Scrap - Afghanistan

Howdy all, great resource and forum hence reason to join!

We operate in Afghanistan and are about to embark on running a primary DRMO site that will deal with a large volume of military scrap through DLA. I am looking at getting a suitable pplasma cutting system, ideally something that can handle running up to four plasma cutters off a generator.

Plasma tools will be a first for us as we will be using portable Petrogen units in the interim.

For those of you who run large scale yards etc, I would be happy to get your feedback with regard to suitable systems.

happy scrapping!

didn't someone post a video about rouge scrappers going in the middle of the night to a live bombing range in the states or something to get scrap from what they were using for targets?

Can you get liquid oxygen delivered on-site? I am gonna take a guess and say no. Afgan is still live like a third world country. Do you have rail access?

Hey easy i have a couple of relatives in the navy, including my sister..they do indeed toss alot overboard..mostly garbage though..they somehow bale it up n toss it overboard... i viewed her ship not too long ago when i was visiting and heard this from everyone..at the docks they do have 4 different recycling bins for metal, cardboard, plastics, etc... i find it sick the gov imposes somewhat strict rules to recycling for us civilians when they are constantly tossing junk into our beautiful waters

Originally Posted by PistoneScrapProcessing

Can you get liquid oxygen delivered on-site? I am gonna take a guess and say no. Afgan is still live like a third world country. Do you have rail access?

all industrial gases are avaliable, cylinders are standard. Anything bulk will be risky. Railways dont exist.

Good grief! let him scrap that stuff, instead of it being left over there for them to someday use against us. Will 4 plasma cutters be enough?, or do you need 4400?

thanks Bear, I am after constructive comment with this, everyone is getting distracted with side issues.
The scrap is just that, scrap that is light ferrous up to structural steel.
I want to use between 4 - 6 Plasma cutters.

How many estimated tons do you have at the boneyard right now? Why use plasma cutters if you can get industrial gases? I would torch cut everything. How much a ton are you going to get for your prepared plate and HMS?

Originally Posted by ScrapStan

thanks Bear, I am after constructive comment with this, everyone is getting distracted with side issues.
The scrap is just that, scrap that is light ferrous up to structural steel.
I want to use between 4 - 6 Plasma cutters.

Using the plasma on heavier cuts at high amperage is going to go through torch consumables at a rate that will eat up your profits, then you have to also consider the time wasted when your cutter is changing used up torch consumables.

Plasma torch leads at 25 ft will be inconvenient also a plasma machine of commercial size will not easily be portable, an accidental severance of a torch lead is not repairable in the field like a the hoses leading to your petrogen torch. I fully agree with Piston Processing go with liquid oxygen.

You're in pretty good company SS, Pistone is probably as good a burner as you'll find on the continent, and Gus as good a scrapper

The one thing I am having trouble figuring out if you have seem to have zero experience at cutting up heavy equipment with armor plating on it. Why you would get into it and what would make you want to try it? I am not putting you down by any means at all but I have seen allot of people in this industry get burnt trying something that they have no business doing in the first place. Where are you going to get guys to run the plasma cutter or torches? Manganese and chrome are going to be all over the place on a vehicle or tank or humvee. How do you intend on cutting through it and separating it. Chrome and maganese are a major no no to be mixed in with plate or heavy melt. How are you going to be able to identify chemistry of the steel you are cutting with no experience. I can tell when something is not 100 percent steel when I cut it. Do you or your burners have that kind of experience to tell if something isn't right and segregate the material so you don't get rejections. Just a few questions I have carry on.

All valid questions indeed and appreciate the response. Perhaps the phase "military" scrap creates a misleading impression of what the type of material is that we process. We have been operating throughout the country with base removals and in some high threat areas for some time. We have a range of other equipments we utilise, I am looking for a system that can be used off a generator for multiple operator (need not be PLasma, but I need to get informed comment from operators prior to discounting the option). We will be processing daily from the site. We do have experienced torch operators, plasma not so.
Industrial gases can be sourced, I am looking at options for efficiency, reliability etc.
As mentioned, appreciate feedback from all