Nigeria’s carboard paper Yards Running Out of Space: How High-Density Horizontal Balers Improve Stacking and Loading Efficiency

For many Nigerian recyclers handling OCC( cardboard ) and packaging paper, yard space is always short. Cartons pile higher and higher, safety risks increase, and moisture in the rainy season leads to mould. When it comes to loading trucks or containers, bale density is often too low, stacking is difficult and loading efficiency suffers.

To ease the triple pressure of limited space, unstable stacks and under-loaded containers, the key is to use a high-density horizontal baler to turn loose OCC into compact, regular bales that are easy to stack and ship.

1) Start with material and daily throughput

• If you mainly handle light-weight cartons and packaging paper with a modest throughput (e.g. 10–15 t/day), a medium-tonnage horizontal baler can already improve stacking significantly.

• If your stream includes a lot of heavy-duty cartons and thick board, and you routinely process 20–40 t/day or more, you should look at 100–125-ton horizontal balers to achieve truly high-density bales and free up warehouse space.

2) Choose based on bale size and density

A common export-friendly bale footprint is about 1100 × 1200 mm (L × W) with adjustable height:

• Oversized but loosely compacted bales take up a lot of volume but do not carry much weight;

• Very tall bales may reach the target weight but increase forklift and stacking risks;

• Higher-tonnage balers enable you to achieve higher density at reasonable bale height, saving floor space while keeping stacks safe and stable.

3) A 125-ton horizontal OCC baler as a reference

For Nigerian yards that are short on space and also serve export markets, a typical 125-ton horizontal OCC balerconfiguration can serve as a selection benchmark, for example:

• Main cylinder: YG250/180-4200, nominal thrust around 125 tons (1250 kN);

• Door cylinders: YG125/80-1200, 2 units, total thrust around 60 tons (300 kN) to ensure reliable door closing/opening under full-load conditions;

• Hydraulic system: working pressure 25 MPa, with A7V-160 main pump (160 ml/r, 31.5 MPa) and YCY25 auxiliary pump (25 ml/r, 31.5 MPa);

• Feeding opening: about 2200 × 1100 × 1100 mm, suitable for both whole and flattened cartons;

• Bale size: about 1100 × 1200 mm (L × W), height adjustable to suit forklifts and 40HQ container layout;

• Main motor: YE250M-4, 37 kW, 1470 rpm, 380 V, 3-phase, 50 Hz (or customized for the local grid);

• Control: PLC-based automatic compression cycle with manual strapping for flexibility;

• Strapping: 5-line steel wire strapping, for 2.8 / 3.2 mm wire diameters;

• Conveyor: 1.6 m × 10 m steel plate conveyor, forming a clear flow from temporary storage to baler to finished bale stacking.

The idea behind this configuration is: under Nigeria’s high temperatures and space constraints, use sufficient compression force and a practical bale size to squeeze as much “tonnage potential” as possible out of each square metre of warehouse and each 40HQ container.

4) Summary: using high-density balers to “expand” your yard

For Nigerian OCC yards where physical expansion is difficult, high-density bales are a way to virtually expand space:

• More tons of material stored in the same area;

• More tons loaded into each container;

• More stable stacks with lower safety risk.

When selecting a baler, start from your own material mix, daily throughput and stacking/loading patterns, and use a configuration similar to a 125-ton horizontal baler as a reference point to find a solution that “compacts tightly and stacks safely”