BIST
9105
USD/EUR
1,0800
Amerikan Doları
8,94678
Euro
36,1498
İngiliz Sterlini
42,3253
Japon Yeni
22,2246
Rus Rublesi
8,3096
SA Riyali
7,1878
Altın
3,1477
Son Güncelleme: 29.03.2024 14:02
Site İstatiğimiz
Toplam: 50845005

Non-ferrous metals

Untha shredder transforms manufacturing site in Brooklyn

The firm has been producing components and assemblies for industries including aerospace, and oil and gas, since it was founded in 1952. But nestled away in the bustling Brooklyn streets – where real estate is at a premium – the facility has found it harder to store chips and turnings as its production capacity has continued to rise.

Metallic machining chips – primarily aluminum, titanium, and various brass and stainless steel alloys – were previously stored in 55 gallon drums, to be collected for resale and recycling. But with the drums soon stacking up despite weekly pick-ups, this still represented an undesirable use of the site’s precious space.

Linda Tool therefore explored both the metal shredding and briquetting technology available in the marketplace, to make smarter use of space while bolstering its environmental performance. They first installed a briquetter, which handled their chips well, but was unable to process their longer, stringier material. Further research therefore brought president Mike DiMarino to Untha America, and the four shaft RS30 shredder – a compact yet robust machine capable of shredding this tough metallic ‘waste’ into free flowing material that the briquetter could better handle.

“It’s difficult to operate a manufacturing facility in Brooklyn – the second most densely populated county in the United States,” commented Mike. “We produced briquettes to get our chips off-site as efficiently as possible, but it was labor intensive as we had to hand load the machinery and stay close by to monitor the process and rake material around. This approach was also maintenance-heavy.

“We would easily need a recycling collection once or twice a week, which was a real logistical struggle too, when trying to get the trucks to site.”

Having researched the solutions available, Linda Tool quickly decided on an Untha shredder.

Now, by producing a homogenous 1 inch output thanks to the RS30’s in-built screen, they can simply feed all of their material into the shredder, allowing the briquetter to do its job unattended. Adding the shredder also increased the density of the briquettes, allowing them to increase their loads to 1.8 tons of briquettes – 50% more than previously.

The machine is currently handling 1 ton of material per week but has capacity to process far more. The recycling contractor’s visits have fallen to once every 4-6 weeks, for further cost and environmental efficiencies, meaning the net financial yield from the recycling process has improved by 50%. The HVAC system is also more efficient as the overhead garage door does not have to open for as long, or as many times, due to the infrequency of scrap pickups.

Residual oils and lubricants are more easily recovered too, allowing the team to enhance its environmentally safe footprint – not least because it is easier to recycle and reuse the machine tool coolant.

“What many people perhaps don’t realize about smarter ‘waste’ handling, is that not only can they improve their environmental performance, but shredding makes good business sense too,” concluded Mike. “Our site is tidier, we’ve reduced material collection costs, and overall we’re more efficient – which is particularly important because our colleagues can spend time on more value-added tasks, rather than manual labor. This is especially applicable because the Untha RS30 is so easy to maintain.”

Untha shredder transforms manufacturing site in Brooklyn

The firm has been producing components and assemblies for industries including aerospace, and oil and gas, since it was founded in 1952. But nestled away in the bustling Brooklyn streets – where real estate is at a premium – the facility has found it harder to store chips and turnings as its production capacity has continued to rise.

Metallic machining chips – primarily aluminum, titanium, and various brass and stainless steel alloys – were previously stored in 55 gallon drums, to be collected for resale and recycling. But with the drums soon stacking up despite weekly pick-ups, this still represented an undesirable use of the site’s precious space.

Linda Tool therefore explored both the metal shredding and briquetting technology available in the marketplace, to make smarter use of space while bolstering its environmental performance. They first installed a briquetter, which handled their chips well, but was unable to process their longer, stringier material. Further research therefore brought president Mike DiMarino to Untha America, and the four shaft RS30 shredder – a compact yet robust machine capable of shredding this tough metallic ‘waste’ into free flowing material that the briquetter could better handle.

“It’s difficult to operate a manufacturing facility in Brooklyn – the second most densely populated county in the United States,” commented Mike. “We produced briquettes to get our chips off-site as efficiently as possible, but it was labor intensive as we had to hand load the machinery and stay close by to monitor the process and rake material around. This approach was also maintenance-heavy.

“We would easily need a recycling collection once or twice a week, which was a real logistical struggle too, when trying to get the trucks to site.”

Having researched the solutions available, Linda Tool quickly decided on an Untha shredder.

