What are Briquetting machines and how to choose the right one for your company
Guide to choosing an industrial metal chip Briquetting machine: stand-alone or centralized system?
In the metal processing industry, chip management is a daily challenge with significant impacts on safety, efficiency and sustainability. The use of industrial Briquetting machines makes it possible to reduce the volume of metal chips, separate residual oils and improve plant organization.
But a fundamental question arises for every manufacturing reality: is it better to install a stand-alone Briquetting machines or to invest in a centralized system?
In this guide we help you figure out which solution best suits your needs.
First of all, we should ask ourselves: why use a chip compactor?
Metal shavings are not a mere waste but:
- They take up valuable space in production and warehouse
- May pose environmental risks if contaminated with oils
- They have economic value if well treated and resold
- They are subject to stringent disposal rules
Introducing a Briquetting machine in companies that have a lot of machining involves advantages in using the Briquetting machine. What are these advantages?
1) Reduce the volume by up to 90%
2) Separate the coolant and recycle it
3) Improve the safety and cleanliness of the environment
4) Increase the value of the chip for resale
5) Decrease the use of the forklift
6) Do not occupy the forklift for pouring bins
7) Reduce the handling of vehicles, because the load to be unloaded contains much more chip
Centralized solutions: compaction on the shop floor
Centralized Briquetting machines are single, self-contained machines that can be placed in any corner of the workshop without constraint to be combined with evacuation belts or anything else, as the spilling of material is done manually by tipping the bins, directly into the hopper.
Advantages:
- Lower initial investment
- Quick and easy installation
- Easy to integrate even into existing establishments
- Suitable for realities with low or medium amounts of chips where the investment to place a Briquetting machine under each machine tool is not justified.
- It can be moved easily and therefore useful in those situations where there are variable production layouts.
- Increased order and safety in the work environment
- Seamlessly integrated with MES and Industry 4.0 systems
Do not choose this solution if:
- Seeking maximum automation in chip management
- Do you want to recover coolant lubricants directly on board the machine
- Look for a reduction in chip boxes handled on the shop floor
Stand Alone systems: flexibility and simplicity
Briquetting machines Stand-Alone Briquetting machines are designed and engineered to handle metal scrap on board the machine. Due to their positioning below the conveyor belt, Briquetting machines ensure maximum efficiency of machine tools by eliminating downtime due to conveyor blockage caused by too much material.
Advantages:
- Higher initial investment but higher ROI in the long run
- Increased automation and flow control
- Reduction of labor
- It ensures maximum recovery of liquid that is put back into the machine tool tank and maximum automation of the compaction process.
- Increased order and safety in the work environment
- Seamlessly integrated with MES and Industry 4.0 systems
Do not choose this solution if:
- If you want to manage the power supply of the compactor yourself.
- If you do not have a stable production layout but subject to constant change
- If the volume of chips produced per individual machine does not justify the investment in the long run
Ideal for: all plants, medium- to high-volume production, companies aiming for lean logic and digital process integration, companies operating in unmanned operations processes, companies aiming for sustainability.
The best solution depends on your needs
In summary, we can say that both stand-alone solutions and centralized systems offer significant benefits. The difference lies in the specific needs of your production. In either case, investing in a professional compaction system means taking a step toward a sustainable, clean and practical approach.
If you have doubts about which system to adopt for your business, contact us: our technical team is available to help you choose a tailored solution: info@jvonne.com
