Both feature engines that meet EPA Final Tier 4 requirements without a diesel particulate filter.
LBX Co. of Lexington, Kentucky, has introduced the new Link-Belt 250 X4 Material Handler (MH) and 250 X4 Scrap Loader/Handler (SL) for the U.S. and Canada. Both feature an electronically controlled 177-horsepower Isuzu engine that meets EPA Final Tier 4 requirements without the need for a diesel particulate filter (DPF).
The 250 X4 MH and 250 X4 SL are built for material handling and demolition applications, featuring a two-piece attachment with hose burst check valves. The MH configuration has a curved boom and straight arm, while the SL has a straight boom and droop-nose arm. The hydraulics package features Spool Stroke Control (SSC) technology designed to achieve maximum control and productivity.
Preset hydraulic motor and pump for a 15-kilowatt, hydraulically driven generator with a controller installation mount comes standard on the 250 X4 SL.
“The new hydraulics package delivers up to 7 percent faster cycle times than its predecessor,” says LBX Product Manager Adam Woods in a press release. “This performance increase is largely due to a new proprietary control valve with a 30 percent larger hydraulic passage area. But we didn’t stop there. We increased the size of arm, boom and auxiliary spools to reduce pressure loss and distribute oil more smoothly. Two electrically controlled Kawasaki pumps and one Kawasaki gear pump assure that hydraulic flow gets delivered precisely when and where it’s needed. The end result is more smoothness, maneuverability and precision across all operating modes.
“All of these performance enhancements don’t compromise fuel efficiency, either,” Woods continues. “A 3 percent DEF consumption rate, combined with a large DEF tank, gives it the longest DEF refill interval in the industry.”
The X4 cab features a standard air suspension seat with +/- 5-degree tilt. Armrests move proportionally with the console, which means that the distance and angle between joysticks and operator remain the same no matter how the seat is adjusted. Full bar guard, hinged bar guard and mesh guarding packages are available.
The hydraulic cab riser features an operator view of 16 feet 10 inches at eye level height. A new in-line drift valve and shockless cab riser are designed to improve operator comfort and control.
A 7-inch LCD color monitor allows the operator to easily navigate a full menu of user-friendly controls to take full command of the excavator and attachments. The standard rear-view camera is accessible through the monitor, displaying a panoramic view of the worksite from the rear of the machine, with sight guidelines that can be turned on or off by the operator. Rear and side lights can also be added to the camera system. An under-cab camera option provides all-around visibility and safety.
For more visibility, the Wide Angle Visual Enhancement System (WAVES) can be added. “WAVES is an exclusive, award-winning feature for Link-Belt X4 material handlers and scrap loaders,” Woods says. “The system is easy to use and includes three closed-circuit, high-resolution cameras that provide a seamless 270-degree viewing envelope with no blind spots.”
Other notable cab features include dual LED cab lights; a cup holder and storage areas for cell phones and other small items; newly designed joysticks with easy-to-hold grip and radio mute buttons; and an MP3 audio input with Bluetooth capabilities for hands-free communication.
RemoteCARE GPS telematics system allows round-the-clock remote monitoring and security. The system allows daily fuel economy and machine performance tracking with ease. If potential failure conditions arise, flashing diagnostic codes on the monitor quickly alert the operator to potential trouble and an e-mail alert is automatically sent. The system also provides machine location in real time for better job supervision and remote security monitoring. A lifetime subscription is included at no extra charge.
Both machines feature a heavy-duty high-wide undercarriage, oversized turntable and larger drive motors. As with all Link-Belt products, the bearing tub extends down through the top plate of the x-pattern car body and is welded to the bottom and top plates of the car body for strength and durability.
Both models also feature ground-level access to all routine service points, including sample ports for engine and hydraulic oil. All service ports are easily accessed via hand-turn knobs.
The facility expects to reach full operations early in the second quarter of 2019.