Now, by producing a homogenous 1 inch output thanks to the RS30’s in-built screen, they can simply feed all of their material into the shredder, allowing the briquetter to do its job unattended. Adding the shredder also increased the density of the briquettes, allowing them to increase their loads to 1.8 tons of briquettes – 50% more than previously.

The machine is currently handling 1 ton of material per week but has capacity to process far more. The recycling contractor’s visits have fallen to once every 4-6 weeks, for further cost and environmental efficiencies, meaning the net financial yield from the recycling process has improved by 50%. The HVAC system is also more efficient as the overhead garage door does not have to open for as long, or as many times, due to the infrequency of scrap pickups.

Residual oils and lubricants are more easily recovered too, allowing the team to enhance its environmentally safe footprint – not least because it is easier to recycle and reuse the machine tool coolant.

“What many people perhaps don’t realize about smarter ‘waste’ handling, is that not only can they improve their environmental performance, but shredding makes good business sense too,” concluded Mike. “Our site is tidier, we’ve reduced material collection costs, and overall we’re more efficient – which is particularly important because our colleagues can spend time on more value-added tasks, rather than manual labor. This is especially applicable because the Untha RS30 is so easy to maintain.”

Sorting technology turns aluminium green

Mr. Hoffmann, how can so much energy be saved by recycling aluminium?
Karl Hoffmann: Basically, you have to compare primary and secondary aluminium. In the case of primary aluminium, firstly bauxite has to be mined and then a complex process is undertaken to produce aluminium oxide from this. The molten salt electrolysis process then produces aluminium with a purity of up to 99.7 %. This is a very energy-intensive process, which causes a lot of environmental pollution. Recycling is brought into the equation when producing secondary aluminium.

By using scrap aluminium in smelting works, much less energy is used. What’s more, the aluminium can be used again and again – in theory, it can be recycled infinitely. And the figures involved are significant: around 75% of the aluminium ever produced is still in circulation. This is firstly because products made from aluminium have a long life and secondly because metal can be recycled with great ease.

So how much less energy is needed to recycle aluminium compared with producing it from scratch?
You can assume a saving of up to 95 %. Of course, this is great news for climate protection. Recycling aluminium has the potential to produce 92 % fewer CO2 emissions than new aluminium. In 2019, 20 million tonnes of aluminium was recycled globally, which is an equivalent saving of 300 million tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Processing one tonne of aluminium scrap also saves 8 tonnes of bauxite from having to be mined. All things considered, it’s a saving of 14,000 kWh.

So why are we producing any new aluminium at all?
These days to be able to produce certain quality alloys, we still need primary aluminium, the manufacturing process for which is highly energy intensive. Maintaining high quality levels for recycled aluminium requires intelligent cycles using highly efficient recycling technologies, such as sensor-based sorting technology. This can then compensate for the downgrading of material qualities experienced in the recycling cycle, which also enables secondary aluminium to be efficiently used in the production of what are known as aluminium wrought alloys.

What is the importance of aluminium alloys?
There are hundreds of different alloys and, depending on the requirements of the application in question, they provide various mechanical properties, such as strength or hardness. Developments in this field are highly dynamic. In the automotive sector, for example, it has long been standard to produce body parts from aluminium. And now, supporting parts, like suspensions are being manufactured out of recently developed aluminium alloys or even aluminium compounds. Of course, the engine itself is already mainly made from cast aluminium. Several automotive manufacturers have already honed in on aluminium as a material. Aluminium’s lower weight helps them comply with ever tighter CO2 emission requirements; the density of aluminium is 2.7 times less that of steel.

Aluminium will also be a key material for electric vehicles. The more steel is replaced with aluminium, the greater the range of an electric vehicle. Its potential for the future is huge too.

Alongside these large potential savings in CO2 emissions driven by lightweight design in the automotive sector, this potential will also be boosted by the efficient and specific use of recycled aluminium to reduce greenhouse gases.

Using recycled aluminium consumes around 95% less energy than primary aluminium. But precise sorting technology is essential for ensuring high-quality recycled goods.

How do you ensure as high a grade of aluminium as possible from recycling?
It goes without saying that this depends a great deal on the input material. The quality needed of course also depends on its intended use. Course impurities, like plastics or wood, can be removed with relatively simple technology, involving eddy current separators.

Sensors can sort to a much finer degree. X-ray transmission technology is basically the same as that used in the medical profession where the absorption of x-ray radiation makes different material densities visible. When sorting metal, this means that pieces of metal on a conveyor belt can be radiated and classified into materials and purity levels to a high degree of accuracy.

The huge advances made in detection, software and the processing of signals deliver a combination of very accurate sorting and high speed. Compressed air is then used to separate good parts out from not so good ones.

