Tiny controller plays big role in recycling

A Mitsubishi Electric Automation Systems product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 17, 2008

The FX compact PLC (programmable logic controller) from Mitsubishi is playing a vital and increasing role in reducing landfill and improving recycling.

Sheldon Hall of Terberg Matec UK, a refuse vehicle builder, explains how industrial technology is making a vital contribution to the markets served by Terberg's bin lift and recycling vehicle solutions.

As a nation, by 2010, we are committed to reducing landfill volumes to 75 per cent of that in 1995.

This ambitious target will become increasingly achievable as we continue to recycle so much of what was traditionally considered rubbish.

For the local authorities and private sector contractors, this means sorting the materials by type, either at an MRF (materials recovery facility) or at source, for example, the kerbside, during collection and treating each appropriately.

The latter method provides a significant number of local authorities with the most efficient solution for their needs and has driven the development of a whole new generation of collection vehicles.

The first stage of kerbside segregation involves the communication process to engage householders and motivate them to sort their recyclables into different bins or boxes for paper, card, cans, plastic and so on.

These recyclable streams are then collected using a specialist non-compaction, multi-compartment vehicle such as Terberg's Kerbsider, which offers segregated storage compartments for each recyclable faction.

Here, the recyclables are emptied from household storage into separate compartments on the vehicles side mounted trough, the trough is then raised vertically up the side of the vehicle while the roof opens and then discharges each recycling stream into its corresponding compartment within the Kerbsider body.

With up to six body compartments, a powered rear door, power trough lift and powered internal door locks, the typical Kerbsider vehicle requires every function to be interlocked through the Mitsubishi FX PLC such that each function can only operate when it is safe to do so.

The FX also provides the brains behind the optional, intelligent, wheelie bin clamp system that allows the Kerbsider to safely hoist domestic wheelie bins into the air and empty them into its body.

The FX is probably the most popular controller in European industry, with around 10 million in use.

'The FX is tiny, but it takes a complex assembly of mechanical, hydraulic and electro-pneumatic components such as our Kerbsider or Toploader products and helps transform them into a highly sophisticated, intelligent and interactive solution for the collection of recyclables at the front line of the environmental management process,' said Hall.

Hall also said that various councils and private contractors are increasingly trying different and innovative ways in which to improve recycling.

Their plans relate to differing local needs, physical and social barriers and resource limitations and also to different operating strategies.

'The change in customer behaviour and operational requirements was inevitable.

'Here at Terberg we are lucky enough to have a management and engineering team that has been able to react quickly to the changing market requirements and has been proactive in developing the market.

'We have gradually evolved our workshop manufacturing capabilities from that geared towards producing "standard" vehicle configurations to a more customer-focused approach where we can offer far greater customisation to our base product lines.

'Our concerns over the engineering challenges posed by having such a diverse product range and ensuring safety in operation throughout have been significantly reduced by the adoption of industrial control technology, such as the FX range.' Some of Terberg's recycling vehicle body solutions even include a Mitsubishi E series HMI (human machine interface) in the cab.

This is a touchscreen graphics display, hardened for industrial use or on a dirty, noisy, vibrating vehicle, from which the driver can monitor and control all operations of the specialist recycling vehicle body equipment.

The HMI units are mainly used on the latest range of Kerbsider vehicles, including the Kerbsider Combi TD hybrid vehicle that offers a 'one pass' solution to collecting dry recyclable and food waste from the kerbside.

The HMI allows the addition of new features, or even retrofitting options.

Changes to the 'virtual' control panel are relatively easy.