Whitham Mills Installs 20tph Fully Automatic Baler for JD Sports
High street retailer JD Sports Fashion plc has appointed Whitham Mills to design, install and maintain a new waste management system at its national distribution centre in Rochdale.
The six-figure contract will see Whitham Mills install a 1700mm conveyor, transporting waste cardboard to a 20 tonnes-per-hour GB1111FS baler outside of the main building.
Waste streams in distribution centres are identified as a potential fire risk, leading Whitham Mills to design an enclosed baler feed conveyor system which includes an automatic fire door and fire-suppressing sprinkler system.
If activated, the system automatically closes the fire door at the conveyor’s exit point, isolating the fire and allowing the sprinkler system to take control.
Whitham Mills managing director, Ben Smart, said: “At Whitham Mills we take the challenges set by our customers and identify efficient and imaginative systems which respond to their needs. There is rarely an off-the-shelf system which is suitable which is why our engineering know-how is so important to our customers.
“In this instance we’ve designed a system which will suppress any fire in a way which will protect stock and allow the distribution centre to return to operations as quickly as possible.”
Whitham Mills secured the contract following a recommendation from JD Sports’ waste management company, Wheeldon Brothers, and will also be providing a service contract.
