Shopping for Equipment

Thanks to the wide variety of cranes and attachments that has developed over the years, today’s scrap processor has difficulty when deciding to purchase a new or used piece of equipment for his facility. Here’s help for making those crucial decisions.

One of the most essential tools in a scrap processing operation is the crane. As it has evolved to suit industry needs, so have magnets and crane attachments.

Cranes

For many years the only cranes used in the scrap industry were the boom-type units manufactured for other industries, such as construction and logging. These were slow, mechanically operated units that had to be adapted for use in a scrap yard.

As time passed, a few manufacturers realized the market need and designed cranes that could efficiently use magnets and rope-operated grapples. These pieces of equipment aided the processor in moving greater volumes of scrap much faster than in the past. This same type of crane, with many refinements, is still being manufactured and is used throughout the scrap industry.

Within the last 20 years, hydraulic scrap processing cranes have evolved from earthmoving equipment. When they were first introduced into the scrap industry, they were simply a version of a backhoe with an earth-moving attachment that was used to load trucks and railroad cars or to relocate various types of scrap from one place in a facility to another. Because these units were designed to dig, they had very little boom reach. However, they were much faster than the fixed-boom cranes that were used at the time.

Manufacturers once again saw a market and began to build hydraulic cranes for the scrap industry. Also, a few ingenious people converted hydraulic earth movers into scrap processing equipment by changing the boom configuration and relocating boom and tool cylinders.

Today, there are more than a dozen manufacturers of hydraulic scrap processing cranes. The upper structures are mounted on crawler-type undercarriages or truck-type carriers, are the wagon-mount type, or are pedestal- or fixed-position mounted. They are capable of extending the boom as far as most users require and have attachments or tools that can be used for almost any task.

Approximately 80 percent of the cranes purchased by scrap processors today are hydraulically operated with two-piece or three-piece fixed booms. Three or four of the major manufacturers have a licensee that converts their standard machines to scrap processing machines by installing booms, cabs, undercarriages, and other equipment particular to the scrap industry.

The price of hydraulic cranes is usually much higher than that of the mechanical boom-type crane, but price is not cost. The hydraulic units have a much faster cycle time, operator training is many times easier, and maintenance costs should be less.

However, at this time, lifting capabilities and reaches of hydraulic machines cannot match the maximums of boom-type cranes.

When shopping for a crane, ask these questions:

Is this the proper size crane for the job? If you want to use a mobile shear on the crane and also use a magnet on occasion, make sure the capacity of the crane will accommodate both tools at the same time without adding extra counterweight.

Will parts and technical service be readily available?

How do your fellow scrap processors feel about this make of machine? Users can be one of your best sources of practical information.

Magnets

The first lifting magnets used in the scrap industry were the same ones used in steel mills. They were very heavy copper-wound magnets, with low lift-to-weight ratios. Some of these magnets are still in use after 30 or more years.

Today, lifting magnets are designed for specific applications. There are scrap handling magnets, mill-duty magnets, slag reclaiming magnets, and more. They can have cast cases or fabricated cases. They can have aluminum-wound coils or copper-wound coils. They can be of standard field construction or deep-field construction. They can be wound for high-voltage/low-amperage operation or low-voltage/high-amperage operation.

The most widely used scrap handling magnets today are cast-case, aluminum-wound, high-voltage/low-amperage, and of deep-field construction.

The deep-field, aluminum-wound scrap handling magnets are the most cost effective for the average processor. These magnets have a much higher lift capacity compared to their weight than copper-wound mill magnets.

Granted, in a production scrap plant this magnet design probably will not last more than 7 to 12 years. But consider that the old magnets were making two or three lifts per minute, for a few hours a day, while today's magnets are making six, eight, or 10 lifts per minute, sometimes 16 hours a day. In addition, the old magnets had a lower payload because they were smaller in diameter.

When shopping for a magnet, keep these points in mind:

Select the proper magnet for the job. Do not buy a scrap handling magnet to do drop-ball work.

Select the correct size magnet for the crane being used and for the job.

Let manufacturers help you. Given the facts, they usually can offer proper advice.

Magnet Generators

The magnet generator is the power plant for most magnet systems. The generator is either belt-driven from the power unit on the crane, driven by a direct-coupled gasoline or diesel engine, or, on hydraulic cranes, driven by a direct-coupled hydraulic motor.

The generator can be very fragile. It is susceptible to many problems that may develop in a magnet package. As one manufacturer put it, "The dumbest piece of equipment in a magnet system is the generator."

Regular preventive maintenance should be performed on any generator in a magnet system. Most manufacturers provide a rheostat and meter package for their generators. This allows the user to monitor the generator's performance and therefore correct a faulty situation before damage occurs.

When shopping for a magnet generator, consider the following:

To achieve maximum performance from a magnet generator, the ampere output of the generator must be equal to or greater than the cold ampere draw of the magnet being powered. Today's generator manufacturers have little or no additional capacity built into their models.