Operations are officially underway at the nation’s first High Efficiency Biological Treatment (HeBioT) renewable resource recovery facility in Martinsburg, West Virginia.
BioHiTech Global Inc., a waste management technology and services company based in Chestnut Ridge, New York, says it has begun the second phase of plant commissioning and progressing operations at its HEBioT facility. The second phase includes receiving limited amounts of waste and beginning runs of the facility’s patented mechanical biological treatment (MBT) technology called HEBioT for producing an EPA-recognized solid recovered fuel (SRF).
The limited processing runs are expected to result in the production of SRF in the coming weeks, with the facility reaching full operations early in the second quarter of 2019.
BioHiTech recently completed the first phase of plant commissioning, including the facility's reception area, overhead bridge cranes and its primary mechanical sorting equipment.
The Martinsburg HEBioT facility is expected to generate $7 million of high margin revenue annually while diverting as much as 80 percent of the waste that enters the facility from landfills, BioHiTech says.
"The initiation of revenue generating operations at this first facility of its kind in the United States is a pivotal moment for our company and an important step forward in the movement to lessen the environmental impact of waste management,” says Frank Celli, the CEO of BioHiTech Global, in a press release. “This flagship facility will add significant high margin revenue and will serve as a model for how BioHiTech can cost-effectively create positive environmental change throughout the United States. By bringing this facility across the finish line, we are now at the starting line for sustainable long-term revenue growth with a roadmap to build significant value for our stockholders."
The majority of the waste, which will be delivered as feedstock to the facility, is covered under a 10-year put-or-pay agreement with local waste hauler Apple Valley Waste, based in Kearneysville, West Virginia. The hauler is owned by Gold Medal Group, a regional waste management services company based in Deptford, New Jersey, which is backed by Kinderhook Industries.
The facility will use its HEBioT solid waste processing technology, which has been successfully deployed at seven facilities located throughout Europe to process more than 1 million tons of solid waste per year. Entsorga Italia, S.p.A., Tortona, Italy, developed the technology, which BioHiTech controls the exclusive U.S. development rights for in 11 northeastern states and the District of Columbia. BioHiTech says the HEBioT process recovers almost 80 percent of municipal solid waste by integrating Entsorga USA Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) sorting equipment with patented MBT technologies into a dedicated, fully enclosed processing facility.
The HeBioT process has four basic steps: reception, pre-screening, biological treatment and refining. Once the material is tipped into an indoor aerated reception pit, the process of moving through the plant is fully automated, with no waste being exposed to the outside environment and no workers in direct contact with the waste processing. Instead, they work from an operator room and monitor the process as overhead cranes handle the rest.
Cranes grab the waste and place it onto conveyors, where it passes through a fast rotary screener and is channeled into two flows. The materials that pass through the mesh screen are small enough to continue in the process, while those that don’t are considered oversized. The larger material is removed and saved to be reintroduced during the final phase of the process.
Cranes then move the smaller waste to the biostabilization area and place it in batches on top of floors with a ventilation system. Air is drawn through the floor to support the waste with oxygen. The process takes about seven to 10 days. From there, the material moves on to the mechanical refinement section of the facility, where the oversized materials are reintroduced and recyclable materials are removed. Anything that can’t be used to make SRF is either recycled or disposed in a landfill. Once the unusable materials are removed, the material is ground up into SRF, which is a shredded mixture than can range in texture.
All of the SRF that the Martinsburg facility produces is subject to a 10-year take-or-pay agreement with Alpharetta, Georgia-based Argos USA LLC, one the largest producers of Portland cement in the U.S. Argos will utilize the SRF as a partial replacement for coal used in the cement manufacturing process.
BioHiTech is the largest owner of the Martinsburg facility through a majority-owned subsidiary company with a 78 percent controlling interest in its operations. Gold Medal Group owns the remaining minority stake in the subsidiary.
