September/October 2012
Though designed for versatility, this equipment has found new popularity as a tool for preparing end-of-life vehicles for transportation to the shredder or for export in containers.
By Jim Fowler
Mobile baler/loggers are not new to the scrap industry, but in the past few years they have become increasingly popular, especially larger machines capable of logging entire automobiles. Some peg the growth in popularity to a change in cargo-securement rules from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (Washington, D.C.) that took effect Jan. 1, 2004. The FMCSA imposed stricter requirements on transporting “flattened” and “crushed” cars—requirements that do not apply to automobiles compressed into logs.
Others point to scrap industry growth and consolidation. “With all of the megashredders installed over the past five or six years and their appetite for material, we’re selling a lot of baler/loggers to shredder operators for use in their satellite yards,” says one manufacturer. “Most are operating the loggers themselves and say they prefer the logs to flattened cars.” A representative of a different company sees the same trend. “These larger [scrap] companies need more volume, more tonnage, and they are running 20 to 25 loggers from feeder yards to shredders.” The growth of containerized ferrous scrap exports might be a factor in the popularity of this equipment as well, as logged cars are among such exports.
Other reasons for mobile baler/loggers’ popularity have remained the same since their introduction to the industry. They’re versatile, able to process a wide array of ferrous and nonferrous materials such as automobiles, white goods, clips, loose sheet, aluminum siding, radiators, and even stainless steel. And, of course, they’re mobile. Representatives of mobile baler/logger manufacturers say scrapÂyards interested in purchasing this equipment should consider the following factors.
Will you be processing cars? When choosing between larger and smaller models of baler/loggers, that’s the primary question to answer. If you don’t plan to log or bale automobiles, a smaller machine could be the more prudent investment. Standard baler/loggers—those not capable of processing a full-sized automobile—produce 6 to 18 tons of logs an hour, manufacturers say, with production capabilities varying from company to company. Because bales require more compression, bale production is slower, from 8 to 15 tons an hour. Weighing between 57,000 and 76,000 pounds, these mobile machines do not always require special transportation permits. The manufacturers quote prices from $150,000 to $300,000.
Baler/loggers capable of processing a full-sized automobile weigh 93,000 to 100,000 pounds, so they most likely require an overweight transportation permit. They’re more expensive, too, with quoted prices from $400,000 to $460,000. The manufacturers give production capacity ranges of 16 to 32 tons an hour for auto logs and 10 to 16 tons an hour for bales. One manufacturer adds a caveat to the volume specifications for this type of equipment: The production capacity is not necessarily what it will produce in normal operating conditions. “It will come down to the efficiency of the operator,” he says. “Feeding 20 cars an hour to a logger will be a challenge, and I think it’s unrealistic [to expect it] even if the machine is designed for that.”
Some scrapyards are purchasing these larger baler/loggers in lieu of car flatteners or crushers, according to one company rep. “Instead of buying a separate flattener and a separate baler, they buy the logger/baler and do both—it gives them versatility.” But there is a cost consideration. New car flatteners, which sell for $125,000 to $150,000, cost significantly less than a baler/logger able to handle a car. For this reason alone, the consensus is that baler/loggers will never completely replace car flatteners. “I don’t see small salvage yards justifying the cost of a $400,000-plus piece of equipment,” an industry observer notes. “There will still be a need for car flatteners.”
What volume do you handle? Because a large baler/logger is such a big investment, “it will be far more critical that an operator gets [sufficient] tonnage in and out of the machine in order to pay for it,” says one company representative. What tonnage justifies the purchase? The answers vary widely. “It doesn’t make sense to have one if it’s only going to operate 40 percent of the time,” says one vendor, adding that “there are too many baler/loggers out there.” Another says that “knowing you can keep the machine occupied 50 to 75 percent of the time” is enough. One company rep sets a minimum processing level of 25 tons a day; another estimates 75 to 100 tons a day will justify the purchase of his machine. Yet another projects 300 to 400 tons a month, depending on the size of the baler/logger. Above all, one manufacturer says, “you don’t buy one to let it sit.”
What’s the material’s destination? According to one industry observer, “you have to fit the machine to what you’re going to do.” Is most of the material you process intended for domestic shredders or for export? If you’re shipping to a shredder, be sure the equipment you’re considering can produce a log or bale of an acceptable density, these representatives say. “Some baler/loggers don’t really make a good bale,” one manufacturer explains. “If you’re trying to make a bale for a mill—[like] a No. 1 bale—be sure the machine you buy will give you the quality your consumer will accept.” Bale density varies across manufacturers and models from 50 to 120 pounds per cubic foot.
Along the same lines, excessively dense logged cars can be a problem for shredders accustomed to flattened cars. Flattened cars typically have a density of 30 to 35 pounds per cubic foot; log density varies from 20 to 80 pounds per cubic foot. At the higher end of that density range, scrap suppliers might find resistance from shredder operators who say the logs are too tight. “Density for [most] shredders should be 30 to 50 pounds per cubic foot,” one source says. “Production goes way down and costs go up for anything over 50.” Megashredders can handle 60 to 70 pounds per cubic foot, however, he adds.
Shredders have another concern about logged cars: They can contain unshreddable material or other contaminants. “The unshreddable problem has not changed” since the first shredders were invented, says one shredder manufacturer. “Big shredder companies tell me [the problem] even comes from their own yards, so it’s clearly a management problem.” If it were not for “the unknowns inside of them,” this source says, auto logs would be “a wonderful infeed for 95 percent of the shredders operating today.”
