When Cooma-Monaro Shire Council was looking to upgrade the compactor for Cooma Landfill, they went back to the Tana brand and the supplier they trusted.
Jeff Tate is Resource & Waste Operations Manager for the recently-merged Snowy Monaro Regional Council. He oversaw the purchase of a new Tana E 260 from GCM Enviro in 2015.
Cooma-Monaro Council had previously invested in a Tana G 260 landfill compactor from the same supplier in 2007.
“We were so happy with the first one that we went back to Daniel at GCM for the latest model,” says Jeff.
He explains that getting the right compactor was vital because the 40-hectare site at Cooma had previously been trenched and filled.
“We’re now filling into airspace, so getting maximum compaction is very important to maintain the life of the landfill for as long as we can,” Jeff adds. “The Tana was able to offer that to us.”
When it comes to benefits of using the Tana E at Cooma Landfill, Jeff highlights that it has a small turning circle, ideal for small sites, and it can manoeuvre into any situation.
The Tana E series offers a 360-degree view out of the cabin, which Jeff says provides improved visibility for accurate operations and awareness of nearby vehicles, which in turn helps with on-site safety.
When it comes to efficiency, using a Tana E series model means less driving and lower operating costs. Its unique full-width twin drum design reduces the number of passes required from six to four, saving time and fuel.
Its rigid frame enables maximum crushing force and eliminates swaying. It uses the weight of the machine through the twin drums providing a high level of compaction to deliver a smooth, firmly compacted area.
“Both drums are driven by hydraulic motors, so it can go over any terrain and push garbage anywhere,” says Jeff.
This also means waste trucks can drive safely and quickly to the tipping area for unloading, reducing the risk of vehicle breakdowns caused by unevenly compacted ground.
“With the first pass of the Tana, it spreads out the waste on the previously compacted surface,” explains Jeff.
“On the second pass, it concentrates on crushing the waste. On the third pass it ties it down with pyramid shaped teeth in the twin drums, which locks the waste into the indentations in the ground.
“That’s a huge benefit for us as we had problems with wind blown litter. Now it’s now compacted so tightly, the waste is more secure,” he adds.
The Tana E series offers easy access for maintenance, has a safe walk-around design and the operator and machine is well-protected from random debris.The cabin also has a roll-over protection structure, or ROPS, and falling-over protection structure for the safety of the operator.
Tana remote assistance means that if any updates need to made to the machine’s software they can be done remotely while it is on downtime.
“As a small site, it’s important to make our landfill last as long as possible,” says Jeff. “In my eyes, for its versatility and compaction rates, the Tana E 260 is the best machine for a small landfill.”
The Tana E series is available exclusively in Australia from GCM Enviro.