Efficient way to cut up 5 ton machine center for scrap.

bmikkalson · May 6, 2021

Been given the task of getting rid of some old machines that are blocked in. Would like to cut the machine up into 500 pound sections and use fork truck to move.
I’m no expert but using a oxy cut rig would take ages.
Any suggestions ? Equipment I can rent??

Nmbmxer · May 6, 2021

I believe an oxygen lance is the answer, no idea about renting one.

Milland · May 6, 2021

Fork truck? Do you mean a hand truck, like this?

https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplie...nd-Trucks/Utility-dolly-(Hand-Truck)/?id=8955

Otherwise why the 500lb target?

Look into oxygen lances - filthy, but pretty fast.

Thermal Lance In Action - Scrapping a 2 million dollar FPSO turret bearing - YouTube

john.k · May 6, 2021

Forget bottled gas,use air arc cutting......get an old 400AS or 500AS Lincoln welder ,a torch ,hook into the shop air,and you will have all the cast iron reduced to bits very quickly.....And for a fraction of the price of oxy.

Richard King · May 6, 2021

Midwestern Machinery used to wait until winter when it was 20 below F and they went to a scrap yard off Snelling in Minneapolis and they used a wrecking ball to break the cast iron pieces. They buy the machines in the summer too and stockpile them until winter. Scrap Metal Recycling Minneapolis MN

Phil in Montana · May 6, 2021

Why cut them up, there is little profit in scraping, just load whole and haul...Phil

john.k · May 6, 2021

Scrap is a historic high here ,I been getting $400 a ton in a swinglift bin on site .....all I need is an old crawler crane ,no complication with trucks and waiting in line outside yards......If the machines are mostly cast iron,oxy is very wasteful,basically you have to melt the iron ......air arc doesnt care what the metal is,melts and blown away..........a few gallons of diesel and a few arc carbons ,as opposed to $150 bottles of oxy...with a gas axe youll go through at least a cylinder a day,with a lance ,probably 3 + cylinders a day......Since Feb ,I ve cut up an old crawler crane ,lots of dozer bits and pieces ,tractors and many large workshop machines ....Used oxy on the thinner steel ,air arc on the heavy stuff......Air arc is hard on the eyes......400-500 amp arc ,even with a 13 shade still make eyes red.......by the way,gas cost is using propane ,not acetylene .To use propane you need a different technique to normal oxycut,without that youll be there forever ,because propane doesnt have the spot heat of acetylene......but I can cut faster using propane than acetylene.

boslab · May 7, 2021

I’d stay clear of both lances and packed lances ( the ones with a dent in the pipe like a bridge, keeps the Ali rods in, I’ve used them many times ( unfortunately I was the instructor) dirty, hot, dangerous, eat oxygen, a 3/8” cen shift a whole manifold pack in a day and a bit, better off with a demolition torch (oxy propane 30” shank) it’ll shift most stuff unless it’s a big block of cast iron, which you can’t cut with oxy fuel, in which case you can smash it unless it’s ductile
If it was assembled then it can be disassembled aka spanner job, slow but gets there and is clean ish
Mark

Limy Sami · May 7, 2021

First look at how the machines are made, that will determine how you tackle the problem.

Personally I'd find the way of getting them out in the biggest pieces possible - even if it means hiring in hi zoot riggers, ...........because getting rid of unwanted plant and machinery is a thankless task and one that can easily run in to BIG over spends - for which you will be given the blame.

P.S. Unless you're a pro machinery mover, if you can't find an easy / economical way of doing the job, pass it back saying it's out of your league call in specialists.

Unless that is, you like kicking yourself in the bollox.

Dan from Oakland · May 7, 2021

If the machines are inside a building, using an air arc or oxygen lance might lead to an undesirable situation.

projectnut · May 7, 2021

Phil in Montana said:
Why cut them up, there is little profit in scraping, just load whole and haul...Phil

In our area the recyclers are getting picky. They will only take "prepared" materials meaning each piece can contain only 1 metal. The complete piece must be all aluminum, all cast iron, all steel, etc.,etc. If any piece has a combination of different metals the whole unit will only be accepted at the price of the least valuable metal in the combination. In addition they want specific metals in specific sizes and weights. They used to accept large castings in one piece, now they want them broken into pieces of less than 5 cubic feet, and under 500 lbs.

john.k · May 7, 2021

Surprising.....a week ago ,I was given $400/ton on a bin with old rusted electrical cabinets (no copper...thieves got that),roofing iron,rusted steel panel ,and cut up rusted truck trays .....as well as the mixed junk ,there was only 2 ton in the bin,which normally burrs them up too.........I also see on the ABC current affairs the world price of steel shred is $530 US/ton,HMS is always a bit higher.....the reason being ,the ships load with shred ,then dump HMS on top to pack the load down and get a full cargo.............at one time cast iron fetched a big premium for foundry supply.....dont think there is an iron foundry left in this green infested country.

