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More conveyor power for Biffa Polymers

Middleton Engineering has been supplying balers and recycling equipment to Biffa for over 15 years, including sites in Bradford, Cardiff, Grimsby, Hull, Dewsbury and the Isle of Wight, together with conveyor solutions for Biffa Polymers since 2015.

In 2016 Middleton Engineering installed a second bespoke conveyor to enhance processing requirements at Biffa Polymers, the world’s first food-grade High-Density Polyethylene (rHDPE) recycling plant, based at Redcar in Cleveland.

The conveyor forms part of a new recycling line for mixed post-consumer rigid polypropylene (PP). This produces high quality mixed plastic flakes and forms part of the continued expansion of Biffa Polymers, doubling output for its HDPE recycling capacity to some 20,000 tonnes.

With an overall length of 9.3 meters, the conveyor was designed to meet precise process requirements, transferring material from a shredder, up to the in-feed conveyor for a granulator. It includes a 600mm wide cross-stabilized 3-ply rubber belt, with a rising section angled at 25 degrees to carry material at a rate of 1.5 tonnes per hour. Sprung castor wheels maintain belt tracking while 50mm high cleats together with valances either side prevent material from slipping back, ensuring a consistent feed.

A magnetic head drum for separating ferrous contamination at the head of the belt or discharge end of the conveyor further improves waste stream purity and quality. This provides secondary metal protection with continuous separation, trapping metal debris as the drum rotates, while a clean product is discharged.

Lock off emergency stop switches, safety pull gantries on the rising section and SCADA controls to fully integrate the conveyor with the other machine processes complete the installation.

Alan EdwardsProject and Improvement Engineer explains: “Running the Poly Prop processing line 24/7, as with all our production processes, requires robust and reliable equipment. Selecting Middleton Engineering for this new conveyor was the obvious choice. The company takes the time to understand our requirements, is quick to resolve issues and support have been excellent.”

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