FAQs

Open-top, 55-gallon metal drums often experience failure at the connection between the lid and the drum body. Reports indicate that drum failure can occur at pressures as low as 14 psig, while some drums may withstand pressures up to 30 psig before failing.

A steel 55-gallon drum can be crushed by atmospheric pressure if a significant internal vacuum is created (around 10 inches of vacuum or 1/3 bar). For practical applications involving internal pressure, steel drums can handle up to about 14 psi before deformation, with safety limits often set much lower. Plastic drums, however, have a lower pressure tolerance, with risks of failure noted around 40 psi.

While exact measurements of how "thin" you can crush a drum to aren't uniformly stated, a steel drum can potentially be reduced to approximately 6 inches in height with industrial equipment. For other materials or with different methods, the results can vary. Remember, the process of crushing drums, especially steel ones, should be done with caution due to the risks involved, including the potential for sudden collapse or explosion if mishandled.

A hydraulic drum crusher is a machine designed to reduce the volume of steel drums, typically used for waste management or recycling purposes.

A drum is placed into the crusher, either manually or through an automated system.
The hydraulic system activates, pushing a ram or plate against the drum, compressing it. Some models might have dual action where both ends of the drum are crushed simultaneously.
The crushing action often results in the drum being flattened to a fraction of its original size, which can be as much as 80% volume reduction.

Waste Reduction: By crushing drums, companies can minimize the space needed for storage or disposal of used drums.
Recycling: Crushed drums are easier to handle, transport, and recycle.
Hazardous Material Handling: In some cases, crushing is used to manage drums containing hazardous residues, although this must be done under stringent safety guidelines.

Currently there is only one industrial quality drum crusher on the market. The DC85R by TeeMark MFG is a high quality remote controlled hydraulic drum crusher manufactured in northern Minnesota.

An aerosol can crusher is a piece of equipment designed to safely handle, depressurize, and reduce the volume of aerosol cans for disposal or recycling.

Here's a detailed look at how an aerosol can crusher functions:

Depressurization: It punctures the aerosol can to release the propellant gases and any residual liquid contents safely. This process ensures that the can is no longer pressurized, reducing the risk associated with handling aerosol cans, which can be explosive if mishandled.

Crushing: Once depressurized, the can is crushed, often into a small fraction of its original size, making it easier to store, transport, or recycle. The crushing can reduce the can's volume by up to 98%.

Containment: Many crushers capture and contain the contents (gases and liquids) of the cans for safe disposal or recycling. This includes separating liquid contents from propellants, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), and other gaseous components.

Waste Reduction: Significantly reduces the volume of waste, making disposal or recycling more manageable.

Environmental Compliance: Helps in adhering to regulations concerning the disposal of hazardous waste by ensuring that hazardous materials are contained.

Cost Efficiency: Can lower disposal costs and create a safer workplace by handling aerosol cans in a controlled manner.

Aerosol can crushers are used in various industries like automotive, manufacturing, painting, and any sector dealing with aerosol products, to manage waste efficiently.

Examples of aerosol can crushers include models like the TeeMark Super 200 or Super 450, which are high-capacity units for industrial use, or more compact systems like those from Vestil or Herkules for smaller operations. These machines ensure that aerosol cans, which can be hazardous due to their contents under pressure, are dealt with in an environmentally responsible and safe manner.

A paint can crusher is a specialized piece of equipment designed to compress empty paint cans, significantly reducing their volume for easier storage, transportation, and disposal.

The primary purpose is to minimize the space that empty paint cans occupy, which is particularly useful in environments where space is at a premium or where disposal costs are based on volume. They also help in managing waste more efficiently, especially in industrial settings, paint shops, or construction sites.

Bench-Mounted: Smaller units that can be mounted on a workbench or table, often used for lighter volumes in smaller workshops.

Floor-Standing: Larger units with more capacity, designed for high-volume operations where numerous cans need processing.

Pneumatic: Uses compressed air to operate, offering a faster and less labor-intensive crushing process.

Space Saving: Reduces the volume of waste, allowing for more efficient use of storage or disposal areas.

Cost Reduction: By decreasing the volume of waste, disposal costs can be significantly lowered, especially where waste is charged by volume.

Environmental: Facilitates recycling by making it easier to handle and process waste materials.

TeeMark Manufacturing sets the industry standard when it comes to high quality, American made paint can or pail crushers. They offer a variety of models including the Super 6 PJ-VC, Super 6M, Super 6PJ, and Super 6PM crushers.

A process ladle is a specialized piece of equipment used predominantly in the metallurgical industries, particularly in steelmaking and foundry operations.

Transfer and Transport: The primary function of a process ladle is to transfer molten metal from one location to another, such as from a furnace to a casting or refining station.

Treatment of Molten Metal: It's also used for various metallurgical processes like alloying, refining, or degassing the molten metal before it's poured into molds or further processed.

Body: Made from high-quality refractory materials to withstand the extreme temperatures of molten metal. The shape can be cylindrical or oval, with a bottom that might be flat, dished, or teardrop-shaped for pouring.

Lining: The interior has a refractory lining which can be brick, monolithic (castable), or a combination, tailored to resist thermal shocks, chemical attack from the melt, and wear.

Spout or Nozzle: For controlled pouring of the metal, process ladles often have a spout or nozzle, sometimes with slide gate or stopper rod systems to regulate flow.

Handles or Trunnions: For lifting and tilting, ladles are equipped with handles or trunnions, which can be manually operated or mechanically assisted for larger ladles.

Transfer Ladles: Designed mainly for moving molten metal from one place to another without significant treatment.

Treatment Ladles: Equipped with mechanisms for stirring, gas purging for degassing, or adding alloys. Examples include ladle metallurgy furnaces (LMFs) where secondary refining occurs.

Bottom Pouring Ladles: These have mechanisms at the bottom for precise pouring, used in continuous casting or when quality control requires minimal disturbance of the melt surface.

Process ladles are utilized in a variety of industries and applications including steel mills, aluminum smelters, and other metal casting or processing facilities where molten metal transfer and treatment are required.

TeeMark MFG manufactures high quality process ladels in their United States manufacturing facility located in northern Minnesota. TeeMark MFG offers a range of process ladles including porous plug mixing ladles, sandwich process ductile iron treated ladles and the very popular tight cover Mark IV ductile iron treatment ladles.

A transfer ladle is a type of ladle specifically designed for the transportation of molten metal from one location to another within a metallurgical or foundry operation.

A pouring ladle, often referred to simply as a "ladle" in the context of metalworking, is a tool used for transferring and pouring molten metal from a furnace or crucible into molds or other containers during casting processes.

Hand Ladles: Small, manually operated for handling small amounts of metal, often used in jewelry making or small-scale casting.

Bull Ladles: Larger, still manually operated but with a more substantial capacity, used in foundries for pouring into smaller molds.

Lip-Pouring Ladles: The simplest form where metal pours over the lip of the ladle. Commonly used in smaller foundries or for less critical pours.

Bottom Pouring Ladles: For more precise pouring, these have a mechanism at the bottom to control the flow, used in continuous casting or when pouring into complex molds.