, while machines that will most often stay on site can be larger to provide greater production levels.

For machines used off site, recyclers will need to consider whether the unit will require an escort and special permits on the highway because it is overweight or oversized.

When it comes to size and sturdiness of a portable unit, recyclers will again need to consider the type of material that the baler will be processing. A likely parade of thicker, heartier types of steel scrap will likely steer a recycler toward a unit with more powerful compression force.

If that parade of plate and structural steel or other heavy-duty materials grows into a healthy stream, stationary models become a consideration.

As noted earlier, the stationary model presents a different set of operating costs as it can be run electrically, often a preferred option to avoid emissions regulations.

Other choices that have become more popular with ferrous scrap processors are the shear/baler and the shear/baler/logger combinations.

Shear/balers have a shear at the ejection end that typically has from 300 to 1,000 tons of shearing force. When shearing needs to be done, material in the hopper is pushed by the ram and through the ejection opening as the shear does its work. If baling is the priority, the compression settings can be changed and its baling capabilities can be used (though these settings will not typically create a bale to match the high density produced by a pure ferrous baler).

Phillips says the shear/baler charge box configuration usually has two compression sides, or wings, that are mounted on the bed by bolted or welded hinges.

On the positive side, this box will usually have a wider opening and can compress a wide range of mixed material.

However, the shear/baler charge box design can also be more difficult for the operator, especially if both the primary side and the additional wing are mounted on top. The operator may have to use one hand to move both pieces of one side while using the other hand to move both pieces of the other side, creating inefficiency.

For scrap recyclers who are tempted to think "a box is just a box," Phillips cautions that considerations like those outlined above show that they should probably think a little more deeply.

The predominance of shredding plants has driven the market for shear/baler/logger units. A log is a long, soft bale that is made to compact scrap so that it can be more efficiently transported to the shredding plant. Logs are usually 4 to 8 feet in length and are much less dense than ferrous bales, typically 40- to 60-cubic-feet.

At this point in the decision-making process, Phillips says that scrap recyclers have to be clear as to whether they want a unit that is going to make mill-ready bales or one that is preparing logs that will be directed to a shredding plant.

In theory, he notes, "You could make a log in a high-compression ferrous baler, but if that’s what you’re going to do, it’s better to buy a machine designed to make logs. Why buy that extra compression force to make logs?"

Logging is a popular trend, says Phillips. "As the shredder has become more popular, buyers for shredding plants have to go further away for material. One way to do that is to log it from further away and transport it to the shredder."

The author is editor in chief of Recycling Today and can be contacted at btaylor@gie.net.