Impact has been providing trim collection systems since the 1980’s and have provided solutions to remove waste materials from production processes in a wide variety of industries.
We provide waste removal systems, designed and installed to remove waste and off cuts from the manufacturing process of paper, board, foil and film trim, can scrap, tissue and sticky label web.
Print, packaging, label and beverage can are just a few of the industries we regularly supply our systems to.
From full turnkey trim extraction systems to standalone extraction units, you will find all you will need to resolve your waste and trim extraction problems.
Select your industry:
The Impact Matrix Master offers a flexible localized extraction solution for typical label and self-adhesive products without having to install a central waste system.
Designed with the incorporation of our hugely versatile precision trim cutter, the matrix master unit, can also handle sticky self-adhesive matrix, lattice waste and edge trim from the label production process. Neatly packaged inside an acoustic housing, the precision trim cutter, waste handling fan, material separator and disposable exhaust air dust filter form the basis of the unit.
This Matrix Master unit is designed to be positioned alongside the press, waste material is collected via a range of ductwork and transported through the unit and finally deposited in a polythene bag for manual disposal. The precision trim cutter efficiently cuts the continuous waste matrix, whilst high durability plasma non-stick coating, prevents self-adhesive label matrix sticking to the internal surfaces of the unit.
Available with the option to include our waste screw compactor unit, delivering waste to an Archimedes screw compactor, this clever option allows waste trim to be compressed into a sausage like bag for disposal, without the need to stop the production process when the bag is full.
The unit includes an integrated control system with flying lead for simply ‘plug in and go’ operation.
The zigzag separation system can be installed at a conveyor junction and is typically applied to clean the unwanted contaminants and debris from the 0-100mm material stream. The contaminated material discharges the feed conveyor into a cascade enclosure where the material falls through an upwards travelling air stream.
Contaminated material is fed into the zigzag system via a variable speed rotary valve into an upward air stream. The falling material cascades over a series of zigzag baffles ensuring efficient removal of debris which is collected via a material separator for disposal. Variable air volumes and adjustment dampers also ensure minimal loss of valuable recyclable material to provide maximum flexibility and highly efficient cleaning of the material.
Available in a range of sizes to suit process and material throughputs.
Contact us to find out which zigzag solution is suitable for your material stream.
Impact recognises the industry requirements of ensuring a high-quality waste stream, so has further engineered a successful separation solution which greatly improves the separation of valuable recyclable materials while providing the operator with a low maintenance and hassle-free system.
Combining our highly skilled in-house engineering team, 3D modelling software and working in conjunction with our carefully selected external supplier base, the ZAC800 boasts impressive resistance to abrasive materials, less moving parts and the very latest fitration technology, whilst maintaining its exceptional separation efficiency.
Utilising density separation by the power of air, the ZAC800 is specially engineered for processing of glass rich or highly abrasive sub 100mm material streams, constructed from carefully selected materials ensuring exceptional durability. The Zigzag cascade enclosure includes hardened chromium cast plates to greatly reduce wear from glass.
Zigzag material separation technology is used to separate light weight material particles from heavier particles by cascading the mixed in-feed material through an upwards travelling air stream inside a zigzag shaped enclosure.
An upwards travelling airstream collects the lightweight material particles, allowing separation or grading of feedstock. Heavier material particles are not affected by the airstream and discharge at the bottom of the zigzag enclosure.
The zigzag air classification technology is ideally suited to low moisture, free flowing, consistently sized material particles up to approximately 60mm in size, where there is a noticeable difference in the product density or weight (i.e. separation of lightweight paper, film, dust and plastic from heavier stone, glass or metal).
The ADS is a specially adapted air knife separator unit working in conjunction with a rotating drum and is designed to separate a wide variety of materials based on density, shape and aerodynamic properties. Used for separating a mixed stream of material into heavy and light components.
This is done using a forward upward facing air knife nozzle mounted at the end of a material in-feed conveyor. Mixed material falling from the in-feed conveyor then passes through the high velocity air stream and is either carried over the drum or is unaffected and falls in front of the drum.
