What Is A Hydraulic Trash Compactor?
There are many types of hydraulic compactors. A hydraulic compactor is a machine designed to condense materials into smaller forms using hydraulic pressure. Examples of hydraulic compactors include soil plate compactors, roller compactors, and hydraulic trash compactors. Hydraulic trash compactors reduce the volume of wet or dry waste inside of a container or chamber.
How Do They Work?
Hydraulic trash compactor systems operate by putting hydraulic fluid under great pressure to generate power. They use pumps to push hydraulic fluid through the system to create fluid power. The fluid passes through the valves and flows to the cylinder where the hydraulic energy converts back into mechanical energy. The valves help to direct the flow of the liquid and relieve pressure when needed.
In the case of a hydraulic trash compactor, the cylinder drives a platen or ram toward the back of a container or chamber in which waste is place before operation. The action of the ram repeatedly crushing the waste against the sidewalls of the machine helps to reduce the waste in size and volume.
Some trash compactors run automatically, while other require key switch operation. This depends on the use case and type of compactor being used. The compaction ratio achieve by each different type of hydraulic compactor depends on the ram force it generates, the size and penetration depth of the platen, the volume and type of trash being compacted, and the size of the container.
Types Of Hydraulic Trash Compactors
There are several different kinds of hydraulic trash compactors, each serving a specific purpose, application, or volume of waste. Typically, businesses use indoor compactors, stationary compactors, vertical compactors, and self-contained hydraulic trash compactors.
Indoor Trash Compactors
Indoor compactors are often used by restaurants, shopping malls, museums, airports, hospitals, and other areas in which customers directly dispose of trash in an indoor setting. Our flagship indoor compactor, the SmartPack Automatic Trash Compactor, has a “no-touch” automatic door and provides an amazing 11:1 compaction ratio! Our indoor stainless steel compactors, like our 450SS Indoor Packer, help to compact waste in the back end of restaurants, daycares, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Residential buildings and offices sometime have the need to send waste into a central location for collection and compaction. Our AC30 Apartment Compactor is an example of a machine that has a feed opening, allowing it to be configured with a chute for just such purposes.
Stationary Models
Stationary Compactors
are outdoor units that are permanently set into place, and have a detachable container. Harmony’s line of stationary compactors come in 1 yard, 2 yard, and 3 yard sizes, with a variety of container sizes available. What makes these unique, is that they can be configured for any business setting. Waste can be fed into them in numerous ways, including ground load side-feed doghouse, rear or side chute feed, hopper feed, rear feed double access doors, walk on/drive on deck, walk on/drive on deck enclosed, side load tipper, or offset hopper.
When the compactor is full, the container can be emptied into a hauling truck on site, or removed and brought back at a later date.
Vertical Compactors
Stationary models, although normally horizontal in orientation, are sometimes made as vertical compactors for situations where space is a premium. Harmony’s VC100 is a uniquely designed high volume outdoor vertical machine that has a turret style top. This innovative construction allows for the loading door to meet a chute or hand fed waste deposit from any angle – perfect for tight waste corrals!
Our P200 is a smaller, but powerful 2 yard compactor that provides an incredible 7.5:1 compaction ratio with a minimal operational footprint.
Self-Contained Designs
Self-Contained Compactors
are designed specifically for dry or wet waste and are located behind or at the dock areas of most business locations. The compactor and container are permanently attached to each other, utilizing the finest high quality steel plate and structural steel channel and tubing. When full, the entire unit is loaded onto a roll-off truck for transportation to the landfill or tipped up and emptied into the hauler truck. These compactors range in sizes, and can be as large as 40 cu. yards.
Harmony has a line of 4-6 yard front and rear loaded power packer compactors, as well as a line of larger self-contained outdoor hydraulic trash compactors.
Benefits Of Hydraulic Trash Compactors
Why would a business owner want to bother with compacting their waste instead of just putting it into an open top dumpster? There are several benefits to using a hydraulic trash compactor for waste. These are just a few:
- They reduce the volume and footprint of waste, allowing for a larger quantity and weight of waste to be hauled away less frequently. This saves your business an great deal of money and gives you and immediate return on your investment.
- They help to reduce the carbon emissions put out by the truck during more frequent hauls, thus improving the environment for generations to come.
- They provide a more clean and safe waste collection area. They reduce pilferage, fire hazards, safety hazards, and odor in and around the waste corral.
- The reduced waste takes up less space in landfills, allowing for more waste to be deposited and easing the burden on the already stressed waste stream.
- They are easy to use and safe to operate.
Hydraulic Trash Compactor Maintenance
Like any machine, Harmony hydraulic trash compactors are designed for long lasting, trouble free operation as long as the equipment is used in accordance with the operating manual and periodic preventive maintenance is performed on the machine.
On a regularly occurring bi-annual or annual schedule, you should have a certified technician check your trash compactor’s control panel, hydraulic system, and physical condition. All wiring, buttons, switches, lights, gauges, valves, motors, hoses, cylinders, anchors, turnbuckles, doors, rams, chutes, frames, guide rails, covers, bolts, and pumps should be in good working order and there should be sufficient oil with no contamination.
Should something need to be replaced or repaired, these regular check-ups allow you to make proactive decisions to keep your compactors up and running at their most efficient levels.
Contact Us For All Your Hydraulic Compactor Needs!
Harmony is the trusted source for waste handling and recycling equipment. We manufacture the widest range of longest lasting machines available for your business. Our helpful sales team will utilize our Proven Process to ensure that you are proposed the right solution for your specific application. We offer free quotes, site reviews, and customer referrals.
Want to learn more about how a hydraulic trash compactor can save your business, time, space, labor, and money? Call us at (507) 886-6666 or fill out this simple form today!
