News Release
Contact: Mike Robinson
mrobinson@keithwalkingfloor.com
KEITH Brings 50 Years Of Experience To Waste Industry
With five decades of innovation in the waste industry, KEITH Manufacturing continues to strive to provide customers with the most reliable material handling equipment on the market. The KEITH® WALKING FLOOR® is a self-unloading system where the moving floor is made of a series of reciprocating floor slats powered by a hydraulic drive. As the floor cycles through its phases, material is conveyed or unloaded.
A WALKING FLOOR® unloading system unloads material horizontally, with no tipping. Trailers with WALKING FLOOR® systems safety unload on uneven ground; provide a controlled material discharge; and can unload in windy conditions. Trailers can also unload adjacent to other equipment, which is not recommended for tipping trailers due to the increased risk of overturning the trailer.
In addition to safety considerations, many municipalities choose WALKING FLOOR® unloaders over tipper trailers because they do not want the added expense of owning and maintaining a tipper system. This also eliminates the need for a near vertical wall for unloading tippers, which provides landfill operators with more flexibility in unloading locations.
This can improve both safety and efficiency at the landfill. During peak operating times, trailers can be positioned closer to each other during unloading without compromising safety. This also increases the efficiency of the landfill’s other equipment, as dozers and front end loaders can work in a consolidated area to compact the waste.
KEITH® WALKING FLOOR® systems are designed for durability in the waste industry. The hydraulic system easily handles the high volume of waste and multiple loads that transfer trailers haul each day. Components are designed for accessibility during repairs. KEITH systems also feature interchangeable check valves and hydraulic cylinders for ease of maintenance. This also reduces the parts inventory fleet owners need to stock.
KEITH Manufacturing Co was launched in the early 1970s in Madras, Oregon when company founder Keith Foster set off to make an automated moving floor unloading system. While other versions of moving floor technology existed, it was Foster who focused on creating a 100% hydraulic drive unit that was powerful enough to unload a semi-trailer. In 1973, KEITH Manufacturing Co. introduced the first commercially viable moving floor unloading system under the WALKING FLOOR® brand name.
The waste industry started using WALKING FLOOR® technology in the early 1980s. In 2001, Keith Foster was recognized for his accomplishments in making the unloading of solid waste easier, safer and more efficient by being inducted into the Environmental Industry Association (EIA) Hall of Fame.
At the event it was noted that, “The WALKING FLOOR® system has frankly revolutionized the waste industry.”
WALKING FLOOR® systems are also installed in storage bins where they integrate the material receiving, storage and metering needs. KEITH bins are custom engineered to the facility’s needs and can be designed to handle nearly any weight or material conveying volume.
To learn more, visit Booth #2935 or go to www.keithwalkingfloor.com.