Loading High Volume

Wheel loaders have found a place at high-volume scrap and recycling facilities.

Wheel loaders are most commonly associated with construction and other dirt-moving applications. But if the mountains of scrap are large enough, a wheel loader may be the ideal machine to work within the scrap environment.

Large volume scrap yards—most often those dealing in ferrous scrap—have found wheel loaders useful in moving materials or even in performing tasks frequently accomplished using less mobile equipment such as cranes or converted excavators.

They also mark a step up from skid steer loaders when volume considerations dictate a larger and more powerful machine.

Piles of Paper and Mountains of Scrap

The recyclable commodities accumulated in sufficient volumes to merit the use of a wheel loader are most often ferrous scrap and scrap paper.

Larger paper stock dealers and larger, regional MRFs may have enough scrap paper inventory on site to make purchasing and operating a wheel loader worthwhile. Even compact wheel loaders can carry a larger bucket than a skid steer, meaning incoming material can be moved to a processing area faster, or even loaded onto a conveyor. MRF operators who also handle solid waste typically have wheel loaders on hand as part of their solid waste operations.

In the scrap metals segment, processors must move a significant volume of scrap on a consistent basis before the wheel loader becomes an option. But that level is reached at many yards. "Skid steers are okay for small items, but when you start talking the sheet iron and the clips, we want to move mass, and that takes a wheel loader," says Tony Benacquisto, executive vice president at Ferrous Processing & Trading Co., Detroit.

Benacquisto estimates that his company owns and operates 14 Caterpillar and Dresser wheel loaders at its various sites, engaged in tasks such as "loading trucks with finished frag and pushing up clips at balers and shredder sites."

Don R. Smith, sales and marketing consultant with Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill., notes that "wheel loaders are called upon to load out fluff" at shredder operations. According to Smith and Caterpillar Inc. facility business manager Bob McHose, some processors use different attachments to allow wheel loaders to handle varying tasks.

"They are often used with forks for handling junk automobiles," says McHose. "With a top clamp, they can handle several flattened autos in each load."

Many processors opt for wheeled, tracked, or even pedestal-mounted cranes to perform larger tasks such as loading ferrous scrap into rail cars or feeding large pieces of equipment such as shredders, ferrous balers and shears.

Those seeking a little more mobility, however, will often opt for a wheel loader. Royal Green, Temple, Pa., is a predominantly ferrous scrap processor operating two Newell Industries auto shredders and a thousand-ton Logemann Brothers Co. shear. Among the pieces of equipment handling the shred produced by the larger 98" x 104" Newell shredder is a Komatsu WA500-3 Avance Wheel Loader.

"We replaced an older loader that had a 4-1/2-yard bucket capacity with the WA500-3, which has a seven-yard capacity," remarks Julius Simon, chairman of Royal Green. "We installed the larger of our two [shredder] mills to increase our production. Consequently, we needed more productive equipment to support it."

The new Royal Green wheel loader spends a typical day scooping up the ferrous shred produced by the Newell auto shredder and loading it into rail cars. "The WA500-3 has enabled us to load the cars in half the time," notes Jim Clark, Royal Green vice president and manager of operations. "Each rail car carries 100 tons of material, and we ship 30 to 40 rail cars per week. Cutting the load time in half saves us not only time and money, but makes sure we can keep up with the increased demand for product," he adds.

Processors and operations managers shopping for wheel loaders engaged in filling rail cars have to make sure the model has the ability to reach and unload at that height. "We had to factor in that the rail cars we load are up to 13 feet high," notes Clark. "The standard tipping height of the WA500-3 allows us to easily load the cars," he adds.

Wheel loaders are also beginning to find homes at steel mills. "The steel mills for years have not paid proper attention to the possible benefits of mobile equipment," says Jerry Bruce of Railcrane Corp., Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Bruce serves on a subcommittee of the Association of Iron and Steel Engineers, Pittsburgh, that is examining best practices and potential uses of mobile equipment such as wheeled and tracked excavators and wheel loaders at steel mills. "Mills are becoming far more aware of the technology," he notes.

Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill., has begun to market its wheel loaders to the steel industry as well as the scrap industry. "On the steel mill side, Caterpillar has special configurations that handle hot slag," says Bob McHose, a Caterpillar facility business manager.

Toughness Tops the List

Caterpillar, like many equipment makers, offers options that improve the durability and protection systems of the machines they sell into the scrap environment. "We have wheel loader arrangements with special guarding and cooling designed to prevent downtime. Examples would be special axle guards which will cut wire or string that gets wrapped around the axle and would otherwise work its way into the seals. There are also special guards that seal up the compartments on the machine to prevent fluff from getting in and landing on hot surfaces," says McHose.

Another feature that is attractive to processors looking at wheel loaders involves dealing with the often dusty environment of scrap metal yards. "Caterpillar wheel loaders also have optional anti-plugging, easy-clean radiators as part of the scrap handler arrangements, which makes the radiator less likely to plug and easier to clean," says Smith. "The design provides enough air flow to ensure proper cooling and makes use of special fin spacing and design to minimize plugging. These types of options prevent a lot of downtime, so they’re worth it," he remarks.

When the ferrous markets are sufficient, Royal Green operates its Komatsu wheel loader ten hours a day, six days a week, testing the machine’s ability to withstand rugged operating conditions. "We haven’t had any problems with the wheel loader. It has been very reliable," notes Clark.

"I believe when you think of the scrap market, you think of tough applications," says Lee Haak, product manager, Komatsu America International Co., Vernon Hills, Ill. "Durability and long-life features are built into the machine. We’ve got a double-Timken hinge pin—it’s the toughest in the industry. We’ve also got some reserve cooling capacity, in case the loader is working around a shredder. The lights are guarded to keep them from damage."

Benacquisto of Ferrous Processing & Trading Co. believes it behooves processors to consider buying equipment that provides more lift capacity than they may think is necessary. As part of his role with FP&T, Benacquisto has traveled to Europe to observe equipment in action there, and of course has also operated equipment and supervised operations in the U.S.

He has noticed a clear difference between the way Europeans tend to operate their equipment and the way North Americans operate theirs. "I’ve noticed that in Europe, workers are very reluctant to exceed the rated load limits. American workers will almost always push them a little further," he says.

A typical European worker will be careful not to attempt to lift more than the 10,000 pounds suggested as the maximum for a machine, and may well report a co-worker who attempts to go over the limit. A typical American worker, says Benacquisto, will notice that his machine rated for 10,000 pounds just lifted 11,000. He then figures he might as well try for 12,000, and will continue until it’s clear he has hit an actual ceiling. "That’s why we buy for more than we might need," Benacquisto remarks.

Taking Care of the Driver

Many manufacturers have taken steps to make sure the machine itself can endure in the rugged scrap environment. Fortunately, they are also addressing the work environment for the loader operators.

John Deere Construction Equipment Co., Davenport, Iowa, touts the operator benefits of its new 644H four-wheel-drive loader and 644H MH material handler. "The operator’s station has been designed with comfort in mind," a Deere news release states. "The cab is wider, longer, quieter, quieter cooler, due to increased air conditioning capacity with more, strategically placed vents. The seat can be shifted further away from the dash for more leg room, and more personal storage is available around the seat."

Beyond comfort, visibility and other factors affecting operator-related performance are also increasingly being taken into consideration.

Deere notes that its two new models have 13% more glass surface area than their predecessors, thus increasing visibility. Manufacturers continue to change dashboard controls and monitors to make them easier and more convenient to use.

Any reduction in bone-jarring vibrations is also appreciated by operators. At scrap sites, wheel loaders outfitted with solid tires are almost a necessity. While the solid tires have accomplished the amazing feat of nearly eliminating tire-related downtime on wheel loaders equipped with them, they have also been criticized for providing a cushionless, bumpy ride for machine operators.