"We are excited to be a part of this important project which marks the beginning of positive change in the way we can manage waste in this country. The Martinsburg facility will allow Gold Medal to divert over 60,000 tons of the municipal solid waste we collect in the area from landfills annually at no additional cost to those residential and businesses customers we service,” says Mike Schmidt, the executive vice president of Gold Medal Group. “This landfill diversion, as well as the creation of a renewable fuel that can be used locally, helps to solve two environmental problems while serving as a model that BioHiTech and Gold Medal can replicate throughout our current business footprint. We look forward to working together with BioHiTech to roll out this technology in the US and reduce the burden that waste generation has on our environment."
BioHiTech is currently seeking final approvals for another HEBioT facility in Rensselaer, New York. A more detailed description of the HEBioT solid waste processing technology is available in the video below.
C&D World and Demolition Rockies will offer learning opportunities on opposite ends of the country this year.
Whether the chilly weather has you pining for an escape to a spectacular mountain range or a city of lights, two of the construction and demolition industry’s largest professional conventions this spring have you covered.
Straddling opposite ends of the country this year, Construction and Demolition Recycling Association’s (CDRA’s) C&D World and National Demolition Association’s (NDA’s) Demolition Rockies will once again offer weekends filled with exhibitors, tours, demonstrations, educational sessions and professional networking opportunities. The 26th annual C&D World will take place March 9-12 in Brooklyn, New York, at the New York Marriott near the Brooklyn Bridge. Just a few weeks later, demolition buzz will continue at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in Aurora, Colorado, during Demolition Rockies March 22-25.
While both conventions cover the C&D space, their distinct locations and schedules are sure to offer diverse experiences for industry participants.
The first stop in the Big Apple will provide not only information about construction and demolition recycling, but also a closer look into some of the country’s most innovative initiatives currently underway in NYC, from using recycled glass in concrete structural applications to developing techniques that bring processed gypsum back into wallboard manufacturing plants. Paul Kuhar, the CDRA convention committee chair and vice president of Dallas-based Champion Waste & Recycling Services, says those initiatives, among others, are what attracted CDRA to the city this year.
“New York City is pushing the envelope on C&D recycling with several innovative projects going on,” Kuhar says.
A select number of attendees will get the chance to see some of those initiatives in action in some of the city’s premier C&D recycling facilities during the conference. For $200, up to 40 people can attend a tour of Cooper Recycling, the largest construction and demolition debris recycling facility in NYC, according to its website. With more than one mile of conveyor belts connecting over 100 pieces of machinery, the facility’s new sorting line is designed to process 2,000 tons per day and recycle 95 percent of incoming material.
If material recovery facilities (MRF) are of more interest, up to 40 people can choose instead to tour Sims Municipal Recycling’s MRF for $150. The facility opened in December 2013 and processes the majority of NYC’s commingled curbside material. Situated on an 11-acre pier, the MRF is the largest plant for commingled residential recyclables in North America, according to its website.
During information sessions spread over two days, C&D World will focus primarily on general business themes in the broader scope of today’s trends and challenges in the industry. Forums will touch on the industry’s evolving technology and provide an economic forecast for 2019. Meanwhile, breakout sessions will touch on more focused topics, from concrete recycling and biochar to gypsum recycling and material beneficial reuse. Speakers, such as Jim Schug of the Fails Management Institute and Dave Coe of Hiring Veterans, will also touch on some of the industries’ largest challenges, like labor force retention and diversification.
“Diversification for businesses is important for long-term survival, and we will have presentations from two members of the Sheehan family, which heads an English recycling company that has at least a dozen enterprises that are sometimes vertically linked to each other,” Kuhar says. “C&D World has always been more focused on providing quality education than anything else.”
Along with scheduled sessions, nearly 40 exhibitors will be at the conference throughout the weekend for the anticipated 300 attendees to check out. An awards presentation will kick off the day March 11, honoring individuals in C&D recycling who have made significant contributions to the industry in several categories. CDRA’s annual fundraiser later that night will offer at least one bout of brews before the conference ends, along with networking opportunities with industry leaders and experts, at Circa Brewery.