What happens then with the sorted material?
Smelting plants buy the metal to process it further. But there is also an option of further sorting the aluminium into alloys. The more precisely this is done, the more specifically the material can be used. We then inch ever closer to the goal of a closed cycle, in other words, a circular economy.

What technological advances have been made recently at Steinert?
Not long ago, we updated our system with x-ray transmission technology. We call the system XSS, which stands for x-ray and sensor sorting, the latest innovation bears the add-on EVO. This embodies developments made over the last five years. For example, we are now able to detect various material characteristics much more precisely than was previously the case. This is mainly thanks to enhanced signal processing. Nowadays, the systems are able to better separate out certain alloys. What’s more, we are also now able to separate free magnesium, a metal that is frequently found in aluminium scrap and if not detected causes considerable extra work in aluminium smelting works. This is challenging because, like aluminium, magnesium is a light metal and its absorption coefficients for x-ray radiation are therefore very similar.

Have you made any other breakthroughs?
Yes, we have made the components in our systems even more resistant. The x-ray source, a key and costly component, for example, now comes with a four-year warranty, which is unique in the sector.

What is happening on the markets right now?
Light metals allow weight and therefore CO2 to be saved in the mobility sector. The statutory requirements in this area are getting more and more stringent all the time so there is growing pressure on OEMs to implement lightweight solutions. At the same time, there is more and more interest from society in sustainable economies. Aluminium recyclers are therefore increasingly stating the share of recycled aluminium used. It can be assumed that demand for aluminium over the next few decades will increase by another 50 percent. An above-average amount of this will have to come from recycled material. Around 5 million tons of aluminium scrap is currently recycled a year in Europe. The figure globally is 20 million tons. Experts estimate that this figure will double over the next 10 years.

What trends do you see emerging for aluminium recycling?
Most of the material we sort today comes from vehicles or other products that were manufactured ten or more years ago. The number of alloys used has increased since then. So in the future, it will be important to be able to distinguish between alloys more accurately than we can today.

Are there also any technological solutions, which would simplify the recycling of all these alloys?
Yes, and we have already developed them: Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy or LIBS for short. This involves firing at aluminium with a high-energy laser. When the laser hits the metal, it turns into a metal vapour known as plasma. As it cools, it implodes and emits a measurable energy radiation, which is specific to that atom structure. This allows the various aluminium alloys to be determined with great accuracy.

If this technology is introduced across the board, we will be able to separate the alloys from one another so precisely that a circular economy is possible. The smelt works know what they need for their alloys. If a company can determine exactly what kind of material they have, then they can also establish what needs to be added to achieve the specified material properties.

Steinert uses the term “Greener Aluminium”, what does this mean?
“Greener Aluminium” highlights the opportunities, which this metal and its unique possibilities offer us in recycling. This does require intelligent recycling cycles and sorting technology, but it is already allowing us to produce closed material cycles for this important material.

Here at Steinert we are delighted that we are able to play a key role here through the work of our development teams and our specialist advisers in the field. The future that intelligently reusing this metal offers us is driving us to achieve even more and develop even smarter solutions.

Sorting technology turns aluminium green

Mr. Hoffmann, how can so much energy be saved by recycling aluminium?
Karl Hoffmann: Basically, you have to compare primary and secondary aluminium. In the case of primary aluminium, firstly bauxite has to be mined and then a complex process is undertaken to produce aluminium oxide from this. The molten salt electrolysis process then produces aluminium with a purity of up to 99.7 %. This is a very energy-intensive process, which causes a lot of environmental pollution. Recycling is brought into the equation when producing secondary aluminium.

By using scrap aluminium in smelting works, much less energy is used. What’s more, the aluminium can be used again and again – in theory, it can be recycled infinitely. And the figures involved are significant: around 75% of the aluminium ever produced is still in circulation. This is firstly because products made from aluminium have a long life and secondly because metal can be recycled with great ease.

So how much less energy is needed to recycle aluminium compared with producing it from scratch?
You can assume a saving of up to 95 %. Of course, this is great news for climate protection. Recycling aluminium has the potential to produce 92 % fewer CO2 emissions than new aluminium. In 2019, 20 million tonnes of aluminium was recycled globally, which is an equivalent saving of 300 million tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Processing one tonne of aluminium scrap also saves 8 tonnes of bauxite from having to be mined. All things considered, it’s a saving of 14,000 kWh.

So why are we producing any new aluminium at all?
These days to be able to produce certain quality alloys, we still need primary aluminium, the manufacturing process for which is highly energy intensive. Maintaining high quality levels for recycled aluminium requires intelligent cycles using highly efficient recycling technologies, such as sensor-based sorting technology. This can then compensate for the downgrading of material qualities experienced in the recycling cycle, which also enables secondary aluminium to be efficiently used in the production of what are known as aluminium wrought alloys.

