Loading tyres into a baler by hand is the task that most limits processing speed at tyre recycling facilities. A standard car tyre weighs 8 to 12 kg. A commercial truck tyre can reach 60 kg or more. Lifting, carrying, and positioning those tyres into a baler chamber repeatedly across an 8-hour shift creates a loading cycle that is physically demanding, pace-limited by human fatigue, and responsible for a significant proportion of musculoskeletal workplace injuries in the tyre recycling sector.
An inclined tyre baler conveyor replaces the manual loading step with a mechanised feed system. Tyres placed at ground level at the conveyor’s lower end are carried upward on the inclined belt and delivered to the baler chamber at the correct height for automated or semi-automated loading. The operator’s role shifts from lifting and carrying to placing and guiding, dramatically reducing the physical load on the workforce while increasing the sustainable pace at which tyres can be fed to the baler.
The inclined conveyor addresses a specific geometric problem in tyre baling: the baler’s loading chamber is elevated above floor level, and tyres arriving on the floor need to reach that height without manual lifting. The conveyor’s inclined belt, typically rising at 30 to 45 degrees, carries tyres from ground level to the baler input at the rated belt speed. Adjustable cleats or side guides on the belt prevent tyres from rolling back during the incline transit.
At the upper end, tyres are delivered to the baler chamber in a controlled, consistent orientation that supports efficient chamber packing. The continuous feed capability of a conveyor system means the baler can be loaded faster than manual handling allows, reducing the idle time between loading cycles and increasing bales produced per shift.
Tyre conveyor design for baling applications differs from general-purpose conveyor design in several respects. The belt width must accommodate the widest tyre format in the operation’s tyre mix without the tyre overhanging and snagging on side frames. The belt surface material needs sufficient grip to carry tyres on the incline without slippage while being durable against the abrasive rubber and steel belt compounds in scrap tyres. The structural frame must support the dynamic load of a continuous tyre feed without deflection that affects belt tracking.
Gradeall manufactures the inclined tyre baler conveyor specifically for integration with its tyre baler range. The conveyor dimensions, belt speed, and delivery height are matched to the MKII and MK3 baler chamber specifications, ensuring that tyres arrive at the baler in the correct orientation and at the correct height for consistent chamber loading without requiring manual repositioning at the baler end.
The conveyor and baler together form a processing line rather than two separate pieces of equipment. The efficiency gain from conveyor-fed baling comes partly from the conveyor’s speed and partly from the improved coordination between tyre feed rate and baler cycle rate. A conveyor that delivers tyres faster than the baler can accept them creates a queue at the baler input; a conveyor that delivers too slowly leaves the baler idle between loads. The belt speed of the Gradeall inclined conveyor is calibrated to match the MKII baler’s processing rate, keeping the system running continuously without either component becoming a bottleneck.
“The conveyor is not an optional add-on; for operations above a certain daily volume it is a fundamental part of the processing line,” says Conor Murphy, Director of Gradeall International. “We see customers who run a baler manually and then add the conveyor later consistently report that it was a decision they wished they had made at the outset. The throughput and health and safety benefits are immediate and significant.”
For operations running a complete automated processing line, the inclined baler conveyor can be paired with the TBC8M tyre baler conveyor to create a multi-stage feed system with infeed handling, inclined elevation, and baler delivery in a single integrated configuration.
Installing an inclined tyre baler conveyor requires planning the site layout around the conveyor’s footprint and clearance requirements. The inclined conveyor needs clear floor space at its lower loading end for tyre placement and operator movement, and sufficient ceiling height at the upper end to clear the incline and deliver to the baler chamber. A typical installation requires a clear height of 3.5 to 4.5 metres at the baler end, depending on conveyor angle and baler chamber height.
Tyre delivery to the conveyor’s lower end also needs to be planned. Tyres arriving from a collection vehicle need to reach the conveyor input efficiently; positioning the conveyor near the facility’s tyre intake area reduces the internal transport distance and eliminates double-handling of tyres between receipt and processing. For larger facilities with separate tyre storage areas, a floor-level in-feed conveyor running from the storage area to the base of the inclined conveyor completes the automated feed chain from storage to baling.
The Gradeall inclined tyre baler conveyor is designed to handle the full range of passenger car and light truck tyre sizes that make up the majority of the UK and European tyre recycling stream. Tyre section widths up to 295 mm are accommodated on the standard belt width. For operations processing commercial truck tyres in the 22.5-inch rim format as a significant proportion of their volume, confirm the specific tyre dimensions with Gradeall at the specification stage to ensure belt width and cleat spacing is appropriate for the formats you process.
The Gradeall inclined tyre baler conveyor is designed and dimensioned for integration with Gradeall tyre balers. Using it with a baler from a different manufacturer is possible if the delivery height and orientation match the third-party baler’s chamber specification, but this requires confirmation of dimensional compatibility before purchase. Gradeall can advise on whether a specific third-party baler installation is compatible with the conveyor dimensions and can specify any modifications needed.
The conveyor belt drive motor includes speed control that allows the belt speed to be set to match the baler’s loading rate. The appropriate belt speed depends on the tyre size being processed, the time between baler loading cycles, and the chamber capacity per cycle. During initial installation and commissioning, Gradeall’s installation team sets the belt speed to match the specific baler and tyre mix at the site. Operators can adjust the speed within the set range as their tyre mix changes.
Routine maintenance covers belt tension adjustment (belts stretch in service and require periodic re-tensioning to maintain tracking and grip), cleat and side guide inspection and replacement, drive motor and gearbox lubrication, and idler roller bearing checks. In a tyre recycling environment, steel belt wire fragments and rubber debris accumulate on the belt and in the roller nips; regular cleaning prevents debris accumulation that accelerates belt and roller wear. A planned maintenance schedule at 250-hour or monthly intervals covers the routine requirements for a conveyor in continuous tyre processing service.
The inclined tyre baler conveyor has its own electric motor and requires a separate electrical connection from the site’s three-phase supply. The electrical supply to the conveyor should be interlocked with the baler’s electrical system so that the conveyor cannot run when the baler is in the press cycle and cannot continue running if the baler stops unexpectedly. This interlock is a safety requirement and is included in the Gradeall conveyor’s electrical specification. Confirm the interlock wiring requirements with Gradeall’s installation team at the site survey stage.
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