Balcan, the award-winning environmental solutions company that
received the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2006 for its
innovative design, has replaced its original prototype Waste Lamp
Recycler after nine years of use with a new upgraded model
(MP6000).
The recycler which incorporates all the modifications and
enhancements it has developed with the original design can accept
both whole and pre-crushed lamps so it can be used with a crusher
to allow more than 80% more in crushed material to be transported
in collection vehicles.
A particularly important innovation is the replacement of two of
its longest inclined conventional conveyors with vertical vibrating
spiral elevators which not only take up less horizontal length so
the overall size of the plant is more compact but is also expected
to overcome the wear and tear common with fabric belted
conveyors.
The benefit of these spiral elevators, according to the
manufacturer, is that they are fabricated throughout in steel and
convey material up the spiral by the direction of the vibration so
it is believed it will a much longer time for the aggressive nature
of the glass debris to wear the metal away.
The larger version of this model (MP8000) has a capacity to
process 5,000 4ft long fluorescent tubes per hour which was
developed for an American company near Boston. It has been in use
for the past year where it has been in operation 24 hours a day.
Since then it has spawned an export market to the United States for
the Horncastle based company from recycling companies appreciating
the more versatile design which allows the processing of a much
wider selection of modern lamps, including CFLs, provided by other
plants available on the market, according to Balcan.
As a result Balcan has already received orders for five more
plants which are to be installed in California, Florida, Texas,
Indiana and New York during this year.
Balcan add that they are also finding growing interest from
other recycling businesses in the US who have heard of the
versatility of the Balcan design, particularly its ease of loading
and clean quality of glass cullet which .the Texas based company
has reported has been laboratory tested and returned as
non-detectable for mercury. The phosphor powder is reported as
below US EPA hazardous standards.