Sources Sought Request for Small-Deck Hydraulic Can Crusher

The Department of the Navy, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD) is seeking potential sources for a hydraulic can crusher with aerosol capturing capabilities, in accordance with specification outlined in attached statement of work document. Components of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act govern the disposal of paint cans. Under these rules, paint cans that have been scraped clean and crushed below a height of 1-inch are allowed to be designated as “empty”.

Such a designation allows paint cans to be discarded in the unregulated waste stream, reducing the cost and dedicated man-hours necessary for the typical disposal of paint cans as hazardous waste. The Navy is seeking a machine suitable to reach the less than 1-inch benchmark for 5-gallon and 1-gallon steel paint cans. Given that this equipment will be aboard a naval vessel, there will be an emphasis on the equipment’s physical dimensions.

It must have a manageable size for with particular regards to height and envelope width, width of the machine in the case of an outward swinging door. The equipment should be able to crush and drain aerosol cans. This issue has been explored in the past and no suitable technology was found. The optimal equipment should be able to drain the contents of cans, capture and redirect aerosol components. It is not sufficient to simply employ activated charcoal; the equipment must be able to redirect the aerosol to another area that allows for dilution away from operators.