Frequently Asked Questions

The ultimate goal of trash compactors is material volume reduction. The desired outcome is the substantial cost savings achieved by reducing the annual number of truck hauls required to remove the waste material.

In addition to cost savings, a properly designed compaction system can reduce labor costs, eliminate pilferage, and reduce waste storage problems.

Reduced Collection Costs - Achieved by reducing the number of hauls required to remove waste.

Reduced Labor Costs - By eliminating baling and additional material handling.

Scavenger Control - Scavengers can't get into the Receiver Bin.

Reduced Insect Problems - Sealed Receiver Bins keep bugs at bay.

Eliminates Wind Blown Debris - Keeps parking lots and collection areas clean.

Reduces Fire Hazards - Reduces risk and may reduce insurance costs.

Odor Control - Sealed Receiver Bins and optional odor control systems manage odors.

Saves Exterior Space - Trash compactor takes up less space than multiple dumpsters.

Saves Interior Space - Trash does not need to be stored inside.

Protects Pavement - Reduced hauls reduces wear and tear on parking lot and roadways.

Stops Pilferage - Keeps the people from taking discarded material.

Prevents Unauthorized Access - Prevents others from viewing/accessing waste.

Prevents Unauthorized Disposal - Stops others from discarding personal waste.

Liquid Control - Drain systems and sealed Receiver Bins control spillage problems.

Refuse can be wet or dry, bulky or non-bulky, and compactable or non-compactable.

Wet Refuse - Examples: food waste, dairy waste, produce and meat waste, plant waste, household garbage, etc.

Dry Refuse - Examples: paper, corrugated boxes, etc.

Bulky Refuse - Examples: wooden crates, pallets, drums, "white goods" (appliances, metal cabinets), furniture, etc.

Non-Compactable Refuse - Examples: stacked newspapers/magazines, bundled computer paper, phone books, bricks, metal castings, etc.

The type of refuse will determine the type of compactor that is best suited to compact and contain the refuse. The type of refuse also determines payload (total tonnage) in a Receiver Bin.

Refuse with a high moisture content will weigh more than dry waste. A full 40 cubic yard compaction Bin from a produce market might weigh over 20,000 lbs., whereas the same size container with only compacted paper will weigh much less. All of these factors should be considered when determining which compactor is best for you.

What is the average volume of waste generated - How much material is being processed per day?

What is the size of the largest item in the waste stream? - What are the dimensions of the largest box, bag, or object that will be processed?

What is the type of waste being processed - Is it dry, wet, bulky, non-compactable or a combination.

Where will the compactor be located? - Is there enough space for the compactor and the collection haulers truck? Is the location convenient for the users?

Is there a suitable power source nearby? - What is the powers voltage? Three Phase or Single Phase? What is the distance to the power source? What gauge of wire is to be used?

Is the compactor big enough to handle loads at peak times? - Can the compactor handle the volume of refuse generated during peak loading times?

Is the compactor easy to use? - Is the compactor conveniently located? What is the loading height? Is it easy to feed? Does it save labor?

Is the compactor compatible with the your haulers equipment? - Can the hauler pick up the Receiver Bin/Self-Contained compactor?

How will the compactor be installed? - Will a through-the-wall chute, doghouse or dock-fed hopper be used? Is the compactor adaptable to these types of installations?

Is the compactor safe to use? - Does the installation comply with OSHA and ANSI standards?

Material Processing - Sani-Tech Auger Compactors are, in reality, pre-crushers and compactors combined. The pre-crushing characteristic is beneficial when product destruction is desired. The material is broken down from its original state and processed into a receiver bin. The auger crushes almost everything it's fed, breaking it down into small, uniform sizes. This allows the user to process pallets, display racks and other oversized items, which eliminates the need to bring these items to a transfer station or landfill.

No Mess - When the compactor and receiver bin are attached the unit is 100% sealed. Access to the compacted material is denied because the auger continuously processes material out of the auger chamber into the receiver bin. Upon separation, spillage is minimized by virtue of the relatively small, round opening in the receiver bin. This compares very favorably to the much larger, rectangular opening of hydraulic compactors.

