EQUIPMENT REPORT

Universal Engineering Corp., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has added Gerald Mangrich as its new sales manager.

Mangrich brings 20 years of experience in the aggregates and mining equipment field to Universal, most recently working for Cedarapids Inc., which is now aTerex company.

"Gerry Mangrich represents the kind of practical experience and ingenuity that have become the hallmarks of the Universal Engineering family," says Universal CEO Daniel Ferguson. "He’s been responsible for directing and developing international sales support initiatives, creating impressive marketing plans and strengthening relationships in a number of distributor networks."

Universal designs and makes machinery and parts for the aggregates and mining industries, including several types of crushers, conveyors and feeders.

RTI EXPANDS MARKET REACH

Recycling Technologies Inc. (RTI), Hickory, N.C., has announced its expansion from a traditional Southeast U.S. base to markets throughout the U.S. and Canada. RTI designs and manufactures vertical and horizontal grinders. Formed in 1997 to service the industrial material waste requirements of the furniture industry in the Southeast, RTI is actively seeking distributors to service its new market areas. "From our inception, we were committed to designing and building the best and most reliable grinders in the industry," company president Steve Mullis says. "Our machine design and track record allow us to offer an industry high two-year warranty, which is double the industry standard." RTI grinders are engineered to cut through hardwood, softwood, pallets, veneer, medium density fiberboard and plastic. According to RTI, products are field tested, with results showing a performance capacity higher than many competitors and a return on investment of less than two years. Aside from manufacturing vertical grinders, the company offers turnkey services to locate outlets for chip waste in a customer’s area. " When we sell a grinder to a company, as an added service we also help them to find customers for their recycled material," Mullis says. The grinders operate at a low-speed 120 rpms and a high torque of 30,000 foot-pounds per inch. The grinders have a noise level from 80 to 85 decibels. The rotor contains a series of 1-3/4-inch by 11-inch solid steel discs with three knife holders. Rotor knives made from A2 tool steel are indexable six times and can be rotated 180 degrees.

BIOMASS FURNACE INSTALLED

Pondview Recycling of East Providence, R.I., is now heating a 20,000 square foot maintenance building with clean wood picked from its C&D recycling plant and transfer station.

While most of the wood is made into boiler fuel and shipped to customers out of state, a portion of the stream is being diverted to provide affordable heat to the company’s building. Pondview has a 36-inch Shop Heater made by Biomass Combustion Systems, Princeton, Mass.

"It has worked out really well for us," says Ken Foley, Pondview’s owner and president. "We used to heat the whole building with gas and then went to propane space heaters when the price of gas increased. We are handling the wood anyway, and my workers have an incentive to load the burner. We think it will pay for itself in about two years and my people are warmer and happier."

Biomass Combustion has been making boiler systems for manufacturers who are near clean wood sources for 15 years.