The use of the drum is the latest development in material separation technology and utilises fluid dynamics principles to greatly improve the efficiency of the air stream once it has left the confines of the air nozzle, resulting in greatly improved separation.
The Airknife's main function is to remove low value fractions from the material stream. Typically installed at a conveyor junction, the Airknife consists of an input air volume channelled through an adjustable nozzle, working in conjunction with an extraction hood, all mounted inside a single enclosure.
The Airknife is employed to remove lightweight unpickable items such as paper, plastic and foil from the material stream. The input air creates a high velocity airstream through which the falling material has to travel. The lighter material fractions are blown or separated from the falling material and are captured by the extraction hood and conveyed away. The heavier material is unaffected by the incoming airstream and falls onto the conveyor below.
The Impact Airknife solution can be adopted and applied to a wide variety of material streams including, domestic comingled recyclables and C&D recycling operations.
Impact offers a range of medium and high efficiency cyclones that are ideal for material pre-separation applications where small or fine material particles need to be removed from the conveying air stream prior to fine dust filtration.
Material separation efficiencies of typically above 90% can be achieved for paper dust (depending on particle size and density).
Material is discharged via a vortex breaker or optional rotary valve.
Typically constructed from high grade mild steel 2-3mm thick (depending on model selected), fully welded construction and finished in high grade paint.
A wide range of models are available to suit different air volumes and material types.
The Impact central matrix extraction system can be fitted to any narrow web press up to 500mm wide and solves a previously impossible task of removing sticky matrix waste, eliminating the need to rewind the waste on press and enabling longer, continuous running times.
The system can be incorporated into an existing waste removal system or be supplied as a complete centralised system.
The Impact matrix removal unit is fitted on the non-operator side of the printing press. Each unit incorporates a precision trim cutter to cut the continuous matrix into small manageable pieces. The waste can be collected in a central location and removed from site without problems.
Removing edge trim from corrugators or high speed slitting stations in heavy weight or thick material applications such as corrugated board or heavy weight laminated edge trims, can often be challenging, especially when dealing with wide edge trims travelling up to 1500 meters per minute. It is critical to ensure the position and specification of the equipment designed to receive and process this type of material is robust and correctly engineered.
Through working with the leading machinery manufacturers and blue chip corrugated board producers and converters, we have installed many reliable systems. At the heart of the system is a heavy duty chopper fan positioned to reduce the difficult continuous edge trims into more manageable and easy to convey pieces.
Having 'snag' free ductwork systems ensures materials being conveyed are free to travel with minimal risk of blockages or damage. This ensures reliable, trouble free operation.
Impact offer a vast range of custom designed and fabricated machine pick up hoods, ductwork support equipment and transition sections, allowing our systems to truly meet our customers needs.
Impact has vast experience in providing systems to separate and extract plastics of varying forms, from removing plastic bags and films from the waste stream and baling to an efficient and effective solution to remove dust, debris and fibres from plastic granules/flakes to provide a more valuable product for recycling.
With increasing pressure to reduce waste going to landfill, it is more important than ever to ensure that recyclable materials are recovered from the waste stream. Our systems ensure that these materials are recovered and are successfully doing so in many recycling facilities around the world every day, saving thousands of tonnes of recyclable materials ending in landfill.
Impact continues to provide support to the recycling industry with air based technology to enhance the operations of any materials recycling facility or waste sorting centre.
The Impact Film Vacuum System removes plastic bags and films from the waste stream and bales it with our screw compactor system. Our Zigzag Separation Systems provide an efficient and effective solution to remove dust, debris and fibres from plastic granules/flakes to provide a more valuable product for recycling. The Impact Pneumatic Conveying System seamlessly transports plastic bottles and containers through your facility via a ductwork system to external storage containers or bunkers.
Our systems will recover plastics such as WEEE, PET, LDPE, HDPE, PP, PS & PVC.
