E-Z Pack Introduces New Automated Side Loader and Updated Residential Front Loader at Waste Expo
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CYNTHIANA, KY – E-Z Pack Manufacturing, LLC, has broken the high compaction barrier for automated side loading refuse vehicles, with the pre-production launch of the Hercules ASL at Waste Expo in Las Vegas.
The new automated side loader was one of several products E-Z Pack introduced at the show. The company also re-introduced its Dedicated Residential Front Loader with numerous improvements, and unveiled an aftermarket replacement arm to fit side loaders manufactured by another company.
But it was the innovative Hercules ASL that garnered most of the pre-show buzz. The automated side loader was developed on the Hercules body platform, which is the front loader body E-Z Pack has produced since 1994. The common body platform offers several advantages, according to E-Z Pack's VP Sales and Marketing, Jim Rogers.
"The Hercules has gained a reputation for ruggedness and dependability," Rogers said, "and the commonality of parts with the Automated Side Loader means that fleet managers will not have to stock a lot of extra parts just for the Hercules ASL. Pumps, valves, cylinders, tailgates, latches and more are common to both bodies. For E-Z Pack customers, it means they'll save on training, service and maintenance costs."
It also means the Hercules ASL is the first true high compaction automated side loader, with payload ratings between 800 and 1,000 lbs. per cubic yard. Typically, side loader payloads are closer to 700 lbs. per cubic yard, with some going to 800 lbs. "The high compaction of the Hercules front loader carries over into the new ASL," says Rogers, "with the Gladiator packing cylinders and hydraulic components that have proven so reliable in the Hercules front loader."
The Hercules ASL also uses E-Z Pack's patented Fuel Saving Hydraulics system, consisting of an oversized pressure compensating piston pump, with a load sense closed center control valve. According to Director of Engineering, Tom Robbins, the chief architect of the Hercules ASL,
"The system senses flow and pressure needed for hydraulic functions. So when flow is not needed, none is transmitted, which means no power is used and fuel and energy are not wasted." The patented system has been in use on E-Z Pack front loaders for several years, and fuel savings up to 20% have been reported.
The Hercules ASL also features a large 6 cubic yard hopper, capable of handling containers up to 400 gallons. The body will be offered as a full eject unit, which provides additional stability in landfills compared to dumping units. The automated arm is loosely based on a mature industry design with years of proven technology, and has an 8-foot reach with a loading cycle time of 8-10 seconds. A traveling packer cover in the hopper allows continuous dumping, and the machine's hydraulic system allows it to operate in gear.
Most significantly, according to E-Z Pack President Phillip Daetwyler, "The Hercules ASL keeps with the E-Z Pack tradition of simplicity and ease of use. Onboard computers and PLCs are not required, so operators and maintenance personnel alike will appreciate the straightforward nature of the machine when it comes to operating and maintaining the unit. It also means fleet owners will find the E-Z Pack ASL will adapt quickly to their existing E-Z Pack fleet with less of a learning curve for operators and mechanics."
E-Z Pack also re-introduced its Hercules Dedicated Residential Front Loader as a one-man machine that can "take-it-all" in a residential application, from automated carts, to loose trash and bulky items. With a lower profile and lighter weight than its commercial front loader sibling, the "Resi," as it's known, is designed to navigate residential routes faster and more efficiently than rear loaders, with additional advantages over both automated side loaders as well as drop frame side loaders, according to Rogers.
"The Residential Front Loader comes with hydraulic plumbing in place to accommodate a variety of carry cans offered by other manufacturers, as well as E-Z Pack's own carry can," he says. "Curotto Can and Perkins, for example offer automated arms that grab and dump carts into their carry cans, making the Residential Front Loader a fully automated system. For the occasional couch or bulky trash pile, the operator will find the "E-Z tilt to load" bulky object loading height to be much lower than a drop frame side loader or rear loader, making the operation much easier and less prone for lifting injuries."
The Resi is also much faster in operation than a commercial front loader, with smaller cylinders to produce container dumping times of 10 seconds, packing cycles of 20 seconds depending on body sizes, and faster load ejection cycles. The updated Resi also features the Fuel Saving Hydraulic system as standard.
As a residential unit, the front loader can collect multiple homes – as much as a residential block – before activating the container dump cycle, another advantage over side loaders, which must run a full dump cycle with every stop.
As with other E-Z Pack models, the Resi uses no onboard computers, making operator functions easier to learn and maintenance an easier chore.
E-Z Pack innovation extends to its aftermarket parts division as well, with the company introducing a replacement automated arm at the show that fits a competitor's unit. The replacement arm has more than 30 engineering changes that improve the performance and durability of the arm, according to parts manager Jeff Wellman. He explains, "Our goal is to use our knowledge and understanding of the industry to improve on existing technology, as well as introducing new technology that makes sense. Just like our Gladiator pack-eject cylinder (also on display at Waste Expo), that introduced advanced scraper technology to the waste industry. The floating stainless steel scraper on the Gladiator is less aggressive than other scraper cylinders, preventing premature wear. We offer this technologically advanced cylinder as a replacement cylinder for other major brands as well, and believe it is far superior to the OEM cylinders that originally came in those trucks."
The Gladiator also features nitrocarburized components that will outlast chrome plating, and a unique hydraulic flow system that prevents mis-staging, a frequent problem with telescopic cylinders that can cause internal damage in a refuse body.
Gladiator cylinders and the new automated replacement arm offered by E-Z Pack are available through any E-Z Pack distributor, or by contacting E-Z Pack's parts headquarters in Cynthiana, Ky.
CONTACT:
Jim Rogers
1-800-331-0136
jrogers@ezpacktrucks.com