What is a feeder yard in the scrap metal industry and what functions are performed there?

In the scrap metal industry, a feeder yard is a facility specifically designed to receive and temporarily store significant quantities of scrap metal. It serves as an intermediary location where scrap metal is collected, processed, and prepared for further transportation to recycling facilities or end markets. The primary function of a feeder yard is to efficiently consolidate scrap metal from various sources before sending it to the final recycling destination.

Here are the main functions performed at a feeder yard:

1. Receiving and Sorting: Scrap metal arrives at the feeder yard from various sources, including industrial facilities, construction sites, auto salvage yards, and individual drop-offs. The scrap metal is received and sorted based on its composition, grade, and physical form (e.g., ferrous vs. non-ferrous metals, sheets, bundles, etc.).

2. Processing: The feeder yard may have equipment and machinery for processing scrap metal to improve its quality and reduce the volume for transportation. This can involve cutting, shredding, baling, or compacting the scrap metal.

3. Storage and Inventory Management: The feeder yard serves as a temporary storage site where scrap metal is held until it reaches a sufficient quantity for cost-effective transportation. It involves maintaining organized inventory records to ensure efficient tracking of the incoming and outgoing material.

4. Load Out: Once the scrap metal has been processed and accumulated, it is loaded onto trucks, railcars, or barges for transportation to recycling facilities, mills, or other end consumers. The feeder yard facilitates the efficient loading of large quantities of scrap metal.

5. Quality Control: Feeder yards often perform quality control checks to ensure that the outgoing scrap metal meets the specifications and standards required by the buyers. This may include checking for contaminants, verifying the metal grades, and ensuring appropriate packaging and labeling.

By managing the flow of scrap metal through feeder yards, the scrap recycling industry can optimize the logistics and increase the overall efficiency of the recycling process. It allows for the accumulation and consolidation of scrap metal from multiple sources, reducing transportation costs and enabling larger-scale recycling operations.