The Trim Master Bagging Unit is a cost effective, flexible, trim and dust extraction unit designed to collect waste material from a single production machine and deliver it to a locally mounted trim bagging station, where the waste is collected in polythene bags for manual disposal. Usually found working in conjunction with digital printing machines where waste is generated from a three-knife trimmer, slitting station or similar, this hugely versatile solution, offers ultimate flexibility for low volume waste applications, without incurring the costs associated with a centralised trim extraction solution.
Incorporating all the usual design cues from our centralised waste and trim solutions, the trim master bagging unit consists of a range of trim grade ductwork, waste handling fan, specially engineered waste and dust collection plenum, disposable polythene waste bag for the waste trim and disposable exhaust air filter media, neatly packaged together in a cost-effective solution to suit many low volume applications.
We offer a range standard models designed to suit a range of paper, carton board and corrugated trim applications, air volumes and operating conditions.
The compact series Zigzag Classification Unit utilises all the fundamental design features of our bespoke zigzag separation solution, however, carefully packaged on a compact skid mounted frame, this pre-assembled, plug and play unit, can be seamlessly and efficiently added to an existing layout or included as part of a system upgrade.
Mixed material fed into the system via a belt conveyor is processed by the zigzag system, splitting the material based on density, size and shape into a stream of heavy and light materials. Heavy material is discharged from the base of the zigzag classification chamber, whilst the lighter material and fine dust particles are transported in the airstream and discharged at the base of the rotary material separator and from the fully integrated reverse jet cartridge style dust filter unit.
Impact has now further advanced this technology by developing this packaged ‘plug & play’ Zigzag unit with a reduced footprint, improved durability, simple installation and minimal wiring. Within just a few weeks, the launch sparked an unprecedented level of enquiries, as customers recognise the huge potential in cost savings to be made.
Trommel Fines
Trommel fines must be cleaned to further remove the calorific material that can be recycled, which will therefore result in the lower tax rate and hugely reduce landfill tax bills for the operator.
Impact’s Zigzag Separation Systems have been successfully providing an efficient density separation solution for waste management companies all over the world for the last six years. With the ability to handle a wide range of materials and with specific adjustments to ensure maximum efficiency, the Zigzag is the obvious choice to minimise tax exposure.
Satisfied customers
“We are extremely satisfied with the results from Impact’s Zigzag Classification Unit. Having previously tried other technologies, the Impact ZCU exceeded our expectations and we can now supply our WTE plant with a consistent product” - Neil Fryer, Robert Hopkins Environmental Services Ltd.
The recycling and material recovery efforts of Hadleys Recycling & Waste Management are remarkable, operating an extensive range of services for over 80 years, recycling construction & demolition materials.
Hadleys approached Impact Air Systems for a solution to improve the quality on their existing fines clean up system and improve the LOI rate of their recovered materials.
Impact’s Zigzag Classification System, which has been developed to enable simple installation and minimal wiring along with a reduced footprint was the ideal solution. This system uses highly efficient density separation resulting in recovered recyclable materials that are cleaned of debris, paper and dust.
The Impact slitter knife dust capture hoods combine high velocity air flow design and electrode eliminating electrostatic charge techniques, resulting in impressive dust particle removal at source compared to conventional dust removal hoods.
Nuisance dust emissions created by the slitting process can result in:
• Poor print quality
• Maintenance problems relating to motors and bearings
• Fire hazard
• Health and safety issues
• Production downtime
This clever technology utilises a high velocity air flow in excess of 60m/sec in combination with an internal “venturi effect” parallel channel, streaming against the web direction, resulting in levels of dust removal efficiency unachievable with conventional slitter hood designs. The slitter knife hood can achieve dust removal efficiency of 95% > 35 micron ensuring the cleaniliness of sheeted stock and minimises 'hickies' (dust related defects) at the printing press.
The Impact range of slitter knife hoods operate with low extraction volumes making them suitable for retrofit applications. The hoods can be combined with web cleaning equipment and electrostatic charge elimination equipment, providing a comprehensive solution.
The pneumatic transfer system is utilised in many recycling operations allowing pre-separated dry materials such as plastic containers, aluminium and steel tins and beverage cans to be conveyed through a range of ductwork directly to storage bunkers or balers using the most direct route, eliminating the need to utilise conventional belt conveyors, which can often take up valuable floor space.
