Recycling equipment offers new features and solutions

A major supplier to the recycling sector, Terberg Matec UK, made an impact at this year's CIWM exhibition at Torbay with two new developments - a series of improvements on the "Kerbsider" and the new Omni-DEL automatic bin lifter.


Over the past few years the Terberg Matec “Kerbsider” has become an established system for the efficient collection of recyclable materials from householders.
The company has recently introduced a raft of improvements offering 15 key new features for 2004.

The Kerbsider non- compacting body system is essentially surprisingly simple in operation. Dry recyclables such as clear and coloured glass, paper, drink cans, plastics and textiles are placed into special boxes distributed to householders which are then left near the kerbside on the day of collection. Each fraction is hand sorted at the roadside into an individually separated high-capacity pannier trough mounted on a single lifting mechanism running along the full nearside length of the Kerbsider body.

Terberg Matec UK can also supply special clamps for the lifter mechanism to accommodate conventional 240- litre wheeled bins. Material is lifted and emptied through the opening roof of the body into designated compartments. The lifting mechanism has dual-speed for greater control and safety.

Upon return to the recycling centre, the chambers are opened individually and the body tipped, enabling each fraction to be unloaded in a controlled manner reducing the need for secondary hand sorting. The tipping mechanism is located in an under floor position further enhancing internal volumes. This now has a faster “body lower” feature to reduce tipping cycle times. Control of both rear and internal door lock release, and tipping sequences, is carried out safely from within the driver’s cab.

Kerbsider bodies can be supplied in capacities from 17 to 33 m3, with up to six internal compartments, and a powered self-locking rear door. Narrow track and compact options are also available. Adjustable divider walls allow compartment volume ratios to be adjusted to meet local needs.

Individual power-operated locks have a quick visual facility to verify internal door position and lock status. These keep the internal doors securely closed during collection rounds and are released for tipping. A personnel access door to the body interior is also provided for maintenance and cleaning.

Kerbsider is backed by a three-year warranty. A comprehensive operating and parts manual is also supplied, together with unrivalled after sales support.
Visitors to the Torbay event had the opportunity to see the new Omni-DEL automatic bin lifter which has been introduced to meet specific market needs. Right from the start, Terberg Matec UK says it has recognised the importance of talking to customers and their staff at the development stage to establish precisely the features required in the final product. The result is a bin lifter possessing all the features of the well tried and tested TCA-DEL range, with the added advantages of lower weight and greater flexibility than ever.

Makingthe most of maximum permissible vehicle payloads has been a big issue with many public and private sector operators.
To this end, Terberg Matec UK has brought to bear not just engineering but also the latest lightweight materials such as carbon fibre. Omni-DEL is a DIN frame bin lift with an all-up weight of 585 kg, which Terberg Matec UK says makes it one of the lightest available in its field.

Omni-DEL is constructed to accommodate the easy fitting of load cells for dynamic weighing, without any loss of engineering integrity or compromising the fast cycle time of 7.5 seconds. Suitability for dynamic weighing is further enhanced by Terberg’s hydraulic system, which was pioneered on the TCA-OEL lifter. This is stated to deliver a smooth cycle, commencing with a damped soft lift, reducing bin-bump and operator fatigue. Variable chassis ride heights arising as a consequence of air suspension or fitting underbody load cells are catered for by greater mounting flexibility between 1,160mm and 1,240mm.

As with other models in the TCA range, this new lifter is a fully automatic split design capable of handling two-wheeled bins, from 120 litres up to 360 litres capacity, simultaneously on either of the two independent chairs.

Recycling problem solved

Terberg Matec UK points out that the introduction of recycling initiatives in many local authority areas with fortnightly collection periods, combined with the more common use of 140 litre containers, has seen a trend for householders to cram as much material as possible into their bins making them difficult to empty.

The company says it has addressed this problem by incorporating a tip angle of 50° on the Omni-DEL, ensuring that bins can be emptied effectively with minimal bin shaking. Both chairs can be hydraulically linked transforming them into a single lift for trade waste collection of four-wheeled containers with capacities between 660 litres and 1,280 litres with a cycling time of 10 seconds.

One of the demands from customers was that the new lifter should not only be capable of allowing easy hand loading but also retain a hopper plate which, when closed, provides substantial hopper volume. The geometry of the Omni-DEL achieves both of these objectives, with a hand loading height of 1,200mm and a closed hopper plate height of 1,500mm.

Conscious of the importance of reliability in influencing whole life costs and the quality of maintenance carried out, to make service and maintenance even less complicated, Terberg Matec UK has introduced “composite” bushes and bearings, which eliminate the need for weekly greasing.

The company reports that field trials equivalent to a typical five years life, or the equivalent of 1,700,000 bin lift cycles, have proved the reliability of this material. The manufacturer is backing the Omni-DEL with a full five-year unreserved warranty.

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe