A recycling and waste management specialist has given Finning the go-ahead to complete what has been described as the UK’s first Certified Machine Rebuild (CMR) on a 15-year-old Cat 836 landfill compactor.
The aim is to give the machine a new lease of life to ensure it can continue operating for another 15 years.
FCC Environment operates over 200 recycling, treatment, and disposal facilities across the UK, managing more than 8.5 million tonnes of waste for customers. The company’s waste processing fleet comprises 500 machines including landfill compactors, wheeled excavators, track type loaders and articulated dump trucks, with Cat equipment making up almost half.
One of these machines, a Cat 836 landfill compactor, was purchased from Finning in 2007 with a full repair and maintenance programme.
When the machine’s transmission failed in late 2022, FCC group plant manager, Bill Stone, began discussions with Finning on the best solution for a replacement machine package. This included looking at buying another new machine as well as considering the option to carry out a full CMR, which is the highest-level Cat-certified rebuild available.
Adam Walker, engine and drivetrain product manager at Finning is overseeing the project. He said, “Sustainability is now at the forefront of the waste industry, so we’ve seen a shift in demand towards companies requesting remanufactured or reconditioned parts for their machines, or for the entire machine to be rebuilt.
“This is the first machine rebuild that FCC has commissioned, but the company now plans for this approach to become an integral part of their fleet management succession plan because it enables them to demonstrate a clear commitment to improving the environmental impact of their operations and reducing emissions in the drive to net zero.
“Rebuilding a machine instead of buying new requires 85% less energy, uses 86% less water and generates around 61% fewer greenhouse gases. Plus, we recover and recycle over 65% of the original machine, so it’s ready to be used as a replacement part in another machine.”
Finning revealed it has seen their number of machines rebuilds double year on year, with the firm’s specialist rebuild engineers completing hundreds over the last three years.
Bill Stone commented, “We have a commitment to run our operation in an environmentally and socially responsible way, and by choosing to rebuild and give our assets a second life rather than buy new, we are helping to meet that commitment.”