Typically receiving material directly from Eddie current separators, magnetic separators or optical sorting equipment, this solution offers ultimate flexibility to most recycling facilities.
Material is fed into the system via a Venturi style receiving hopper and transfer box, where it then falls into a moving airstream provided by a high efficiency fan and is blown via a range of ductwork directly to the storage bunker or baler.
The pneumatic transfer system has proven to be a highly valued addition to the material recovery facility offering designers and operators maximum flexibility.
The system consists of a series of specially designed material collection hoods which are typically mounted in the ceiling of the sorting cabin above the waste belts. The operator simply offers the film or plastic to the hood and it then automatically sucked away.
The unique internal ‘Jetcone’ hood design uses a closed loop system to minimise operational noise levels and the amount of air withdrawn from the sorting cabin. Conveying air, used to transport the material, is recycled back through a return air system to significantly reduce the cabin make up air requirements. A series of collection hoods can be connected together via a range of ductwork, meaning all material is transported to a single point within the MRF, eliminating the need to duplicate material storage bunkers to match each hand picking location.
Conveyed material is typically fed directly into a bale press to reduce material volumes, minimising labour and transport costs. The material is separated from the airstream via a specially adapted Impact rotary material separator and reverse jet filter system. The Impact Film Vaccum System has proven to be a highly valued addition to the domestic waste recycling process, offering MRF designers maximum design flexibility and improved segregation of recyclables.
A valuable addition to any Film Vacuum System, this simple design allows collected material to be compressed into an expanding plastic bag to produce a ‘sausage’ like bale. A single screw auger, discharge tube and retaining ring provide a simple yet highly reliable, cost effective solution to reduce bulky material into manageable volumes.
Designed to substantially reduce the volume of nuisance dust collected via dust filtration, this extremely versatile unit can be easily integrated into the system design allowing dust volume reduction levels of 20:1. No longer is it necessary to manually handle large sacks of waste dust collected during filtration, instead the material is efficiently converted into manageable high density briquettes, reducing storage and handling requirements.
Dust is received by the collection drum and when the unit is activated by a level probe, it is fed by a dosing paddle into the compression chamber. Hydraulic rams convert the loose material into the final shape before ejecting the finished product.
The Impact dust briquetting system is the obvious choice for high dust volume applications helping to reduce labour and material handling. In addition, this waste material often has a very high calorific value and (depending on the source) can often be used as a fuel source in a number of waste to energy facilities.
The material separator's main function is to separate the waste material collected by the system from the conveying air stream. The separator assembly consists of a perforated screen plate, inclined downwards at an angle inside metal housing.
Air and material enter through an inlet in the housing at the top of the perforated screen plate and are accelerated downwards. An inlet aerofoil pre-set during commissioning, ensures the perforated screen is self cleaning and remains free from material to maintain reliable operation.
The conveying air passes through the screen plate and exits the separator through an outlet port either in the top or the back of the unit. Material travels down the full length of the screen plate and leaves the separator through an outlet in the bottom. The material then exits the separator unit under the action of gravity alone.
We offer a range of size and screen types to suit a vast range of material and applications (between 3,500 and 75,000 cubic metres per hour).
• Replaceable self cleaning separator screen
• Compact size
• High air handling capacity
• Puncture resistant screen plates
• Fully sealed, dust tight
• Adjustable regulating aerofoil
• Material discharge via a non leaking rotary valve
• Tolerant to variations in system air volume and pressure
• Material throughputs up to 25 tonnes per hour
• Gearbox adjustment of inlet aerofoil
• Available to suit a range of different materials
Processing waste material in a Material Recycling Facility (MRF) can generate nuisance dust issues which can create an unpleasant working environment for employees, housekeeping issues and significant fire risks as airborne dust particles come to rest on plant equipment.
We have vast experience of resolving dust control issues within the waste industry, enabling us to offer simple yet highly effective methods for capturing dust at source including conveyor discharge or transfer points. These dust control solutions can be integrated into your MRF using stand alone fully automatic filter systems or incorporated into other centralised pneumatic conveying systems.
