Serving institutional, commercial, residential and industrial sectors this paper recycler prides itself as a leader in a fast pace eco-technology industry. With emphasis on reclaiming reusable paper products from urban waste streams, every penny counts. Currently they own and operate the largest single stream paper recycling operation in North America which processes at a rate of 60 + tons per hour. Therefore, the ability to implement efficient strategies that increase productivity and contribute to the bottom line is crucial for longevity and profitable growth. Part of those strategies is to constantly strive to identify better processes.

At its core of production is the process of receiving recovered materials into the main sort facility. Separated into different commodity groups the main process is to separate waste from reusable and create bailed products for sale. At one time the process was facilitated with the use of a floor scale in each sort facility. Using a floor scale had become to impractical with the time involved to keep up with both production demand and the industry leading operational output. The increase in lift truck fleet along with the time required weighing each bail for inventory and trailer loading purposes required an improved not restrictive process. Another pressing matter for management as a result of the increase in production was the growing lift truck traffic and potential for collisions as lift trucks reroute to find the floor scale.

To meet the demands of increasing productivity the SkidWeigh ED3 units were installed on all of the lift trucks to save time in weighing the products at the point when they come off the bailer for inventory. In addition, the trucks designated for loading trailers now equipped with SkidWeigh ED3’s use them to manage trailer weights. This practical solution not only eliminated time previously required to use floor scales but also allowed this company to redesign and improve their production flow. Previously when a lift truck traveled to the floor scale the inventory was weighed and its weight and product code was captured on a clip board by the operator. With the SkidWeigh ED3 the on-board unit has the ability for the operator to input the product code at time of weighing. The system retains this information until such time as a USB is inserted into the back of the units and all product data down loaded, secure and in a manageable excel format. This saves the operator time writing down the information and eliminates the possibility of lost records. With regards to the concerns for operator safety and vehicle damage with the increase of lift truck traffic the SkidWeigh ED3 provides both access control and impact detection. Operators are assigned entry codes that allow only certified operators to drive vehicles and the impact detection option on the SkidWeigh ED3’s record significant impacts when they happen along with who was driving for post inspection analysis.