Impact Roller
JÄGER Group develops reliable protection for waste disposal vehicles
Challenge
Needed: Tough and reliable protection for waste containers
Search for an elastic, dimensionally stable material
Cost efficient material and manufacturing process required
Solution
The installed steel shaft is covered by an elastic impact roller
Perfect material selection thanks to comprehensive knowledge
Subsequent adjustment of material and manufacturing process to optimize costs
Result
Waste containers remain intact
Complaints to the waste management companies are eliminated
Price and delivery time improvements
Protect garbage cans form wear and tear
They are the busy machines that empty the garbage from our garbage cans at least once a week: waste disposal vehicles!
ZÖLLER-KIPPER GmbH from Mainz is Europe‘s largest manufacturer of hydraulic lift and tipping vehicles for waste emptying and collection. Zöller turned to its supplier of many years, Jäger Gummi und Kunststoff GmbH with which they jointly developed some of the articles that are installed in the so-called „lifter“.
A lifter is the area responsible for lifting and emptying the garbage cans – usually at the rear of a garbage truck. This time Zöller needed a component that would provide the refuse collection vehicles with special protection.
This is because when the waste container was lifted to the top and emptied in the waste disposal vehicle, it struck the top of the vehicle‘s stop, which could not absorb the impact. For this reason, Zöller needed a protective jacket for the steel shafts used in the process.
Challenge
Long-lasting protection for waste containers wanted
The steel shafts must be encased so that a spring effect is achieved. In this way, waste containers would no longer be damaged and vehicle operators would no longer be exposed to the risk of injury from the defective garbage cans.
After the materials experts at Jäger Gummi und Kunststoff tested various materials and geometries, they first produced a PU molded part that fitted the shaft perfectly. They tested various hollow chambers and hardness levels. They then created a mold for casting polyurethane. The prototypes of the impact roller were subjected to several practical tests on vehicles with full waste containers. Despite the technically successful solution,
the customer wanted a different solution as the PU component was very cost-intensive due to the casting process. Jäger therefore developed an alternative.
Solution
Robust, cost-effective impact roller for waste disposal vehicles
The Jäger engineers thought ahead and produced an EPDM profile of identical construction. Thanks to its good resistance to weathering, EPDM is particularly suitable for outdoor applications, such as in waste disposal vehicles. In addition, the elastic material is an inexpensive yet durable material. The unit price could also be reduced, due to the of the EPDM component’s fast extrusion process. The new solution went into series production after it had been thoroughly tested and approved in joint practical tests at the customer‘s site.
Result
Well-protected waste containers
Thanks to the EPDM solution, production times for the impact roller have been reduced and Jäger Gummi und Kunststoff is able to always rapidly deliver the component to Zöller.
With the elastic impact roller on the steel shaft, the waste containers are now protected from scratches and wear. In addition, the vehicle price remains low thanks to the costeffective EPDM solution. The disposal companies now save the additional costs of customer complaints and frequent replacement of waste containers while maintaining the low vehicle price. Last but not least, the house owners are happy about intact and nice-looking waste garbage cans.
