Swedish company Flexus Balasystem is working with SKF on a bearing solution for its compression baler that combats grime, the most common cause of baler breakdown, and minimizes maintenance.
Central to the Flexus Balasystem baler is a patented flexible metal chain that compresses waste. This metal chain is the baler’s most delicate component, requiring a good bearing solution and careful maintenance.
“The company is now testing a sealed ball bearing, developed in collaboration with SKF, that is does not require relubrication and therefore is maintenance-free,” says Bo Ansbjer, CEO and owner of Flexus Balasystem in Nossebro, Sweden.
The company has been manufacturing all-in-one compression balers, primarily for waste management, since 1993. Waste management in particular places stringent requirements on the robustness of the machinery at all stages. Being able to handle various types of waste is not enough, since other materials also end up in the baler. Combating these various materials was the greatest challenge for Bo and his brother Jan when, together with their employees, they developed their first prototype.
“We began testing and didn’t actually have a blueprint,” Bo Ansbjer recalls. “We drew the first sketches in the dust on the floor.”
In 1993, the brothers applied for a patent for their technology: a round baler – the only one of its kind in the world – for compressing and baling materials including waste. The patent applied to the compression chain and the unique driver.
“What makes it unique is that when the chain rolls the material together, the heads move along with it, which allows for better compression and cylindrical bales,” Ansbjer says.
Since its start, Flexus Balasystem has manufactured some 220 balers, exporting them to about 50 countries around the world. The company’s round baling technology for waste remains unique to this day. The company manufactures some 10 round balers each year, says Ansbjer, and the order book is full for at least six months.
The basic design has stayed the same over the years, but the chain that compresses the material has been changed and improved. The chain consists of multiple small segments attached with bearings, allowing the chain to flex like a wave and compress the material.