SETCO Solid Tire & Rim Assembly, Idabel, Okla., has taken steps to address that concern with its line of ‘Soft Ride’ tires. According to SETCO president Buck Hill, the Soft Ride tires have a soft inner core that produces a shock-absorber effect for the vehicle and its driver. "It provides greater comfort to the vehicle operator and means less wear and tear on the vehicle," says Hill.

Buckets Built for the Task

The mental picture drawn of a wheel loader is probably similar in most people’s minds, including a standard-shaped bucket. But, as with other machines, an assortment of attachments can now be purchased to allow wheel loaders to perform many tasks.

Caterpillar Inc. offers two dozen attachments that can be ordered for its line of compact wheel loaders and its mini-excavators. Among those that can be fitted on Caterpillar 902, 906 and 908 wheel loaders are a bucket with high dump option and one with a right-side dump option. Caterpillar also offers teeth and a solid cutting edge that can be bolted on to a bucket, as well angle brooms and a pick-up sweeper unit that can be attached.

The versatility now available in wheel loaders can only help them increase their presence at scrap and recycling facilities.

The author is editor of Recycling Today.

Sidebar #1:

Loaders Find Their Way onto Sites

Most recyclers don’t own a fleet of wheel loaders, but quite a few have found the need to purchase one of the heavy-duty lift-and-load machines.

In a 1997 survey conducted by Recycling Today, more than half of the 120 scrap and recycling facility operators surveyed owned one or more wheel loaders. More than half of those owned just one, while another 40% owned between two and five of the machines. Just 5% of the recycling industry wheel loader owners operated six or more of the machines.

Results indicated that demand existed for more loaders however. Slightly more than 10% of those surveyed reported plans to shop for a new wheel loader, while another 6% planned to look for a pre-owned loader.

Caterpillar was the leading brand of wheel loader owned by recyclers, followed by Case Corp. and John Deere. Other wheel loader brands present in the market included Waldon, Komatsu, Volvo, Kubota, and JCB.

Which characteristics were most highly valued by equipment buyers? Durability topped the list, followed closely by ease of maintenance and price. Other virtues receiving a number of votes included presence/quality of local distributor, availability of models, product features, ease of operation, and warranty.

Very few processors reported sticking to a regular schedule when it comes to replacing their equipment, but those that did replaced their wheel loaders every five years after logging from 10,000 to 12,000 operating hours.

Sidebar #2:

The Track Option and Other Hybrids

A close cousin of the wheel loader that occasionally finds its way on the scrap yard is the track loader.

Says Kenneth Nabergall of Caterpillar Inc., "Cat track loaders are well suited to handling scrap. The steel track undercarriage provides a durable, stable platform and the hydrostatic drive system gives them exceptional maneuverability." Nabergall cites a multi-purpose bucket as the primary attachment that goes along with the track loader. "A popular option is the MP (multi-purpose) bucket that allows the operator to pick up, load, and carry scrap steel."

Track loaders may be more commonly found at the scrap destination sites. "Another use of the Cat track loader in steel recycling is in the steel mill itself, where these machines handle the slag from the steel making process," says Nabergall. "The steel slag that comes from the furnace has a high iron content, so the track loaders load the slag into trucks or vessels for recycling."

The Caterpillar 953C track loader is a heavy machine that can carry a large load. In a still position, the machine can lift and tip nearly 22,000 pounds of material.

A machine designed primarily for the construction industry that occasionally sees action in the recycling arena is the telescopic handler. This wheel-mounted machine is often equipped with forks but can also use a bucket attachment. The DL Series by Gehl Inc., West Bend, Wisc., includes a model that can reach heights of up to 44 feet.

Caterpillar and Case Corp., Racine, Wisc., are among the other equipment companies making telescopic handlers. Case offers a range of attachments that can be used with its 686G and 686G-XR models, including truss booms, forks, buckets and grapples.

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November 1998
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