Page 204 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

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Municipal Solid Waste Processing; Materials Recovery Facilities 175
7.2.5 MOBILE EQUIPMENT IN THE MRF
Front-end loaders and forklifts are universal in the routine operations of the MRF. For example,
when a collection truck tips its load on to the slab, the front-end loader will promptly arrive on the
scene to lift the material onto a conveyor for subsequent processing (Figure 7.4). Front-end loaders
also move wastes after processing. Forklifts are used to move baled materials from balers to stor-
age areas, and from storage areas onto trucks. Mobile equipment which may be found in a MRF
include (U.S. EPA, 1991):
• Bins
• Containers
• Forklift
• Front-end loader
• Manulift
• Skid steer loader
• Steam cleaner
• Vacuum or sweeper or magnetic pickup
• Yard tractor

7.2.6 FIXED EQUIPMENT IN THE MRF
The various types of fixed equipment that may be included in an MRF are presented in Table 7.3.
The types of equipment in use in a single facility are highly variable, and selection is based on goals
for the number of commingled articles that are to be separated, their purity, the original character-
istics of the waste, space considerations, the throughput capacity of the facility, and, of course, eco-
nomics. The various fixed components are discussed in the following sections.

7.2.7 CONVEYORS
The conveyor, a system to transfer wastes from one location to another (and also for manual and
mechanical removal of individual components from the waste stream), is the most common unit of

FIGURE 7.4 Front-end loader on the tipping floor.