Clean, Safe Operation - The all-electric drive system runs clean and quiet eliminating many of the headaches associated with hydraulic systems. The Machine Operator, the Public and the Environment are protected from hazardous hydraulic fluid leaks and spills. The all-electric drive system is sealed to allow the compactor to run at its peak efficiency regardless of ambient temperature.

Small Footprint - The Sani-Tech Auger Compactor has a smaller footprint, compared to hydraulic units. This allows them to be installed in smaller spaces and/or use larger receiver bins. The smaller footprint also allows for reduced installation costs.

Reliable and Easy to Maintain - The simple design of the Sani-Tech Auger Compactor combines heavy-duty construction with few moving parts, making it a very reliable and trouble free machine. The only maintenance needed is the periodic lubrication of the auger bearings, which is done with an electrical lubrication system. The electric drive motor is sealed and maintenance free.

Increased Compaction - The auger pre-crushes waste and recyclable material before it is processed into a receiver bin. This creates some of the highest compaction ratios possible, resulting in fewer pick-ups and greater savings compared to hydraulic compactors.

Safe to Use - One of the problems associated with conventional hydraulic compactors is jamming. Due to the amount of space needed to accommodate the "throw" of the ram, hydraulic compactors must be positioned further away from building walls thereby requiring the use of longer, more elaborate trash chutes. When the receiver bin starts to fill, compacted material "springs" back into the charging chamber after the ram returns to its start position. The "spring" back of material into the charging chamber can force "new" material to build up in elaborate trash chutes and cause jams. When a jam occurs someone must crawl into the chute and remove the waste or recyclable material that is causing the problem. This creates a very hazardous safety issue.

The design of the Sani-Tech Auger Compactor is such that jamming is not an issue. The smaller footprint of the compactor coupled with the augers chamber design allows the Sani-Tech Auger Compactor to be installed closer to building walls. This allows a trash chute to virtually drop from the through-the-wall opening onto the auger chamber thereby eliminating jamming and the necessity of building elaborate trash chutes. The auger prevents material from "springing" back into the auger chamber because it penetrates into the receiver bin and continuously runs in a forward direction creating a constant positive pressure against the waste or recyclable material.

Minimal Labor Costs - The auger runs in a forward direction while processing, allowing for continuous feeding. This feature allows the Sani-Tech Auger Compactor to compact up to five times faster than a conventional ram style hydraulic compactors. This feature also insures that the operator does not have to wait for material in the auger chamber to be processed before adding additional material. The operator simply throws material into the hopper, closes the door and turns the unit on. The compactor crushes and processes the material into a receiver bin without any waiting time and is immediately ready for more.

Self-Contained Compactors are best suited for applications where ultra sanitary conditions must be maintained or where extreme amounts of wet material are being disposed of. Leakage is virtually eliminated because the Compaction Unit and the Receiver Bin are molded together in one seamless piece.

Sani-Tech Stationary Auger Compactors are 100% sealed and liquid tight when the Compactor and Receiver Bin are together. This is accomplished with a neoprene Nozzle to Bin Gasket coupled with an Auger Nozzle that penetrates nine (9) inches into the Receiver Bin.

An optional Liquid Drain System insures that liquids are drained out of the Compactor and Receiver Bin before hauling. Removing liquids will reduce the risk of liquid spillage during Bin separation and reduce the weight of the compacted material. The volume of material spilled during Bin separation (about two shovels full) is minimized by virtue of the relatively small Auger opening.

Self-Contained Compactors have a Compaction Unit and a Receiver Bin that are molded together in one seamless piece. This means that the waste hauler has to transport the additional weight of the Compaction Unit during each haul thereby reducing the amount of trash that can be hauled, and the size of the Bin that can be used.

Sani-Tech Stationary Auger Compactors are securely fastened in place. The Receiver Bin is the only part that is picked up by the waste hauler thereby increasing the amount of trash that can be processed and the allowable Bin size that can be used.

Self-Contained Compactors used in Thru-the-Wall Chute applications, or applications where the waste hauler has to pick up the Compactor assembly from the Bin end, require the use of four Wheels (no legs) and Bale Hooks on both ends. This is because the waste hauler has to pull out the Compactor assembly from the Bin end, turn it around, and pick it up again from the Compactor end in order to empty the Bin. This is laborious and time consuming.

