ATTENTION GRABBER in Straubing, Bavaria

With the cost of virgin material constantly increasing, thanks to worldwide price increases in power and raw materials, recycling is not only becoming the environmentally friendly option, but also the economic choice for many companies. To meet increasing demands in the recycling markets many companies are investing in the latest technology to process and handle incoming and outgoing materials from their plants.

Straubing in Bavaria is home to H Carnuth K.G. Stahlrecycling. One of the oldest and most respected recyclers within the region, Carnuth handle a wide variety of scrap metals, wood, plastics, and paper board material on the outskirts of the city.

The busy facility handles incoming material from a variety of industrial sources around the region and even farther afield. Material is sorted and processed before being sent out to several worldwide sources for recycling and to undertake the bulk of the material handling duties, the company has chosen to run a range of SENNEBOGEN material handlers.

Taking centre stage in their plant is a huge LeFort static shear plant with a capacity of over 800 tonnes. As the shear is in a fixed point, the company uses a pylon mounted SENNEBOGEN 835 E material handler to keep a constant flow of material entering the cavernous jaws of the shear. The 835 E also plays a pivotal role in ensuring material is dispatched in a safe and steady fashion. Running adjacent to the site is a convenient rail siding which allows the company to send a huge proportion of their materials out by rail. The 835 E is an ideal fit for loading the rail cars as its added height allows the operators to see directly into each rail car and ensure that it is filled to capacity each time. Electrically driven, the 835 E has been serving the business for over half a decade and has been an invaluable asset to the success of the business.

Whilst the heavier steel entering the yard is handled by the 835 E, other materials are segregated and handled by another two SENNEBOGEN material handlers in the shape of an 821 E and 825 E. Both material handlers are recent additions to the site and, like the entire fleet, carry the company’s orange colour scheme, a striking difference to the traditional SENNEBOGEN green.

Both machines have been supplied in their standard material handling specifications with the 821 E sitting on an MP21 chassis and the 835 E an MP26 version.

Both chassis combine strong and stable construction with a manoeuvrable design, hydraulically driven and fitted with independently operated stabilisers both front and rear. Both machines carry similar upper structures differing slightly in length with the 825 E carrying a larger counterweight.

Both machines use identical hydraulic cab lifting systems to allow the operator unobstructed and clear views across the material they are handling and the vehicles they are loading. The Maxcab on both material handlers is said to be a very comfortable and spacious work environment with electrohydraulic joysticks providing a smooth and relaxed feel for the operator. The cabin is well proportioned to provide ample room for the operator and is laid out to give an intuitive and easy to use feel.

The material handling equipment differs slightly on both machines with the 821 E carrying K12 equipment capable of offering a 12m working range whilst the 825 E carries a 14m radius K14 design. Both machines are fitted with five-tine grabs with the smaller machine having a 400-litre grab and the larger machine a 600-litre unit.

"They are designed to do the job they do and they do it very well...

The smaller of the two machines spends much of its working time sorting through the constant intake of card and paper products. Material is dropped off at the site in bulk or from customer’s premises and once on the ground, the 821 E picks and sorts the material before placing it on a ground level conveyor that feeds it into the large baling machine. Once baled, it is stacked ready for transportation for further recycling. The 825 E however is used as a multi-purpose machine around the yard for loading and sorting of a variety of waste products. From stamping waste taken from the car manufacturing industry to scrap wood from packaging and construction works, the 825 E handles all types of material in its stride.

Carnuth’s Operations Manager at Straubing is no stranger to the locally manufactured machines having spent over a decade working for SENNEBOGEN. Michael Bauer has stepped away from working for the manufacturer to being the end user and despite his affiliation with the brand, he speaks openly and honestly about the reasons behind the company’s latest purchases. “The new machines were one of my first acquisitions at Carnuth. We do have a material handler from another manufacturer, but the SENNEBOGEN machines do the job for us.

"They are robust, the drivers like them and also have a say in what the company purchases, they are reliable and fuel efficient and if anything were to go wrong, the manufacturer is just a couple of minutes away..."

We deal with part of the factory that undertakes local sales and service contracts and they look after us as we would expect them to. Carnuth has been a SENNEBOGEN customer for many years and whilst other makes have crept into the large fleet, we do this so that we don’t put all our eggs in one basket. We look to keep the machines on the fleet for at least five years and in that time we want a reliable and efficient machine. The latest Green Line machine are designed to be just that with fuel efficient and proven Cummins engines providing the power. What we like about the SENNEBOGEN material handlers is their simplicity. They are not overly complicated with too many electronics. They are designed to do the job they do and they do it very well.”