A few short weeks after C&D World wraps up, Demolition Rockies will kick off at the Gaylord Rockies Resort with some returning offerings mixed in with new features for the anticipated 1,000 demolition professionals in attendance.
“We were looking to bring the convention to the central region of the United States to accommodate our attendees. The Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center opened doors this December. Being new, the resort offers state-of-the-art accommodations and a large exhibit space ideal for our expo,” says NDA Executive Director Jeff Lambert. “In addition, the resort is very family-friendly, offering on-site dining options, trails and games for kids to explore, as well as many local attractions.”
The weekend will kick off with an education opportunity new to the expo this year. On the first day of the conference, NDA will host its final course in its new Foundations of Demolition Management series, which will culminate in a certificate of Demolition Management for those who participated in all courses. The next day will provide a more hands-on experience as NDA hosts its second Live DEMOlition event, where over a dozen manufacturers will display and demonstrate a variety of tools, including excavators, shears, robotics, material handlers, concrete breakers, hammers and hand tools.
“This event was a great success last year, and we are planning for even more opportunities for attendees to experience the latest equipment supporting job sites,” Lambert says. “New this year, we will be hosting a competition where attendees can test their skills and abilities against others on a skid steer, mini-excavator and a remote-control demolition machine.”
That night, NDA will debut another first for the conference: a Texas Hold’em tournament, where participants will receive $500 worth of chips for various card and casino games, and finalists have a chance to win several prizes, including a trip to Cancun. All proceeds will support the 2019 scholarship fund for aspiring demo professionals. Other recreational events planned for the expo include a family-friendly carnival on March 24 and then the annual NDA Banquet and Gala on the final night.
Along with NDA’s returning “Fast and Furious” 15-minute education sessions focused on a variety of industry topics, the conference will also feature a keynote speech from Charlie Morecraft, who will speak on the safety lessons he learned after an explosion on the job burned over 45 percent of his body. There will also be two panel discussions with engineering firms and large power company representatives to discuss upcoming projects, plant closures and ways attendees can become prequalified for their work.
“From a professional development standpoint, we believe our sessions with the engineering firms and power company representatives will truly be a benefit for our attendees. As many coal plants begin to close across the country, these sessions create a unique opportunity for attendees to ask questions and understand best practices for bidding on jobs,” Lambert says.
When attendees aren’t learning from info sessions, they can browse through the expo hall, which will be filled with about 90 vendors, including suppliers of excavators, wheel loaders, rotators, drills, hydraulic products and more.
“Demolition Rockies truly is a family affair. From our choice of location to social events, we always keep families in mind,” Lambert says, adding that the demo event and carnival will feature activities for children as well. “NDA recognizes that the demolition industry is often family-focused. We look for ways to support the families of our member organizations, whether it is through our annual convention or scholarship investment in their future.”
The author is the assistant editor for Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine and can be contacted at tcottom@gie.net.
The machine is made for land-clearing companies, construction companies, pipeline contractors and electric utility contractors.
