During Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) of five powerful BloApCo 5-shaft shredders at a major national retail distribution center (DC), members of the DC staff noticed how much quieter the shredding systems were than similar equipment installed at their various facilities. Even as the shredders worked at full speed, with a pneumatic air system conveying the scrap and shredded boxes to a remote baling and recycling area.
As part of the SAT, a decibel-meter application measured the noise levels from various points around the individual shredders, which are spread throughout the massive facility. The sound test assessed the combined noise from all aspects of a shredding station: The continuous action of a shredder working at full capacity, the material handling fan, the material waste moving through the ducts of the air conveying system, and the ambient sound of the installation footprint.
The readings all came in around 80 dB range, safely below the 85 dBA average permissible exposure limit (PEL) for noise in the workplace over an 8-hour workday. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that consistent noise levels above 85 dBA require ear protection be worn by facility personnel.
For more information on OSHA Occupational Noise Exposure guidelines visit: https://www.osha.gov/noise
The low noise threshold was anecdotally verified by those on the installation team, as they were able to converse at common speaking levels while in close proximity to the equipment.
High Torque “Pierce-and-Tear” Action
BloApCo’s patented “Pierce-and-Tear” action uses high torque to shred material at the most efficient RPM speed, producing significantly lower noise levels than other shredding actions. While most shredders need to be installed in remote areas of a facility to isolate the hazardous noise levels, BloApCo shredders can be installed at the optimum location within the work stream, providing convenient access while increasing productivity.
Low noise is only part of the story. The powerful BloApCo 5-shaft shredder provides outstanding throughput and unrivaled waste reduction speed, outperforming all other alternatives. The “break-pack, repack” operation commonly performed by retail distribution centers takes up a lot of space; it is a big help to not having to worry about old corrugated containers (OCC) and cartons clogging the work area. In the SAT the BloApCo shredding systems processed the waste in one-quarter of the time initially required by the project team.
Playing it Safe
Additionally, BloApCo shredders are built with multiple features to safeguard equipment operators and those working nearby.
During the SAT, Frank Tejera, CEO of BloApCo, said, “Safety is our top priority, and performance is our goal. Our customers rely on us, and expect us to process a pile of waste quickly, safely and efficiently. It is even better if you do it quietly.”
BloApCo has several 5-shaft shredder varieties and related equipment that are designed especially for distribution center and industrial applications. For more information please visit:
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