GregSY · May 8, 2021

It seems the solution is at your fingertips. Try chucking up a roughing end mill - a long one - and simply turn the machine on. By the time it realizes it is cutting itself into pieces, it will be too late.

projectnut · May 8, 2021

john.k said:
Surprising.....a week ago ,I was given $400/ton on a bin with old rusted electrical cabinets (no copper...thieves got that),roofing iron,rusted steel panel ,and cut up rusted truck trays .....as well as the mixed junk ,there was only 2 ton in the bin,which normally burrs them up too.........I also see on the ABC current affairs the world price of steel shred is $530 US/ton,HMS is always a bit higher.....the reason being ,the ships load with shred ,then dump HMS on top to pack the load down and get a full cargo.............at one time cast iron fetched a big premium for foundry supply.....dont think there is an iron foundry left in this green infested country.

There are at least 2 in Waupaca Wisconsin, and another in Evansville. The ones in Waupaca were formerly owned by Thyssen Krupp but were sold to a Japanese company several years ago. The one in Evansville makes pump castings for Baker Manufacturing. They both specialize in cast iron products.

Limy Sami · May 8, 2021

GregSY said:
It seems the solution is at your fingertips. Try chucking up a roughing end mill - a long one - and simply turn the machine on. By the time it realizes it is cutting itself into pieces, it will be too late.

Or let the local high school shop class loose on it!!

Homebrewblob · May 8, 2021

A few Hundred pounds of Tannerite?

dgfoster · May 8, 2021

john.k said:
Surprising.....a week ago ,I was given $400/ton on a bin with old rusted electrical cabinets (no copper...thieves got that),roofing iron,rusted steel panel ,and cut up rusted truck trays .....as well as the mixed junk ,there was only 2 ton in the bin,which normally burrs them up too.........I also see on the ABC current affairs the world price of steel shred is $530 US/ton,HMS is always a bit higher.....the reason being ,the ships load with shred ,then dump HMS on top to pack the load down and get a full cargo.............at one time cast iron fetched a big premium for foundry supply.....dont think there is an iron foundry left in this green infested country.

“How many Australian foundries are there? Quite a few are iron.

About 40 of Australia's 200 foundries are located in Queensland. The Queensland foundry industry produces 44000 tonnes of castings annually, which is one-third of the national total and more than a quarter of this is supplied to the export market.”

Denis

dazz · May 8, 2021

Hi

Chances are that the machine is modular with the large pieces held together with a few bolts.

Have you considered cutting any electrical cable and pipework then getting in with a spanner/wrench.

Is there a manual? Does it include installation/service info?

Is there any lifting gear or jigs? Really big machinery often has specific lifting gear and jigs to remove large items. Often the easiest way to scrap a machine is to follow the service manual instructions.

Dazz

john.k · May 9, 2021

Nope,the easiest way to scrap a machine is sitting in the seat of a big excavator and munching away with a shear.......next easiest way is sitting in the seat of a 70 year old crawler crane and dropping a big weight on the machine,and then picking up all the busted bits with the clamshell and dropping them into a scrap bin.

Peter from Holland · May 9, 2021

5 Ton is not that big
I would start with all the sheetmetal Unbolt or cut Whatever is convieniant Simultanisly cutting away all wires Keep these apart as that brings more Perhaps salvage the motors
Then cutting off every bolt and nut I can see With a oxy propane torch I would get out the machine in as big as possible pieces and make them smaller if need be outside in the open If the frame is steel I would proceed with the torch If cast iron a big angle grinder perhaps depending on thickness of the casting
And some steel wedges perhaps and a sledge hammer

Peter

Efficient way to cut up 5 ton machine center for scrap.

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