In association with Impact's range of density separation solutions, dust control and air recyling complete the picture ensuring an energy efficient system which complies with even the most stringent environmental standards.
The Impact oil mist extraction solution offers a cost effective and reliable method of removing unwanted oil mist vapour from processes such as body making presses within the beverage can production industry or frying within the food industries.
Incorporating a central ductwork system, the system collects and conveys the oil mist vapour away from individual or multiple production processes for recovery providing a cleaner and healthier working environment.
Specialist collection hoods and a fully welded ductwork system ensures a leak free operation and a three stage filtration process efficiently collects and separates the oil mist from the conveying air stream, allowing the oil to be recovered and reused or recycled.
High efficiency variable speed fans provide the air stream and extremely high air quality emissions can be achieved using second stage HEPA or carbon filtration
The rotary separator replaces much bulkier cyclone or static screen separators. The design consists of a large diameter rotary valve coupled with a specially engineered heavy duty perforated screen combined within a single enclosure.
The screen design incorporates aerodynamic principles as well as a wiping action to ensure efficient, trouble free operation. This clever design guarantees waste separation from the conveying air, even with high waste loads, without the need for variable/adjustable inlets vanes or balance fans with Volume Control Dampers. A slowly rotating six-bladed star shaped rotor fitted with heavy duty wear resistant rubber seals forms a physical barrier, forcing the conveying air through the screen. The rubber seals provide a wiping action to the perforated screen ensuring it remains free from debris to maintain reliable operation.
The rotary separator has been engineered to withstand the demanding conditions expected in a variety of different applications. Constructed using heavy gauge welded steel construction, finished in high quality paint. We offer a range of four models designed to suit the vast range of materials, air volumes and operating conditions.
The precision trim cutter is a compact and versatile precision cutting unit used with Impact's label matrix extraction systems, among others.
The trim cutter unit is designed to offer precision cutting of a wide range of continuous materials. It enables continuous web manufacturers, slitters and converters to remove edge trim from production. It can cut cleanly through very thick materials like carpet edge trim. At the other end of the scale it can deal with extremely tough plastic film, foils, fabrics, filaments and non-woven materials down to as little as 12μm thin.
Two base models are available in the range. A model 78 series unit is ideally suited to materials being conveyed in ductwork up to 150mm in diameter. The model 811 series cutter is most suitable for larger volumes and heavier materials.
The advantages of the 78 and 811 series cutter are explained below:
Rotating fly knives are cylindrically ground in housing to ensure uniform clearance across the complete width of the bed knife. Proprietary milling process matches fly knives to rotor notches for secure, positive location and retention. Available in standard AISI-D2 tool steel or in optional tungsten carbide.
Impact Air Systems have been providing trim extraction systems for nearly 30 years in a huge variety of applications and removing waste continuous edge trim generated from the modern digital printing presses is no exception.
Material is usually discharged from the digital press in a continuous ribbon form from both sides of the web and the central trim between copies needs to be collected from the press. Our simple, yet effective approach allows multiple machines to be connected to a central waste removal system, keeping the production area free from waste and potentially generating revenue from the recyclable waste paper.
We can provide a high-level access structure to allow safe and easy access to all the key areas of the system, including the rotary air lock and separator unit.
Due to our clever design our engineers are able to offer a range of access structures to suit your budget and operational requirements. We offer a light weight aluminium structure which can be incorporated into the design of the compactor / baler drop chute eliminating the need for floor mounted supports. This method reduces overall cost but ensures operators have safe access to waste handling equipment during maintenance.
With today's stringent noise regulations becoming even more demanding, we can offer a range of acoustic solutions for your waste extraction plant.
The acoustic enclosure for the waste handling fan is an ideal method of minimising noise transmitted by the fan, whilst allowing easy access for maintenance and repair.
For reducing noise transmitted through the ductwork, Impact can offer inlet and outlet silencers which can be applied to the material handling fan and machine pick up points.