In 1980 Balcan manufactured the first commercial lamp crusher. Today, Balcan Lamp Crushers are used extensively throughout the world, both manually & electrically operated they are used in all climates to help reduce volume and control the mercury emissions generated during crushing. Without the use of this type of equipment we would have more mercury being emitted due to uncontrolled breakage.
The Balcan Lamp Crushers are designed for volumes, unlike the small drum top crushers which crush one lamp at a time. The Balcan Lamp Crusher is the most cost effective way to start in the lamp recycling business. Lamps are crushed into drums and can then be sent to a lamp recycler, e.g. Lighting Resources in the USA for full recycling.
The Balcan Low Loaded electrically
operated Lamp Crusher was first designed and produced in 1990 with the
intention it should be versatile and capable of safely handling large
quantities of as many types and sizes of lamps as possible whilst remaining
compact and easy to use. As a result
this model is able to accept handfuls of fluorescent tubes up to 8ft
long and ensures they are totally encased for their full length before any
crushing operation can begin.
The electric lamp crusher is able to accept all other types of lamps up to 4.5 inches in diameter. There is also a special adaption which allows it to accept low energy compact fluorescent lamps (CFL bulbs) into the chute instead of through the normal loading gate. This adaption also allows large circular diameter tubes to be crushed through the system.
Unlike other makes of lamp crushers, Balcan machines are fabricated throughout of stainless steel and are particularly robust and reliable. They are fitted with fan operated air filters, to remove all dusts down to 5-micron and an activated carbon, second filter to safely remove mercury vapour allowing the cleaned air to exhaust to atmosphere. These filters ensure the crusher operates under negative pressure and prevents the escape of unacceptable contaminated mercury vapour.
The Low Loaded Lamp & Bulb Crusher is supplied in three versions, all fitted with a long chute that folds in half back on itself, allowing for tubes upto 2.4metres (8 feet) in length to be fully encased prior to crushing.
One model fits on a trolley so it can be pushed directly over a 45-gallon drum into which it discharges the crushed debris.
Another very popular model that Balcan uses for its On Site Lamp Crushing and Recycling Service fits on rails in the back of vans. These allow the crusher to be pulled out and supported so lamps can be crushed into plastic sacks prior to loading. As a result nearly five times more crushed lamps can be carried in the van than if they remain whole.
The third model is supplied on a stand so it can be used as a stand alone unit with the sack system.
Finally it should be pointed out that Balcan has heard about the concerns expressed by the EPA about the escape of mercury vapour from the surface of lamp debris when other makes of drum mounted crushers are not in operation. As a result Balcan has added a special spring loaded closing plate to shut off the bottom of the unit when it is not in use and in this way prevents vapour escaping back into the body of the crusher and out into the working atmosphere.
