Waste wagon's gross appetite
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A NEW type of waste collection vehicle has been commissioned by the Grundon Group. Built by the Lancashire based Scapa Engineering Co Ltd, the FL 3000 is claimed to achieve higher rates of compaction than earlier designs using the same front-lift principle, whereby the container is lifted bodily over tbe top of the cab to tip its contents into the main load compartment.
The moving bulkhead compactor is augmented by a pair of separate thrust plates which exert pressure over a smaller area, thus helping to break up and consolidate the material.
Although the equipment is relatively heavy, to the extent that the 24-tons-gvw-plated Leyland Bison can carry a maximum payload of only about 9 tons, its productivity is high, thanks to its ability to serve three or more customers on one "round".
Speed of operation is also improved, compared with the familiar skip-loader or roll-on, roll-off vehicle. Turnround time is typically only five minutes, with the driver having to leave the cab only to deal with his documentation.
Grundon's new commercial on-the-spot waste bin emptying service is being introduced, in the Reading, Farnborough, Aldershot, Camberley and Basingstoke areas.
It is being operated in conjunction with Grundon's waste reclamation facilities at the Group's Reading depot, where large volumes of paper and cardboard waste are being reclaimed.