If you desire a belt-driven or hydraulic generator, you must have sufficient power-unit capacity to allow for a 2.0- to 2.5-horsepower draw for each 1,000 watts of the generator. A 15-kilowatt generator will require more than 30 horsepower from your crane's power unit. Although your crane may be capable of handling a 71-inch or 72-inch magnet, it may not be capable of providing the 50 or 60 horsepower needed to drive the required 25-kilowatt generator.

Magnet Controllers

Magnet controllers regulate the power to and from the magnet. This is done by engaging heavy-duty lift contactors to carry power to the magnet, then opening the lift contactor and engaging the drop or reverse current contactor until all of the magnet's stored energy is dissipated.

There are various methods to operate the magnet controller, all of which basically send power to the magnet and then reverse the power:

drum lever-type master switches,

contact-type push-button switches, and

reduced voltage, "joystick"-mounted lift/drop buttons.

Some manufacturers supply only limited-amperage-range controllers, while others supply wide-range units that will operate almost any size scrap handling magnet.

Be careful when selecting a magnet controller; be sure the amperage range will accommodate both the cold amperes and the operating amperes of the magnet being used.

Other Attachments

There are many other tools used with cranes that satisfy almost any need in a scrap processing facility.

Some of the more popular tools are listed below.

Grapples and buckets for rope-operated and hydraulic cranes are available in a wide range of sizes, from standard sizes of 3/8 cubic yard to four cubic yards up to almost any size that may be required. These tools can be used for both ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Hydraulic units can be rigidly mounted or can rotate up to 360 degrees.

Mobile shears are very popular for use on hydraulic cranes. They also are available in various sizes and capacities. They operate on the same principle as an alligator shear.

These very versatile tools have almost eliminated torch cutting in some scrap processing facilities and have increased production dramatically.

We are well into the third generation for many family-owned scrap businesses, yet some of the same manufacturers of scrap processing equipment have served all three generations. Much of this equipment can be purchased through National Association Supply Cooperative (NASCO-OP). NASCO-OP is a cooperative buying service for the scrap industry, sponsored by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries and owned by 866 members, all of whom are engaged in the recycling industry.

One of the many advantages of being a NASCO-OP member is the chance to interrelate with others who have some of the same needs and problems you are faced with every day.

The NASCO-OP staff talks with members daily, placing orders for supplies, equipment, repair parts, and maintenance items. The staff receives input (whether solicited or not) on the values of equipment being used in our industry.

Many of the vendors supplying the co-op are major manufacturers of the equipment mentioned above. These vendors inform the staff of changes and innovations in their products, which are passed on to the membership.

Thanks to the wide variety of cranes and attachments that has developed over the years, today’s scrap processor has difficulty when deciding to purchase a new or used piece of equipment for his facility. Here’s help for making those crucial decisions.

One of the most essential tools in a scrap processing operation is the crane. As it has evolved to suit industry needs, so have magnets and crane attachments.

Cranes

For many years the only cranes used in the scrap industry were the boom-type units manufactured for other industries, such as construction and logging. These were slow, mechanically operated units that had to be adapted for use in a scrap yard.

As time passed, a few manufacturers realized the market need and designed cranes that could efficiently use magnets and rope-operated grapples. These pieces of equipment aided the processor in moving greater volumes of scrap much faster than in the past. This same type of crane, with many refinements, is still being manufactured and is used throughout the scrap industry.

Within the last 20 years, hydraulic scrap processing cranes have evolved from earthmoving equipment. When they were first introduced into the scrap industry, they were simply a version of a backhoe with an earth-moving attachment that was used to load trucks and railroad cars or to relocate various types of scrap from one place in a facility to another. Because these units were designed to dig, they had very little boom reach. However, they were much faster than the fixed-boom cranes that were used at the time.

Manufacturers once again saw a market and began to build hydraulic cranes for the scrap industry. Also, a few ingenious people converted hydraulic earth movers into scrap processing equipment by changing the boom configuration and relocating boom and tool cylinders.

Today, there are more than a dozen manufacturers of hydraulic scrap processing cranes. The upper structures are mounted on crawler-type undercarriages or truck-type carriers, are the wagon-mount type, or are pedestal- or fixed-position mounted. They are capable of extending the boom as far as most users require and have attachments or tools that can be used for almost any task.

Approximately 80 percent of the cranes purchased by scrap processors today are hydraulically operated with two-piece or three-piece fixed booms. Three or four of the major manufacturers have a licensee that converts their standard machines to scrap processing machines by installing booms, cabs, undercarriages, and other equipment particular to the scrap industry.

The price of hydraulic cranes is usually much higher than that of the mechanical boom-type crane, but price is not cost. The hydraulic units have a much faster cycle time, operator training is many times easier, and maintenance costs should be less.

However, at this time, lifting capabilities and reaches of hydraulic machines cannot match the maximums of boom-type cranes.

When shopping for a crane, ask these questions:

Is this the proper size crane for the job? If you want to use a mobile shear on the crane and also use a magnet on occasion, make sure the capacity of the crane will accommodate both tools at the same time without adding extra counterweight.