With more shredders operating around the country, however, the demand for material might outweigh contamination concerns, another industry observer points out. “When there were just a few shredders around, they could be very particular. Now, [shredders are] like convenience stores—there’s one on every corner.”
Crane, or no crane? The majority of mobile baler/loggers come equipped with cranes. If that’s what you’re purchasing, compare crane strength, speed, reach, and rotation among models and manufacturers. Also consider safe crane operation, says one manufacturer. “If it has a crane, does the crane have mechanisms in place to limit the load capacity [when it’s] feeding the baler/logger?” Other safety considerations are whether the machine has outriggers for stability and whether it must stay connected to a tractor at all times, these sources say. “All mobile machines should be either skid-mounted on the ground or on a trailer with the outriggers deployed,” one points out.
Despite the popularity of baler/loggers with cranes, a few companies still sell craneless models. “Our logger is so fast that you can’t build a crane big enough to [feed] that material in the machine that quick and put [the logger and the crane] all on one trailer,” one manufacturer boasts. Another vendor that offers some crane-free models points out that, when attached to the baler/logger, “ultimately the crane is limited by its reach, and a support piece of equipment is necessary to help bring material to the machine.”
Trends and Changes
As baler/loggers have evolved, the most significant changes have been a larger box and more hydraulic power—enough to handle automobiles. “The key is hydraulic pressure and flow,” says one vendor, whose machine reportedly can make one auto log a minute. “The flow gives you the speed, and the pressure gives you the force. We use a piston variable displacement pump that puts out 200 gallons a minute of oil flow.” Another manufacturer installs variable flow pumps in the hydraulic system instead of piston pumps. “This advantage is reflected in the speed of the logging process,” says a company representative. “We can increase the speed and production by almost 40 percent compared with a piston pump.”
Other changes show up inside the cab. Buyers “want a comfortable cab because the operator is there all day long,” one vendor says. “We want him to sit there and feel like he’s got the best job in the world.” Controls are an important consideration as well. Some manufacturers offer joystick controls; others tout the importance of automatic cycles or monitoring systems that display cycle progress. One vendor says operators can change the baling/logging pressure setting from a touch screen in the cab of his machines. Many makes and models come with computer systems for troubleshooting via modem. Even so, “running a baler/logger is still an operator-knowledge thing,” says one industry observer. “The operator needs to pay attention and know what’s going on. There are only so many safety controls and pressure switches that can think for him. It’s a one-man operation, and there is a lot to be concerned with.”
Diesel engines power the vast majority of baler/loggers, but several manufacturers see a trend toward electric machines. “One out of 10 machines we’re selling is electric, and more are coming,” one vendor says. “There’s a lot of interest, especially with the emissions regulations in California. All [users] need is three-phase, 480-volt electricity set up in their yard. The machine can be moved within the yard and to other yards as long as the electric power is available. They are cheaper to operate, quieter, and emissions-free.”
Buyers’ Wish Lists
When researching what buyers look for in a baler/logger, one manufacturer found that performance and reliability were at the top of the list. “The design of one machine compared with another was not paramount,” he says, but rather that the machine performs and is neither “maintenance-intensive nor prohibitive to maintain. They want a machine that will work; a big, roomy cab; and the ability to get their tonnage in and their tonnage out. It’s that simple.”
Life span relates to the machine’s use and maintenance, these manufacturers say. As one puts it, “all scrap equipment is in a brutal atmosphere. There are people who can wear out a machine in two years, and [other] people that will have them a lifetime.” Specifically, another vendor says, “logging cars increases wear on the machine, which increases the need to have a proper maintenance program. When you have a mobile machine, the key issue is continuous daily, monthly, and preventive maintenance.”
One interesting finding is that mobility might be less important than it seems. “A lot of people buy mobile machines [that] never leave their yards,” a vendor says. “One day they may decide they want to move it, and that’s why they bought one. You don’t know in advance what might come your way. A mobile machine can be as stationary as a stationary machine, but it’s also portable when you need it. And the resale value on mobile machines is far greater than it is on a stationary machine,” he adds. “It’s simpler to get rid of since it moves easily.”
Jim Fowler is retired publisher and editorial director of Scrap.
What About Shears?
Mobile shears and shear/baler/loggers have not achieved the popularity of mobile baler/loggers in the United States, with only a limited number operating here, manufacturers say. They point to these machines’ higher cost—between $500,000 and $1 million—and weight—from 106,000 to 140,000 pounds, which requires overweight permits for transportation—as factors that might discourage buyers. But weight might not be the issue after all. As they have seen with mobile baler/loggers, manufacturers report that when they do sell mobile shear/baler/loggers in the United States, the buyers seldom, if ever, move them. “The major point of being mobile [for buyers] is the ability to move them inside the yard if they desire,” says one representative. Another expects to see increased movement of such machines among satellite yards as scrap industry consolidation continues, however.
So why have a mobile shear/baler/logger if not to move it? The machines can cost 40 percent less than a similar stationary unit, according to one company rep, though another says costs are similar between the two. Mobile units also don’t require electrical hookups, site preparation, or a foundation. Shear force on these machines ranges from 500 to 800 tons, with production reportedly 10 to 20 tons an hour. “When you design a stationary shear, you forget about weight limitations [for transportation], and you can put more steel in it, which allows you to process heavier scrap,” one manufacturer explains. “That’s the main issue I see with the mobile unit—it’s not as durable as a stationary unit.” In fact, one vendor says he sees the sale of a mobile shear as just the prequel to the later sale of a big stationary shear to the same company.
Though designed for versatility, this equipment has found new popularity as a tool for preparing end-of-life vehicles for transportation to the shredder or for export in containers.