Hatchery waste tanker

Meprozet Kościan

Meprozet Kościan has been supplying the market with a broad range of products designed for the transport of liquid waste for many years. The Kościan-based company's range comprises vacuum tanker trailers, hook-lift containers, rigid lorry bodywork, and trailers. A wide spectrum of optional extras can be selected for all of these units. This means Meprozet-brand products can be tailored to the customer's specific requirements.

New: transport of bulk waste from poultry hatcheries

The latest addition to the Kościan manufacturer's range comprises units for the transport of bulk waste arising from the industrial poultry hatching process. One such unit is the PN-60 MIDI 1 vacuum tanker, dedicated to collecting and transporting hatchery waste, which consists predominantly of eggshells.

The new tanker design is based on a frame with an integrated drawbar and a single-axle running gear. Tank filling is carried out under vacuum, using the installation that serves the hatchery. The waste tank is "plugged into" the waste extraction system, one of the components of which is a vacuum pump, thereby removing the need for the tanker itself to be equipped with one.

The stationary vacuum pump, connected to the tank via a float valve located at the front, at the highest point of the tank, generates negative pressure. A pipeline collecting waste from the hatchery's process line is connected to the tank's suction coupling, which is situated at the top rear section.

Efficient unloading and operator safety

Once the tank has been filled, it is disconnected from the installation and transported to the waste disposal site. The waste is discharged by gravity, with the aid of a tipping ram, which — given the consistency of the waste — significantly speeds up the process.

In order to maximise the efficiency of the emptying cycle, the tanker has been fitted with a hydraulically operated opening and locking rear floor. The combination of these two functions, in addition to enabling the rapid discharge of the tank's contents, also allows convenient cleaning and disinfection of the tank interior. These tasks must be carried out at every unloading, owing to the sanitary requirements in force at the hatchery.

The hydraulic rear floor is operated by means of a manual spool valve located on the side of the frame, while the tipping sequence is activated from the tractor's hydraulic system. The opening and lifting of the rear floor is carried out using a hydraulic sequence valve fed from a single spool valve. When the rear floor is opened, the locks are released first, and only then does the floor lift. When closing, the sequence runs in reverse.

To ensure safe operation during cleaning and disinfection, the unit has been equipped with safety props to prevent the rear floor and the tank from lowering unintentionally. This is of particular importance in the event of a hydraulic failure, e.g. damaged hydraulic hoses.

In addition, the tanker has been fitted with a top-mounted service access hatch, sight gauges for monitoring the fill level, a vacuum/pressure gauge, and a manual gate valve located at the rear coupling of the tank. The specification is completed by a pneumatic braking system and road lighting system.

(source: Technika Komunalna 1/2025, p. 68)