Innovative corrugated board disposal by Höcker Polytechnik
Innovative corrugated board disposal by Höcker Polytechnik
Within less than two years, the town of Bad Wörishofen, Germany, has seen the development of the most modern and efficient corrugated board production and logistics facilities in Europe. In its newly constructed industrial park, the TRICOR Packaging & Logistics AG focuses on state-of-the-art production technologies. The production lines, the equipment for the disposal of corrugated board waste, and the dust extraction system were carefully planned and matched with each other in order to achieve optimum results.
Höcker Polytechnik GmbH from in the town of Hilter, Germany, was the sole partner for the corrugated board and dust disposal undertaking. The expert team from Bad Wörishofen contributed their extraction and filter technology know-how obtained through multiple turnkey projects provided for the corrugated board industry. In close cooperation with their customers, Tricor AG and the machine manufacturers, an integrated waste disposal concept was developed that could operate under full load of all production facilities continuously and reliably. Around the clock, seven days a week.
A contact point for the entire waste disposal process
Concentrating the technical know-how made the planning and the successful implementation easier. During the planning phases Mr. Karl-Heinz Plogmann and his Höcker Polytechnik team provided Tricor AG with the necessary support and acted as expert contact for any waste disposal questions. Thus, coordination problems were eliminated.
This method has proven itself on a daily basis for several months. Dust is removed from all machines in a reliable manner. Underground conveyor systems transport the chads away safely. Margin edges are removed, shredded, and pneumatically transported away at high production speeds. Cardboard sheets and cardboard tubes are recycled and transported safely. Last but not least, the waste materials are pressed into large balls inside an automated disposal and recycling centre. By using two briquetting presses, the dust extracted from the corrugated board is cleanly and safely processed into briquettes. Höcker Polytechnik has the technical expertise to find the right solution on how to dispose waste accumulating in the corrugated board area. In most cases, Höcker Polytechnik uses its production depth in order to manufacture the equipment in-house.
Dust is attacked from all fronts.
In Bad Wörishofen, dust is fought systematically to ensure that a clean working environment and a high degree of production quality at a premium level are a matter of course. Two MultiStar filter systems with integrated sliding floors extract the accumulating dust from all production machines and from the conveying air of the corrugated board plant. Both filter systems (1.100 m2/350 m2) operate at a low noise level, they were tested for pressure surges and integrated into the factory halls, using the least possible space requirements. Depending on the differential pressure, compressed air is used to regenerate the filter bags in an energy-saving manner.
The dust is extracted at vacuum conditions, using the clean air fans that are integrated into the filter attachment module. This guarantees a high degree of efficiency. A cascade control architecture and regulation of the fans’ speed saves energy and adjusts the air quantity automatically. A return air duct equipped with residual dust sensor returns the purified air to the production facilities; thus reducing heating costs. Two BrikStar briquetting systems compress the filtered dust to high-strength briquettes.
Reliable solution on how to dispose margin edges
In order to extract the incidental margin edges, a solution was developed that includes shredding fans and the pneumatic transport through pipelines. Shredder fans are used to comminute the margin edges, which are subsequently transported via a pipeline system to the PMA material separator. Here, the dust and cardboard are separated. The latter is fed into the ball press machine for recycling purposes.
More than 250 m of underground conveyor belts
A waste disposal highway is located underneath the production lines. A conveyor belt system, measuring 130 m long and a belt width of 140 cm, runs below the corrugated board processing machines. Smaller conveyor belts transport cross-cutting waste of the corrugated board systems and peeled materials to the main conveyor belt. More than 250 m of conveyor belts traverse the factory underground. An online weighing system provides continuous information about the accumulating waste during the production and processing. This ensures added safety. If the scale indicates that the specified weight limit is exceeded, the conveying process in the direction of the ball press is switched off immediately and automatically. The scale will detect any personnel traveling on the conveyor belt, and its integrated stop function contributes to additional safety.
This conveying system is also used for the disposal of sheet material and cardboard tubes. In order to meet this requirement, two shredder systems with an operating height of 200 cm are available. One of the shredders is used to process tubes. It goes without saying that the accumulated dust will also be extracted during the process.
Automated waste disposal centre
All waste generated during the processing and manufacturing will be transported to the fully automated waste disposal centre. A chain belt conveyor is used to transport the large-size corrugated boards to the automated ball presses. Here, the balls will be automatically pressed and tied. Subsequently, a forklift truck is used to transport the balls away on a regular basis.
Several switching cabinets with PLC and linked to one another control the entire disposal system. A touch panel provides the option to access the most important data and allows minute adjustments. The Tricor factory management and the 24-hour Höcker Polytechnik Support staff can access the network in order to retrieve the information. Thus, all data is available with a click of a button.
Low-maintenance and cost-optimising operation.
The Tricor industrial Park has been operating for one year and the corrugated board disposal is extremely reliable. During the planning phases, the cooperation between Tricor and Höcker Polytechnik proceeded in a trustfully and excellent cooperation. All energy-saving features integrated, a comprehensive fire protection system was implemented, and dust-free working places were created.