Will parts and technical service be readily available?

How do your fellow scrap processors feel about this make of machine? Users can be one of your best sources of practical information.

Magnets

The first lifting magnets used in the scrap industry were the same ones used in steel mills. They were very heavy copper-wound magnets, with low lift-to-weight ratios. Some of these magnets are still in use after 30 or more years.

Today, lifting magnets are designed for specific applications. There are scrap handling magnets, mill-duty magnets, slag reclaiming magnets, and more. They can have cast cases or fabricated cases. They can have aluminum-wound coils or copper-wound coils. They can be of standard field construction or deep-field construction. They can be wound for high-voltage/low-amperage operation or low-voltage/high-amperage operation.

The most widely used scrap handling magnets today are cast-case, aluminum-wound, high-voltage/low-amperage, and of deep-field construction.

The deep-field, aluminum-wound scrap handling magnets are the most cost effective for the average processor. These magnets have a much higher lift capacity compared to their weight than copper-wound mill magnets.

Granted, in a production scrap plant this magnet design probably will not last more than 7 to 12 years. But consider that the old magnets were making two or three lifts per minute, for a few hours a day, while today's magnets are making six, eight, or 10 lifts per minute, sometimes 16 hours a day. In addition, the old magnets had a lower payload because they were smaller in diameter.

When shopping for a magnet, keep these points in mind:

Select the proper magnet for the job. Do not buy a scrap handling magnet to do drop-ball work.

Select the correct size magnet for the crane being used and for the job.

Let manufacturers help you. Given the facts, they usually can offer proper advice.

Magnet Generators

The magnet generator is the power plant for most magnet systems. The generator is either belt-driven from the power unit on the crane, driven by a direct-coupled gasoline or diesel engine, or, on hydraulic cranes, driven by a direct-coupled hydraulic motor.

The generator can be very fragile. It is susceptible to many problems that may develop in a magnet package. As one manufacturer put it, "The dumbest piece of equipment in a magnet system is the generator."

Regular preventive maintenance should be performed on any generator in a magnet system. Most manufacturers provide a rheostat and meter package for their generators. This allows the user to monitor the generator's performance and therefore correct a faulty situation before damage occurs.

When shopping for a magnet generator, consider the following:

To achieve maximum performance from a magnet generator, the ampere output of the generator must be equal to or greater than the cold ampere draw of the magnet being powered. Today's generator manufacturers have little or no additional capacity built into their models.

If you desire a belt-driven or hydraulic generator, you must have sufficient power-unit capacity to allow for a 2.0- to 2.5-horsepower draw for each 1,000 watts of the generator. A 15-kilowatt generator will require more than 30 horsepower from your crane's power unit. Although your crane may be capable of handling a 71-inch or 72-inch magnet, it may not be capable of providing the 50 or 60 horsepower needed to drive the required 25-kilowatt generator.

Magnet Controllers

Magnet controllers regulate the power to and from the magnet. This is done by engaging heavy-duty lift contactors to carry power to the magnet, then opening the lift contactor and engaging the drop or reverse current contactor until all of the magnet's stored energy is dissipated.

There are various methods to operate the magnet controller, all of which basically send power to the magnet and then reverse the power:

drum lever-type master switches,

contact-type push-button switches, and

reduced voltage, "joystick"-mounted lift/drop buttons.

Some manufacturers supply only limited-amperage-range controllers, while others supply wide-range units that will operate almost any size scrap handling magnet.

Be careful when selecting a magnet controller; be sure the amperage range will accommodate both the cold amperes and the operating amperes of the magnet being used.

Other Attachments

There are many other tools used with cranes that satisfy almost any need in a scrap processing facility.

Some of the more popular tools are listed below.

Grapples and buckets for rope-operated and hydraulic cranes are available in a wide range of sizes, from standard sizes of 3/8 cubic yard to four cubic yards up to almost any size that may be required. These tools can be used for both ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Hydraulic units can be rigidly mounted or can rotate up to 360 degrees.

Mobile shears are very popular for use on hydraulic cranes. They also are available in various sizes and capacities. They operate on the same principle as an alligator shear.

These very versatile tools have almost eliminated torch cutting in some scrap processing facilities and have increased production dramatically.

We are well into the third generation for many family-owned scrap businesses, yet some of the same manufacturers of scrap processing equipment have served all three generations. Much of this equipment can be purchased through National Association Supply Cooperative (NASCO-OP). NASCO-OP is a cooperative buying service for the scrap industry, sponsored by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries and owned by 866 members, all of whom are engaged in the recycling industry.

One of the many advantages of being a NASCO-OP member is the chance to interrelate with others who have some of the same needs and problems you are faced with every day.

The NASCO-OP staff talks with members daily, placing orders for supplies, equipment, repair parts, and maintenance items. The staff receives input (whether solicited or not) on the values of equipment being used in our industry.

Many of the vendors supplying the co-op are major manufacturers of the equipment mentioned above. These vendors inform the staff of changes and innovations in their products, which are passed on to the membership.