One way to eliminate this problem is to use a special Self-Contained Compactor called a "Hinge Tail". A "Hinge Tail" is basically a Compaction Unit that is permanently molded to the Receiver Bin's trash door. The trash door is opened by means of two (2) heavy-duty hydraulic pistons. A "Hinge Tail" is picked from the Bin end and dumped from the Compactor end. There are two major drawbacks to this option: 1) High cost 2) The extra weight added to the Compactor assembly reduces the amount of trash that can be hauled even more.

Sani-Tech Stationary Auger Compactors are securely fastened in place. The waste hauler can easily pick up the Receiver Bin independently.

Self-Contained Compactor Trash Chutes cannot be attached to the Compaction Unit. This is because the Compaction Unit and Receiver Bin are molded together in one seamless piece so the entire assembly must be removed during hauling. This presents two problems: 1) Realigning the Compaction Unit with the Trash Chute after each haul 2) The rubber gasket used between the Trash Chute and the Compaction Unit is easily damaged, and usually insufficient to keep liquids and trash from escaping.

Sani-Tech Stationary Auger Compactors are securely fastened in place thereby allowing Trash Chutes to be permanently attached and sealed.

Compaction - Reducing the bulk or volume of material through compression, and crushing.

Compaction Ratio - The volume of loose material that can be compressed into 1 cubic yard of space. (Ex: 5 to 1 - where 5 cubic yard of loose trash can be packed into 1 cubic yard of Bin space)

Stationary Compactor - A "stand alone" unit that is permanently bolted to the ground. A Receiver Bin is attached to the compactor with two ratchet binders. Only the Receiver Bin is loaded onto the haulers truck when it's ready to be emptied.

Self-Contained Compactor - A Compactor and Receiver Bin that are assembled as one seamless, liquid-tight unit. The complete assembly is loaded onto the haulers truck when it's ready to be emptied

Receiver Bin - A reinforced steel container that holds the processed material.
Auger Chamber - The loading area of a compactor, measured in cubic yards, that holds the refuse prior to compaction.

Clear Top Opening - The opening above the auger chamber

Auger - The pushing and pre-crushing component used in Auger style compactors

Ram - The pushing component of a hydraulic compactor that moves the refuse from the charging chamber to the compaction container where it is compressed.

Pre-crusher - A special stationary compactor with a hydraulically operated door at the end of the charge chamber. The door is hydraulically lowered and bulky materials are crushed against it. The door is then raised and the crushed material is pushed into the container.

Drum Crusher - A machine designed similar to a vertical baler that is designed to crush one (or more) steel or fiber drums.

Front Load/Rear Load - The Receiver Bin that is picked up on site and dumped into a front or rear load refuse truck.

A Compaction Ratio refers to the volume of loose material that can be compressed into 1 cubic yard of space. For example, a 5 to 1 compaction ratio means that 5 cubic yards of loose material can be packed into 1 cubic yard of Bin space.

Before a Compaction Ratio can be estimated, the waste stream must be identified and evaluated. As a rule, very dense material will not compact as mush as lightweight material. The factors that determine the Compaction Ratio include, but are not limited to:

• Type of Refuse
• Auger Horsepower
• Container Size
• Container Style
• Weather

You must consider ALL variables before estimating a Compaction Ratio for any application. Typical Compaction Ratios for auger style compactors start around 5 to 1 but are subject to interpretation. Do not buy a compactor based on the estimated Compaction Ratio alone. Typically the Compaction Ratios provided with quotes are simply an educated guess at best. While they may hold up over time it is best to stay conservative when evaluating a waste stream.

To determine the size of the compactor that you should buy follow these simple steps:

1. Determine whether or not you need a compactor by doing a cost analysis. Is purchasing a compactor the best option? Will it be cost effective?
2. Determine your waste type and size.
3. Determine the volume of waste being processed now. Consider future increases or decreases.
4. Determine the space available for a compactor.
5. Determine the method of feeding the compactor
6. Determine the type and size of the haulers vehicle