Glass recycling: Micro-Sizer: glass cullet production equipment

 Micro-Sizer: Unique and Efficient Crushing Machine for Glass Recycling

Sbuilding an efficient glass crusher is challenging, glass had not always been recycled, and landfilling has been a problem. Donico Inter Co., Ltd. had succeeded in manufacturing a unique glass crushing machine called Micro-Sizer. Micro-Sizer crushes glass efficiently into safe powdery glass cullet. Since 1995, Micro-Sizer has been adopted by various organizations including glass cullet manufacturers and local governments both in Japan and the United States.

Major Features and Advantages

I. No Separation Is Needed

Separation of other materials is not required with Micro-Sizer. For instance, caps and labels do not have to be removed from glass bottles before they are crushed. Liquid, a smell of alcohol, sugar and salt content are also eliminated during the crushing process. Glass recycling is easier with Micro-Sizer.

II. Efficient Crusher

Unlike conventional hammer crushers and mills, Micro-Sizer does not take up a lot of space. The area required for installation is only 4m x 6m. Micro-Sizer is, however, a powerful machine with 11 rotors that operate at a rotation speed of 1,800 rpm. It produces as much as 3 tons of glass cullet per hour.

III. Cullet Applications

Glass cullet comes in different sizes between 0.05mm and 5.00mm. Micro-Sizer spins glass at a very high speed (around 1800rpm), smoothening the sharp edges of the crushed glass. The final product is edgeless powdery glass cullet that is safe to touch and use. The glass cullet has many applications. Larger cullet is mixed with cement for concrete construction or with asphalt for road construction. Smaller cullet is mixed with bricks, ceramics, and blocks to lower their baking temperature. Glass cullet is also used as artificial sand in the beaches that suffer coastal erosion, is mixed with paint coating for fluorescent display for road traffic, or is mixed with clay soil to improve its quality.

IV. Less Operating Cost

A special metal material is used for Micro-Sizer parts. The material of internal part is more resistant to wear than iron and aluminum that are typically used in the hammer crushers and mills. This special material is long-lasting and therefore significantly reduces the operating cost in a longer perspective.

Currently, about ten units of Micro-Sizer are used in the Unites States, and 20 units are used in Japan. Although hammer crushers and mills are still popular glass crushers today, Micro-Sizer would efficiently crush glass into safe powdery glass cullet that has many useful applications.

Technology Data

Conceivable applications

The produced glass cullet by Micro-Sizer can be used in the following applications:
– Sand-like product as an alternative to natural sand for beach areas suffered by coastal erosion.
– Auxiliary material mixed with cement for concrete construction (i.e. graphite).
– Material mixed with asphalt for road construction.
– Material to improve clay soil.
– Purifying material for hydroponics.
– Floor material for walking road in golf course.
– Material mixed with paint coating for fluorescent display for road traffic.
– Material for bricks, ceramics and blocks.

Competitive advantage

Generally, hammer crusher and mill are popular for crushing waste glasses today. Micro-Sizer is unique and more efficient equipment than conventional hammer crusher and mill. This is because of the compact dry process as well as efficient impurity separation process of the Micro-Sizer which can produce about 3 ton of glass cullet per hour (up to the powder size of 0.05mm).
The operating cost can be reduced significantly because of the wear proof metal material used in the Micro-Sizer which is thought to cost much less than that of hammer crusher and mill, from long-term perspective.

Performance

Eleven rotors are installed in the Micro-Sizer equipment which operate a rotation rate of 1,800 rpm. The wind generated by the rotors can eliminate sharp edge of crushed glass so the final product always becomes edgeless glass cullet for safe use. The edgeless glass cullet is safe so that a variety of applications are possible as mentioned above.
In terms of volume, Micro-Sizer can produce about 3 ton of glass cullet per hour. Micro-Sizer can crush glass (i.e. glass bottles) into glass cullet (size is between 0.05mm and 5.00mm) by separating impurities such as caps and labels. Also, Micro-Sizer can eliminate liquid, smell of alchol, sugar and salt content during the crushing process.

 Specification of Micro-Sizer (R-1000) is as follows.

Micro-Sizer (R-1000)

Technical maturity / Past record of introduction

Since 1995, we have been successfully developing our business especially in the US and Japan. About 20 Micro-Sizers have been successfully installed in the US.
Particularly in Japanese market, we successfully sold about 10 Micro-Sizers to various organisations including glass cullet manufacturers, glass-related companies as well as local governments.

Conceivable risk

Although the wear proof metal material is a long-lasting material installed in the Micro-Sizer equipment, it can eventually be worn after a certain period of operation time. Therefore, replacement and maintenance is inevitably required. Availability of the wear proof metal material in local area and timing of the replacement could be challenging for local business partners. In any case, we are happy to help our business partners overcome these challenges.

Information on patent related to this technology

Japan: Patent – 4048537

Contact person

Kaneyuki Inoko
Chief Executive Officer
E-mail: [email protected]
HP: http://donico.co.jp