WHEEL MAINTENANCE
For any piece of equipment, proper maintenance of internal components is always a primary concern. While this is also true of refuse compactors, it would be difficult to talk about their maintenance without also discussing the compactor’s wheels. The wheels, after all, are the tools responsible for cutting and shredding the refuse material on a landfill into smaller pieces that can be more easily compacted.

As with the engine and the air intake, material buildup is a cause of concern around the wheels. A wheel packed with material limits the refuse compactor’s ability to break up and compact refuse and also impedes its tractive effort. Just about anything can wind up in a landfill, and that trash can get clogged between the wheel and the body of the machine. This buildup must be cleaned out on a regular basis. If the trash buildup isn’t removed, the inside of the wheel can wear down. With time and a lack of attention, the wheel could eventually collapse if it becomes too worn.

The design of the compactor itself can also affect the maintenance needs of the machine. Some compactors, rather than having an axle rotating under the center of the compactor, use an oscillating center joint that allows the wheels to be mounted on all four corners close to the body of the machine. By leaving less than an inch of space between the wheels and the frame, there is less chance of material building up in the gap.

Wire and rope in a landfill are another concern. Wire wrapped around a wheel not only can restrict the wheel’s movement, but can also cause damage to the wheel or other components of the compactor. Some manufacturers add a device that acts as a wire cutter on both sides of each wheel to counteract this issue.

While these features are great preventative maintenance tools for keeping the wheels clean, there will still be some amount of material buildup. An operator should manually remove any excess trash to prevent damage to the machine.

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS
In addition to clogging a compactor’s wheels, trash presents another problem when it comes over the top of the wheels. Material coming over the wheels could hit the operator cabin and break the glass. This problem must be addressed, but it would create far too much downtime for an operator to stop every time there was concern about material getting stuck in the wheels or flying up at the cabin.

With this in mind, some manufacturers produce machines with adjustable knockdown or cleaner bars on the front and rear of each wheel. These bars not only provide cabin protection, but also help keep the wheels free of debris to allow maximum tooth penetration.