Morbark LLC, Wooster, Ohio, announced the release of its Rayco T415 Forestry Machine. The Rayco T415 Forestry Machine allows customers to change between a Predator forestry mower/mulcher head and a Hydra Stumper stump cutter attachment for increased versatility. The machine is ideal for land-clearing companies, construction companies, pipeline contractors, electric utility contractors, and real estate developers, the company says. “The T415 Forestry Machine is designed for large-scale land-clearing contractors,” J.R. Bowling, mulcher specialist at Rayco Manufacturing, says. “It’s a lot of cutting power in a very nimble package.” Powered by a 415-horsepower CAT C9.3B Diesel Tier 4 Final engine, the T415 boasts a closed-loop hydrostatic system to power the mulcher or cutter head, sending 140 gallons per minute to the attachment’s drive motor. The hydraulic output is power-optimized to match the engine’s power curve, keeping the mulcher/stumper RPM constant even under load for a finer mulched product with fewer passes, the company says. As the engine RPM pulls down under load, pump displacement increases to maintain the 140 gpm flow. For mowing/mulching applications, the Predator mulcher head has a 91.25 inch cutting width and is powered by a pair of variable displacement drive motors. The Predator mulcher head is equipped with 49 single-bolt teeth, including end teeth with extra carbide. The mulching head also has a synchronous drive belt for low maintenance and long wear life, as well as slotted mounting lugs to follow terrain with minimal machine stress. A manually adjustable tree catcher and hydraulic debris flap is standard equipment. The Hydra Stumper head muscles through stumps with its 48-inch-diameter by 3-inch-thick cutter wheel equipped with 56 Monster Tooth cutter tools. The cutting range is 9 feet wide, approximately 9 feet high and 46 inches deep. “The T415 packs a great deal of power and versatility to efficiently clear vegetation,” Bowling says. “Our customers are going to be impressed by how efficiently this machine mulches even tough plant species in a one-pass mowing situation.” Rayco’s patented elevated cooling design places engine radiators in both the rear of the engine compartment and in the limb riser for maximum cooling, including in areas with high ambient temperatures and a considerable amount of airborne debris. Debris screens trap airborne chaff before it can plug radiator fins. These screens are easily removable without tools for cleaning. Reversing fans also clear debris screens on-command, extending service intervals. Other features include Rayco’s exclusive track tensioning system with monitor, which alerts the operator to over-tension situations and provides easier access to track tension grease fittings; hydraulic tilt cab to access pumps and other components easily; and the heavy-duty 35,000 lbs hydraulic rear winch.
The technology breaks down polyester-based products into their polymer building blocks.
Leading specialty materials company Eastman, Kingsport, Tennessee, has announced that it will pursue the launch of circular recycling technology that uses polyester scrap that cannot be recycled using mechanical methods currently available. Using the process of methanolysis, Eastman says its technology breaks down polyester-based products into their polymer building blocks, which can be reintroduced to produce new polyester-based polymers.
In a news release announcing the launch, Eastman says it has more than three decades of expertise in methanolysis, making the company “uniquely qualified to be a leader in delivering this solution at commercial scale.”
The technology enables the recycling of low-quality polyester, or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), scrap that would typically be diverted to landfills into high-quality polyesters suitable for use in a variety of end markets, including food-contact applications, according to the company.
“We recognize that plastic waste is a complex problem that needs advanced solutions. As we have engaged potential partners, it is clear there is high interest across the entire value chain,” says Mark Costa, Eastman board chair and chief executive officer. “Our long history of technical expertise in chemical processes, including methanolysis, and our leading position in copolyester chemistry, enables us to provide this innovative solution to address the growing challenges of plastic waste in our environment.”
Eastman says it is executing an engineering feasibility study on the design and construction of a commercial scale methanolysis facility to meet its customers’ demands and has engaged in initial discussions with potential partners across the value chain regarding the development of such a facility. The company’s goal is to be operating a full-scale, circular recycling facility within 24 to 36 months.
The company says its efforts to find new end-of-life solutions to advance the circular economy align with its “innovation-driven growth strategy and commitment to create value through sustainability.”
“We believe we have an obligation to enhance the quality of life in a material way,” says David Golden, senior vice president, chief legal and sustainability officer and corporate secretary for Eastman. “As the desire grows for products that have a sustainable life cycle, Eastman continues to build on its heritage of world-class technology platforms and product innovation to offer solutions at the molecular level. Today, more than ever, the world needs innovation, and Eastman is excited about the possibilities we can achieve by working along the value chain, across industry sectors and with community partners to expand our efforts and make the greatest collective impact.”
For more information, visit www.eastman.com/Circular-Economy.