1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196 
HEIL & HEARTY
Page 60
Page 61
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Heil Europe is a force to be reckoned with in the manufacture of bodies for refuse collection vehicles.
Andy Moore reviews the manufacturer's six products.
It's refreshing to hear of a home-grown manufacturer thriving in the UK. Heil Europe. located in Dunfermline, has fought off fierce foreign competition by continually innovating and updating its product range.
Founded in 1973, the factory has been building refuse collection vehicle (RCV) bodies for domestic, municipal and industry waste collection for more than 30 years.
The product range was previously sold through distributor Jack Allen,but is now retailed exclusively from Heil Europe, situated a stone's throw from the Firth of Forth.
"Jack Allen did such a good job of selling the vehicles that many customers thought the units were actually manufactured by the company," says plant director Bob Barr. "After failing to buy the company out in 1989, we decided to distribute the bodies ourselves. Since then we have followed a steep learning curve and have increased our share of the RCV market."
Heil builds bodies for up to 370 vehicles a year from a six-strong product line. One unit which took the limelight at last year's Commercial Vehicle Show was the EuroCycler, a machine that has proved popular with contractors tapping into the UK's rapidly expanding waste recycling business. The 'green machine' was a response to the government's target to recycle or compost 25% of municipal waste by the end of next year."A challenge when developing the EuroCycler was to devise a compaction system which would not overcompress recyclable waste," says Barr."The EuroCycler has a split body that allows simultaneous separation of the various recyclables into chambers."
Soft compaction
Unlike RCVs with vertically split bodies, each half of the EuroCycler is fitted with a parallel packer for a softer compaction. Cushions ensure a smoother, quieter operation, while a swing-link packing mechanism minimises glass breakage.The unit is 7.7m long and has a capacity of 25m3.
One company that's given the EuroCycler a thorough baptism of fire is RU Recycling, based in Billingham, County Durham. It specialises in dual-stream kerbside collection for Darwen Borough Council and has plans for expansion.
"We bought our first EuroCycler last year and will eventually operate 10 units for ollection services in south Staffordshire and ast Lothian," says operations manager Dave k)ates."The units can undertake the same mrk as two RCVs and can collect a wide ange of material. Material such as paper is ()fleeted in the top section while the lower Lction accommodates glass, cans and plastic." R U Recycling has been working with Heil a develop the unit so it can collect an increasag tonnage of material; the company handles p to five tonnes a load with each vehicle, ihich is operated under a five-year contract. The contractor works with a recycling plant rased in Darwen, Lancashire, which takes a lixture of glass, cans and plastic containers. -hese are automatically sorted into individual aaterial streams. Recycling up to 56,000 Dnnes a year, the plant is computer controlled nd operated by six personnel a shift. Since the i.ttroCycler was launched last year, Heil has old 12 units to public and private contractors; expects sales to increase in line with ecycling targets.
fersatile units
7.omplementing the FuroCycler in Heil's ange is the Powerlink. A versatile unit, it is uitable for a range of uses, including domestic ,nd business waste collection. Available with 6-26 m3 bodies, it has a "swing link" tailgate, lesigned to minimise maintenance and costs. "The Powerlink can be fitted on a four, six or ight wheeled chassis and is equipped with a if diagnostic system which monitors all oprating states of the loading and compaction de," says Barr. "A full-cycle compaction echanism is designed to produce less friction an conventional channelled systems to enre a greater force is directed into the load." Serving the same market is the Powertrak nit, available as a narrow-width vehicle with pacities from I 1-17m3. A standard width version comes in 15-22 m3 capacities. One notable feature is the slide-block track design. Despite its high number of moving parts, the unit is a popular choice among operators for its ability to compact material effectively.
The industry veteran Big Bite has a capacity of 31m3 which, with a 2.5m3 hopper, facilitates collection of large refuse items; it is designed to reduce collection cycle times by increasing the volume of packed material. Built for lifting skips from 660-1,1001it, it can be used to collect anything from building rubble to industrial food waste.
"The Big Bite is a market leader in its size and capacity throughout the UK," says Barr."It can also be fitted with a Comb Lift which provides greater container handling flexibility using a frontal receiver. The body can be mounted on an 8x4 chassis."
The Euro Half Pack is supplied with a 21m3body and is a lower-volume selling vehicle, equipped with a front bin-loading mechanism. Sold mainly into Germany,it offers advantages over rearloading machines in that it requires only one operator to load bins.The body can be mounted on six or eight-wheeled chassis.
Last, but not least, in the Heil range is the Side Loader, built with a semi-automatic lifting mechanism which can be controlled by a single operator. Heil believes this vehicle has caught the eyes of European waste disposal companies because it can do the work of two RCVs. For overseas markets it can be adapted to right-hand drive.
For all its product lines Heil is rolling out a programme to rationalise pails throughout the range, giving customers greater commonality. One strategy includes a move towards CAN-bus electrical control systems, which incorporate modular components.
With bodies supplied in a wide range of sizes and specification, the company is reluctant to reveal prices. But as a benchmark Barr says prices will range from £34,000 to £64,000, depending on the unit.
What of the future? Now hovering between second and third place in the UK market,Heil aims to consolidate its position.Thming over £20m it sells 80% of its units into the UK and Irish markets, with the rest to countries such as Germany, Scandinavia,Italy and Belgium, "The aim is to grow slowly and steadily," says Barr."We will strive to supply customers with well-engineered yet low-cost products, backed by good service and support," a