Supporting high throughput waste processing with electric Drum Drive technology

Managing waste streams efficiently is an increasingly pressing challenge. In 2023, UK households generated around 25.9 million tonnes of waste, while commercial and industrial activities added over 32 million tonnes more; provisional 2024 data shows that between 64.1 per cent and 75.2 per cent of the UK’s packaging waste was recycled. Recovering value from materials like road sweepings and gully waste is a key part of improving these figures. At ReCon Waste Management, a hydraulic feeder drive was limiting performance and increasing environmental and maintenance risks. The company turned to systems integrator Technidrive to engineer an electric alternative that would deliver better energy efficiency, safety and reliability.

This shift toward material recovery reflects a wider industry trend. A recent review in Frontiers on circular-economy practices notes that waste-management systems are increasingly moving from disposal to resource-recovery, placing greater emphasis on equipment that supports continuous, controlled processing.

Waste washing plants allow material streams that would previously have been sent to landfill to be processed instead. For example, road sweepings and gully waste can be treated and cleaned to recover aggregates and other reusable materials. To deliver reliable output, upstream equipment like hoppers and feeders must supply a steady, controllable flow of material into screens, washing units and dewatering stages. Any interruption or inconsistency in feed rate or material condition can reduce throughput, degrade product quality and increase processing costs.

ReCon Waste Management, based in Northern Ireland, recycles and recovers a broad range of waste materials. Its washing plant handles around 20 tonnes of mixed waste per hour, including gully arisings, sweeper waste and automotive shredder residue.

The original hydraulic feeder drive had been plagued by gearbox problems and the inherent drawbacks of hydraulics in a harsh environment — high energy consumption, potential oil leaks and ongoing fluid maintenance.

At the same time, industry-wide pressure to cut emissions and improve safety was increasing, not least because hydraulic fluid spills can contaminate soil and water and pose health and environmental risks if not managed correctly. The US-based Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry says that “If spilled on soil, some of the ingredients in the hydraulic fluids mixture may stay on the top, while others may sink into the groundwater,” where they can later enter surrounding watercourses and be taken up by fish.

For these reasons, ReCon was determined to acquire a more efficient and cleaner solution that would still deliver the high torque and low speed the feeder required.

Maintaining flow in a demanding waste stream

ReCon required a replacement for a hydraulic feeder drive that powered a drum at the head of a conveyor system. The drive had to start under load, handle variable material conditions and maintain a controlled feed onto the main belt, which carries material directly into the plant’s washing and screening equipment. Any inconsistency at this point could disrupt the cleaning process downstream and reduce overall recovery efficiency.

Hydraulic drives have traditionally been used for this kind of high-torque, low-speed duty because they offer a wide speed range and high controllability. However, they come with trade-offs. Hydraulic packs draw continuous energy even when the process is not at full load and any hose failure can cause contamination and costly clean-ups. Routine oil changes, filtration and disposal also add to operating costs and downtime.

The replacement drive had to meet several constraints. It had to match the footprint, shaft position and mounting of the existing unit to avoid structural modifications to the feeder. It had to deliver high torque at low speed with enough margin to cope with heavy, wet waste at start-up. What’s more, it needed to reduce energy use and maintenance compared to the outgoing hydraulic system.

The electric Drum Drive solution

To meet these requirements, Technidrive proposed a right-angle 80A Drum Drive as a direct electric replacement. “We chose this route as the 80A Drum Drive is specifically designed for slow-speed conveyors, like feeders, that require high-torque compact solutions and is part of the wider Drum Drive range for heavy industries,” said Andrew Ritchie, technical sales manager at Technidrive.

“Our 80A Drum Drive uses 52 per cent less mass, is 20 per cent more cost-effective and delivers a 20 per cent increase in torque capacity when compared to traditional solutions,” added Ritchie.

It uses a high reduction ratio to achieve the necessary low output speed while multiplying the available torque. For this application, Technidrive engineered a bespoke solution combining a bevel helical gearbox with a planetary rotating case gearbox to provide a compact, high-torque, low-speed drive. This created a fully tailored gearbox package designed to meet the exact performance requirements of the feeder. The approach allowed the team to align shaft centres and mounting faces precisely with the existing arrangement. As a result, the new drive could be installed with minimal mechanical modification.

For the motor, Technidrive chose a WEG W22 IE3-rated electric motor, using an international Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) approved input so that any electric motor with IEC specification could be installed without custom machining.

This meant the drive could be mounted in the same position as the original equipment while providing the torque and speed range needed by the process.

Replacing the hydraulic power pack with a direct electric system brough significant efficiency gains. Hydraulic systems often suffer from pumping and throttling losses, whereas modern high-efficiency electric motors combined with correctly sized gearboxes can reduce the power consumption of motor driven systems considerably.

In the ReCon installation, the overall power demand for the feeder drive dropped from around 50 kW on the original hydraulic system to under 30 kW with the new electric solution, cutting both running costs and associated CO₂ emissions.

The mechanical design of the Drum Drive also supports low maintenance. The unit is sealed and oil-filled, with no external chains or belts and no greasing points on the main drive. This reduces the risk of contamination from lubricants, avoids the handling and disposal of hydraulic oil and simplifies the inspection routine for operators.

Integration and swift intervention

As the new system was engineered to match the hydraulic unit’s existing footprint, installation at ReCon’s customer site was straightforward. The new drive was bolted into place where the old gearbox had been removed, aligning with the existing head drum and preserving the original conveyor geometry. Electrical connection to the W22 motor and associated control system completed the conversion from hydraulic to electric power.

During commissioning, one issue emerged under full load. A sealing arrangement within the gearbox was not performing as expected at higher speeds. The problem had the potential to limit running time if not addressed quickly and Technidrive worked closely with ReCon to diagnose the cause.

“The Technidrive team collected the unit, changed the seal configuration and had it back on site within just a few hours, and that instant service really mattered,” said Daniel Connolly managing director at ReCon Waste Management. “We were up and running again the same day and the drive has performed flawlessly ever since.”

Consistency and controllability

As a result, the waste washing plant now benefits from a consistent, controllable feed of material onto the main conveyor, supporting stable throughput at around 20 tonnes per hour. By keeping its plant running reliably and efficiently, ReCon can maximise recovery from these materials and help divert more waste from landfill.

“We’ve worked with Technidrive for years now, and this project reinforced why,” Connolly added. “They remain a key partner for us, and we’re already working with them again on a new project that follows a similar approach.”

For Technidrive, the ReCon project was an early example of a solution that has since become a standard option for feeders in recycling, quarrying and mining applications. The success of the installation showed that compact, high-torque electric drum drives could replace hydraulics without sacrificing performance, while giving end users clear gains in energy use, safety and maintainability.