All briquetting machines work on a given number of compression cycles per minute and therefore the output is always dependent upon the material being briquetted, so the denser the material, the higher the output. Where there is energy used to compact material, another energy is generated this being in the form of heat and depending upon the usage of a machine, a coolant may be required. Briquettes are held together without the need of any additives being introduced and are suitable for most shavings and sawdust produced from joinery companies and furniture makers as the ideal moisture content needs to be between 8 and 14% The ‘solidity’ of a briquette varies from machine to machine, some are more crumbly than others be aware of this if they are to be bagged and sold. Always assess for yourself the level of output and the quality of briquette by seeing one working using an example of the waste you are looking to convert. Choosing the correct machine can be quite easy, all you need to know is the average amount of sawdust/shavings you produce on a weekly basis, this can be by volume or typically the number of waste sacks (these are normally 500mm diameter x 1000mm long) and the type of material, namely hardwood or softwood or roughly what percentage of each. A briquetter can reduce operating costs for companies currently sending their waste to landfill and further reduce operating costs if the briquettes are used as a heat source through wood burning space heaters. Briquettes can also be the source of additional revenue with a 10 kg bag usually selling around £3.50 , so for a machine producing 60Kg/hour, 8 hours/day would equate to 240 bags/ week i.e. £840/week or over 12 months (based on 48 working weeks) £40,320 per annum…!! (one of our customers reported a payback time of just 6 months..!) Briquettes have a calorific value between 3,500 and 3,800 Kcal/Kg. Materials that can be briquetted include, wood waste, cork dust, bark, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyurethene, rubber, fabrics, paper, cardboard etc.