An Introductory Guide to Skip Bin Sizes and Types

Waste Skip Bin Sizes and Types

Skip bins fall in to a few categories and many different sizes. There are three basic types of bins, skip bin, hook-lift bins  and front lift bins. The real skip bins have a distinctive shape: lengthways, being a trapezium or a variation on one. The bottom of the trapezium has the smaller length at the bottom of the skip bin, and a longer edge at the top. Hook-bins have rectangular cross-sections in both directions and opening door or doors at the other end of the bin to where a hook pulls the bin on and off the truck. Front lift bins also have rectangular cross-sections in both directions with no door but often having a lid to keep the rain out.

Shape and form variations of bins due to size

The form or shape of hook bins and front lift bins don't change too much with size as they are rectangular. They also usually retain the same features like having rear opening doors on the hook bins as lids and no doors on the front lift bins. Conversely skip bins change significantly with changes in size as the lifting mechanism for loading and unlading the bins requires that their shape accommodate flight of the bins on and off the truck. The other important facet of the skips bins is how they can be stacked within each other to improve delivery efficiencies which can improve the price performance of such bins when disposing of bulk volumes of waste. The predominant lifting mechanism for skip bins is called a Marrell lifter. These are the lifter that consist of two arms that are mounted on either side of the rear of the truck. The arms extend and rotate to lift the bins from the back of the skip truck to then place the bins behind the truck. The arms will extend by the use of hydraulic rams that raise the the lifting chains that attach to each corner of the skip bin to lift the bin up from the tray of the truck. The alternative to the hydraulic rams are a mechanism called bifold arms that open up and thus raise the bins by the use of the chains. The bifold arms are again driven (moved) by the use of hydraulic cylinders. Once in the air (off the truck tray) the arms will rotate  backs to move the bin(s) of the tray and onto the ground behind the truck.

The rich design options of Marrell Skip Bins

There are endless design variations for Marrell skip bins. These are often motivated to improve stacking abilities of the bins, to accommodate improved access methods to make loading the bins easier like adding drop down doors, ramps, barn doors and cut-away ends .Adding downs to the bins weakens the structural stability of the bins that results in greater ware and tear on the bin even when additional steel structural items are added to a bin. As the bins grow in size it become more difficult to load the bins over the top of the sides or end so doors and cut-aways become necessary for easy access to the bin.