Enivironment Solutions

Less than 2 years ago, the Textron Turbine Components plant in Danville, Pennsylvania., was forced to resolve the increasingly difficult problems of removing non-disposable containers and industrial waste. Rigorous landfill, environmental and corporate regulations restricted previous methods of waste disposal and governed pre-landfill lab tests. Even with daily trash pickup, the company was hard-pressed to maintain the more stringent requirements. The plant, operating since 1981, produces gas-turbine components, including fan and compressor blades, and vanes for engine manufacturers and the spares market. Manufacturers using the engines in military M-1 tanks, aircraft and standby electrical generators include Pratt & Whitney, Bentley and AlliedSignal. The Problem. The Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board in 1992 modified Title 25, the Residual Waste regulations. The comprehensive amendments affected landfills, containers, refuse transportation and source diminishing. Several landfills in the state closed in the aftermath of the modification. After applying to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, Textron had to wait more than annually before the state approved its landfill request. Prequalification requirements included extensive monitoring and chemical analysis of the refuse composition. Lackner says the new regulations required Textron to ; Separate all hazardous waste(because once wastes are mixed, the total refuse becomes hazardous); Provide a chemical analysis and composite sample of residual and industrial trash (not including consumables from offices, restrooms and the flower cafeteria); Obtain prior approval from DER, based around detailed chemical analysis and review by landfill engineers; and Submit additional semiannual report back to the landfill summarizing composition, chemical analysis and relative weights, and specify a subsequent to be able to reduce overall volume. Textron corporate management also instituted a strict, company-wide policy to prevent scavenging, recycling and possible resale of used containers onsite possibly at the landfills. Because few suppliers supply you with a return policy on drums, particularly plastic, management requires plans to eliminate drums any sort of size and composition before dumping. The Danville plant generates two kinds of industrial-residual waste streams. Would like a super these, vapor-blat sludge, is talcum-grade slurry that supplies a surface finish on types. Filter-pressed before disposal, the slurry filled 25 1-cubic-yard containers for separate moving. The second waste stream, mixed trash from factory bins, includes empty bags, cans, parts from equipment and maintenance, and floor sweepings. Lackner says Textron also disposes consumable trash gathered from offices, restrooms and the cafeteria. That waste isn't subject to comparable laboratory analysis and separation. The cafeteria waste includes an average quantity of discarded liquids. Under its previous system, Textron disposed mixed and consumable trash in six 3-cubic yard, open-top containers, which the hauler pulled three to five times a week. Skids, drums and other hard-to-crush items led to the typical load. Besides from adding staff, it was impractical to destroy bulky containers one on end. Additionally, cafeteria waste and liquids leaked from the bottom of holding receptacles, attracting rodents and travels. The Plan.Textron sought a more versatile trash system that would comply with environmental regulations, reduce hauling and landfill costs, and result in a cleaner disposal area. The rose engineering manager contacted industry representatives to distinguish a stationary system can satisfy the business's requirements to compact and destroy barrels and remaining trash within seamless operation without splilling. Most of those contacted suggested a tradeoff from your self-contained compactor and stationary pre-crusher. No single system could provide both capabilities along with. Dan Odenwelder, sales representative for BE Equipment Inc., Quakertown, PA., was the exception. BE specializes in selling recycling and volume-reduction equipment. In keeping with Textron's requirements, Odenwelder contacted Raymond Lackner He was familiar with Lackner's stationary pre-crusher and knew that Lackner was already was creating a combination method. Lackner agreed to accelerate advance of the CRUSHER, which might be industry's first self-contained pre-crushing and compacting unit. In August 1994, about two months after the project's initiation, BE installed a 2-cubic yard, self-contained, pre-crushing compactor at the Danville company. The total system, including receiving container, has a 30- cubic-yard capacity. The Danville site served as Glosser's beta installation. Working as a team, Detering, Lackner and Odenwelder identified initial problems, and made minor equipment adjustments. Within weeks of beginning operations, the new pre-crushing compactor was performing to Textron's requirements. In service for slightly more than a year, fresh system processes a full mixed-waste stream and disposes Textron's trash more efficiently than before. The CRUSHER's computer-controlled system requires no special skills or experience beyond basic instruction and general lessons in operation plant equipment. A selector switch can be set for the size with the load and provides a group of one of 15 fertility cycles. Once the choices are made, operation is mechanical. A involving hydraulic cylinders operates pre-crushing and compacting rams as self-contained, gateless unit. This system crushes and compacts odd-sized and mixed waste streams, ranging from huge crates and pallets to big and small appliances containing liquids. For the reason that system is seamless, it could possibly handle wastes containing moderate to high volumes of liquids, like bottling, painting and pharmaceutical wastes. (and on/off switch initiates the cycle). A computer board measures electric current and controls the ram cycle and travel confine. THE CRUSHER eliminated open-top containers, and reduced the frequency of pulls and dumping from day to day to once every 1-2 months. Textron now is located in compliance with federal, state and local regulations, and corporate specifications. Disposal costs have dropped based on fewer labor hours required for initial handling of refuse, less frequent hailing and reduced landfill volume. Textron recouped its capital purchase within about 13 months (payback before tax) yielding a 92 percent pretax return on investment.