Handling Toxic Waste Provides a Difficult Logistics Scenario

US – The logistics involved in processing toxic waste is, and always will be, a delicate matter and the less human involvement in handling it the better. So when Kentucky based Lauyans & Company was asked to quote for a method of transferring large quantities of hazardous medical waste material from a conveyor to the hopper of an incinerator it required an innovative solution.

The company specialises in Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems and a quick calculation showed the large volume of material for disposal made manual transfers unacceptably inefficient. Using a member of staff to make the transfer would inevitably involve an element of risk which, even if minimised, would involve the use of a full time employee to maintain the required rate of transfer, thereby justifying the investment in an automatic process.

The concept of a conventional conveyor system was first considered but a series of brainstorming sessions, and a thorough investigation of the options, led Lauyans to develop a bespoke, practical solution utilising a unique overhead conveyor system which can be seen in action here when the system was under test.