Bendall Gets a Belter
January 18, 2023
In a growing market, investment in new kit must bring big improvements to production capacity and operational efficiency to stay ahead of the competition. Bendall Metals get this and more with their new Kobelco SK140SRD car dismantler supplied by the recycling machinery experts at Molson Green.
The performance of the waste and recycling sector is going to prove pivotal if the UK is to reach the ambitious environmental and carbon reduction targets it has set itself.
Not only does this salvage recycling and reuse of materials from steel to aggregate; timber to topsoil make environmental sense, but as raw material prices continue to escalate, makes sound financial sense too.
Molson Green is the dedicated division of Molson Group that is focussed on providing machines for the recycling industry that help businesses provide the highest quality recycled material available.
As part of the Groups ‘Green Agenda’, Molson Group are committed to using their expertise to help reduce the impact on the environment. However, this is not only achieved by offering a range of low emission machines and equipment, including electric drive machines. The biggest improvements are to be had by sharing their knowledge and expertise to help customers become more efficient in their day-to-day operations. This could be by introducing alternative machines or technologies available, or by simply re-engineering a site layout to give incremental improvements that can make a huge difference over time.
One such business is Gloucestershire based, Bendall Metal Recycling Ltd, which has taken a Kobelco SK140SRD-5 MD car dismantler for use at its recycling centre on the banks of the River Severn in the Forest of Dean.
The firm specialises in metal recycling, purchasing all ferrous and non-ferrous grades and offering services for householders and large multi-national companies alike.
One burgeoning area of business is in the recycling of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), a difficult task which meant that joint company directors Rob Bendall and Lucy Thomas were looking for a machine that would help in their quest to process as much of the recyclables out of the scrap cars and commercial vehicles as possible.
The two worked with Molson Sales Manager, Matt Wilson, to pin down a machine that would ensure the team could successfully segregate as much of the 3000 tonnes of scrap that Bendall’s process per month into useable raw materials.
After deliberating over the choice of machine, the Bendall’s team settled on the Kobelco SK140SRD-5MD dismantler coupled with a Daemo DMCP 140R attachment as the latest additions to the fleet.
Such is the precision of these machines that they can pick out even the smallest pieces of valuable material which helps improve the overall percentage of a vehicle that can actually be recycled. This increased yield – as much as 30% in some applications – not only makes end-of-life vehicle recycling more profitable, but it also makes it viable for the Bendall’s team to take on vehicles that have been partially processed by other firms, ensuring that more is recycled and helping to reduce the worldwide demand for raw materials.
Working on the ‘OHIO – Only Handle It Once’ principle as far as possible, end-of-life vehicles that come through the gate are initially ‘depolluted’ with all oils and fluids drained from them before the Kobelco uses its independently operable gripping arms to reposition the vehicle before metals and materials are stripped and peeled away from the vehicle’s frame. Anything remaining is loaded into the shear and baled.
One area where the Kobelco and Daemo duo is particularly effective is in separating the wiring loom from the scrap vehicles. These copper wires are of a high value to the Bendall’s team and well worth the salvage effort. The dexterity of the Daemo attachment and the manoeuvrability of the Kobelco can accurately draw the wiring loom from the vehicle, ready for recycling.
As well as providing a better-quality final product, the improvement in yield means there is less material remaining to be put into the shear and therefore, less wear on these expensive pieces of equipment.
With scrap metal prices currently at a high, the machines efficiency, improved yield and high output helps balance the investment for the Bendall’s team.
Robert Bendall, Managing Director at Bendall Metal Recycling said, “We wanted an efficient machine that would help us recycle greater volumes of the more difficult material from ELVs, but that would also improve the quality of the recyclables and give them a greater fiscal value. We wanted a machine that would help us work smarter – and harder. The Kobelco machine does that. It gives a greater yield increase and is very fuel efficient, it is comfortable for the operator, is smooth and well balanced. We are very happy with it and the level of service we have received from the Molson team.”
Matt Wilson, Molson Sales Manager said, “This is the perfect machine for the Bendall Metal Recycling team, with the ideal attachment. The Kobelco is a factory-built machine and so benefits from a full warranty. Its small footprint is ideal for use in their recycling facility and like all Kobelco’s it has exceptional fuel economy – another environmental benefit – and fantastic build quality. The Daemo nibblers are so precise they can be used to pinpoint and retrieve the smallest pieces of valuable material, increasing the yield per vehicle and once again proving hugely beneficial to the environment.”
