Conveyor System Integration: Adding Automation to an Existing Tyre Baler

By:     Conor Murphy

Conveyor system integration with an existing tyre baler is a well-defined process, but it requires careful attention to dimensional, electrical, and layout compatibility before any equipment is ordered. Many tyre recycling facilities start with a manually-fed baler, establish their processing operation, build tyre intake volumes, and then reach a point where manual loading is clearly limiting throughput and creating health and safety risk that needs to be addressed at source. Adding a conveyor at that stage is a practical and common upgrade path.

The decision to proceed with conveyor system integration is usually straightforward once the throughput and risk case is clear. The more detailed work is in the assessment: whether the existing baler’s feed opening is compatible with conveyor delivery, the available electrical supply capacity, how the floor layout accommodates the conveyor’s footprint and loading zone, and the civil preparation required for the installation.

This article covers the practical steps for integrating a conveyor system with an existing tyre baler: what to assess before ordering, how the electrical integration works, what site preparation is needed, and what operational changes to expect after commissioning.

Assessing Compatibility with an Existing Baler

The first step before ordering a conveyor for an existing baler is a compatibility assessment. The conveyor’s delivery height at the upper end must match the baler’s chamber loading height. The conveyor’s belt width must accommodate the widest tyre format in the operation. The space available at the baler’s loading side must fit the conveyor’s footprint, including the incline run and the lower loading section. And the electrical supply capacity at the installation point must accommodate the conveyor motor’s power draw, along with the existing baler supply.

Gradeall conducts a site survey before supplying a conveyor for retrofit installation. The survey confirms baler model and serial number, chamber dimensions and loading height, available floor space and ceiling height at the baler end, tyre mix and the widest tyre format processed, and the electrical supply available at the installation point. The survey takes approximately two to three hours and produces the specification confirmation needed to order the correct conveyor configuration.

Electrical Integration: The Interlock Requirement

Adding a conveyor to an existing baler requires electrical integration between the two pieces of equipment through an interlock system. The interlock ensures that the conveyor cannot run when the baler is in a press cycle (to prevent tyre accumulation at the chamber when it cannot be loaded), and that the conveyor stops if the baler stops unexpectedly (to prevent uncontrolled tyre accumulation on a running belt feeding a stopped baler).

The interlock is wired between the baler’s and the conveyor’s control panels. For Gradeall balers and Gradeall conveyors, the interlock wiring specification is documented and known. For a Gradeall conveyor integrated with an existing non-Gradeall baler, the interlock wiring requires reviewing the baler’s control circuit to identify the appropriate connection points. This work is carried out by Gradeall’s installation team in conjunction with the site’s electrical contractor.

For existing Gradeall MKII baler installations, the integration of the inclined tyre baler conveyor is a defined process with documented electrical specifications. Contact Gradeall with your baler’s serial number to confirm the specific integration documentation for your installation.

Site Preparation for Conveyor Installation: Conveyor System Integration

Before the conveyor arrives on site, the installation area needs to be prepared. The floor surface in the conveyor run must be level concrete capable of supporting the conveyor’s weight plus the dynamic load of tyres in transit. If the floor surface is uneven or has surface damage that would affect the conveyor’s levelling, remedial work is needed before installation. The electrical supply point needs to be in position with the correct rating and termination format for the conveyor’s motor starter connection.

The loading side of the baler needs to be clear of stored tyres, equipment, and fixtures before the installation team arrives. The installation team positions the conveyor, levels and anchors it, connects the belt, sets belt tension, makes the electrical connections, tests the interlock, and runs commissioning cycles. Having the area clear and the electrical supply ready before the installation team arrives is the most effective way to keep the installation to the planned one-to-two-day duration.

“The installations that run into delay are almost always the ones where the electrical supply point is not ready, or the floor space is still occupied when the installation team arrives,” says Conor Murphy, Director of Gradeall International. “The site preparation list is short, but it needs to be complete before we arrive. A half-day delay at the start of an installation can push the commissioning run into a second day.”

For facilities with older or non-Gradeall balers considering conveyor addition, Gradeall’s conveyor systems range includes configurations for a range of baler chamber heights and loading orientations.

Operational Changes After Conveyor Installation

After commissioning, the tyre baling operation works differently from the manual configuration. The operator at the lower loading end of the conveyor places tyres on the belt continuously rather than carrying individual tyres to the baler. The operator at the baler end manages chamber loading from the conveyor delivery point, guides tyres into position, and initiates the press cycle. The operation’s pace is set by the conveyor belt speed rather than the loading operator’s physical capabilities.

Operators need a brief adaptation period to work with the conveyor-fed pace rather than the variable pace of manual loading. The conveyor creates a more structured rhythm to the work, which some operators find easier than the variable pace of manual loading, while others need time to adjust to it. Gradeall’s installation team includes a supervised operational run as part of commissioning to allow operators to develop familiarity with the conveyor-fed workflow before the team leaves the site.

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