When selecting the correct waste handling equipment for your specific application, it is important to determine how materials will be loaded and how the equipment will be installed.
Ground Feed
This style of installation is to be used by the operator loading material from ground level, either by hand or assisted by forklift or a dumper/tipper system.
A 3-Sided, Side Feed Hopper or Open Hopper is designed for loading material from ground. Open hoppers can be configured for left or right side, both sides and/or rear. If the open hopper is to run on an automatic cycle, it will need to be designed a certain way to ensure the proper safety compliance otherwise the Open Hopper style will need to be run while holding down the start button with the compactor is cycling. Taking pressure off the start button will stop the compactors operation for obvious safety reasons
A hopper can be equipped with a Hinged Access Gate with a safety interlock switch so the compactor will only cycle when the gate or door is closed. It can also be fabricated with a top or roof and solid door and safety interlock switch and optional locking hasp on the door, to make the compactor secure and keep the weather out and stop windblown trash. This option is called a Doghouse and can come in most any size or dimension.
Loading Dock
Compactors can also be loaded from a loading dock. Most loading docks are 48” to 50” high, and the compactors are usually installed on the ground, in front of the loading dock. Most compactors have a rear deck (area in front of the charge box) of 48” to 50” also.
A Walk On Deck (800 pound rating) or Drive On Deck (10,000 pound rating) with Hand Rails and Rear Feed Hopper with Safety Gate and Interlock is the most common way of loading the compactor in this application. The compactor operator actually walks on or drives on the rear compactor deck and opens the safety gate to deposit the material. When the gate is closed, the operator depresses the start button and the compactor cycles automatically allowing the operator to return to their work.
A loading dock application can also be designed to use a Rear Feed Extended Doghouse with Door and Safety Interlock. This design eliminates the walk on deck and safety gate although it may limit the size of material that can be loaded, based on the door size selected.
Another option could be a Rear Flared, Open Hopper. The hopper top would need to be at least 42” above the finished floor of the loading dock to comply with ANSI and OSHA requirements and run automatically.
Security Chutes
There are several standard Security Chute Systems, but keep in mind most any chute system can be custom fabricated to almost any application or installation requirement. Gravity is the normal way the material is loaded into the compactor. Typically, the compactor is installed outside and the material is placed in the chute, through a security door, installed in the exterior wall and normally the inside floor is 48” – 50” above the outside grade the compactor is installed. A typical security chute door is 40” x 40” with a 42” H loading height, and is equipped with a safety interlock, to comply with ANSI & OSHA regulations. The chute door is installed into the wall and the chute panels attach the compactor to the security door.
Side-Feed Security Chutes are designed for the exterior compactor to run parallel to the wall the security door is installed into. The compactor is typically installed a few feet away from the building and the chute is this same length.
Rear-Feed Security Chutes are designed for the compactor to be installed perpendicular to the building and the chute is set up to go over the rear deck of the compactor and the material normally travels down the chute, by force of gravity and is deposited into the compactor.
Full Enclosures (Walk in or Drive in)
Compactors can also be installed into bay door openings or an opening in a wall similar to a bay door. The compactor is installed in front of the wall opening, and then a transition deck is attached from the inside of the building to the compactor to bridge any gap between the two items. Walls and a roof are then attached to the compactor and inserted attached to the side of the building, totally enclosing the compactor for use form the inside and protecting the operator from the weather. The full enclosure option can also help to decrease pilferage and windblown trash. Enclosures can be fabricated to fit almost any size compactor, either stationary or self-contained.
Telescoping Chute/Doghouse
This is another style of chute designed for self-contained or stationary compactors installed in an enclosed space, traditionally in a multi-unit apartment complex. The chute “telescopes” out for loading and retracts for transport to the landfill. Normally the chute extends to the wall of an enclosure which houses the compactor. Tenants walk up the enclosure wall and load waste through an access door on the outside of the enclosure.