What is the importance of aluminium alloys?
There are hundreds of different alloys and, depending on the requirements of the application in question, they provide various mechanical properties, such as strength or hardness. Developments in this field are highly dynamic. In the automotive sector, for example, it has long been standard to produce body parts from aluminium. And now, supporting parts, like suspensions are being manufactured out of recently developed aluminium alloys or even aluminium compounds. Of course, the engine itself is already mainly made from cast aluminium. Several automotive manufacturers have already honed in on aluminium as a material. Aluminium’s lower weight helps them comply with ever tighter CO2 emission requirements; the density of aluminium is 2.7 times less that of steel.

Aluminium will also be a key material for electric vehicles. The more steel is replaced with aluminium, the greater the range of an electric vehicle. Its potential for the future is huge too.

Alongside these large potential savings in CO2 emissions driven by lightweight design in the automotive sector, this potential will also be boosted by the efficient and specific use of recycled aluminium to reduce greenhouse gases.

Using recycled aluminium consumes around 95% less energy than primary aluminium. But precise sorting technology is essential for ensuring high-quality recycled goods.

How do you ensure as high a grade of aluminium as possible from recycling?
It goes without saying that this depends a great deal on the input material. The quality needed of course also depends on its intended use. Course impurities, like plastics or wood, can be removed with relatively simple technology, involving eddy current separators.

Sensors can sort to a much finer degree. X-ray transmission technology is basically the same as that used in the medical profession where the absorption of x-ray radiation makes different material densities visible. When sorting metal, this means that pieces of metal on a conveyor belt can be radiated and classified into materials and purity levels to a high degree of accuracy.

The huge advances made in detection, software and the processing of signals deliver a combination of very accurate sorting and high speed. Compressed air is then used to separate good parts out from not so good ones.

What happens then with the sorted material?
Smelting plants buy the metal to process it further. But there is also an option of further sorting the aluminium into alloys. The more precisely this is done, the more specifically the material can be used. We then inch ever closer to the goal of a closed cycle, in other words, a circular economy.

What technological advances have been made recently at Steinert?
Not long ago, we updated our system with x-ray transmission technology. We call the system XSS, which stands for x-ray and sensor sorting, the latest innovation bears the add-on EVO. This embodies developments made over the last five years. For example, we are now able to detect various material characteristics much more precisely than was previously the case. This is mainly thanks to enhanced signal processing. Nowadays, the systems are able to better separate out certain alloys. What’s more, we are also now able to separate free magnesium, a metal that is frequently found in aluminium scrap and if not detected causes considerable extra work in aluminium smelting works. This is challenging because, like aluminium, magnesium is a light metal and its absorption coefficients for x-ray radiation are therefore very similar.

Have you made any other breakthroughs?
Yes, we have made the components in our systems even more resistant. The x-ray source, a key and costly component, for example, now comes with a four-year warranty, which is unique in the sector.

What is happening on the markets right now?
Light metals allow weight and therefore CO2 to be saved in the mobility sector. The statutory requirements in this area are getting more and more stringent all the time so there is growing pressure on OEMs to implement lightweight solutions. At the same time, there is more and more interest from society in sustainable economies. Aluminium recyclers are therefore increasingly stating the share of recycled aluminium used. It can be assumed that demand for aluminium over the next few decades will increase by another 50 percent. An above-average amount of this will have to come from recycled material. Around 5 million tons of aluminium scrap is currently recycled a year in Europe. The figure globally is 20 million tons. Experts estimate that this figure will double over the next 10 years.

What trends do you see emerging for aluminium recycling?
Most of the material we sort today comes from vehicles or other products that were manufactured ten or more years ago. The number of alloys used has increased since then. So in the future, it will be important to be able to distinguish between alloys more accurately than we can today.

Are there also any technological solutions, which would simplify the recycling of all these alloys?
Yes, and we have already developed them: Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy or LIBS for short. This involves firing at aluminium with a high-energy laser. When the laser hits the metal, it turns into a metal vapour known as plasma. As it cools, it implodes and emits a measurable energy radiation, which is specific to that atom structure. This allows the various aluminium alloys to be determined with great accuracy.

If this technology is introduced across the board, we will be able to separate the alloys from one another so precisely that a circular economy is possible. The smelt works know what they need for their alloys. If a company can determine exactly what kind of material they have, then they can also establish what needs to be added to achieve the specified material properties.

Steinert uses the term “Greener Aluminium”, what does this mean?
“Greener Aluminium” highlights the opportunities, which this metal and its unique possibilities offer us in recycling. This does require intelligent recycling cycles and sorting technology, but it is already allowing us to produce closed material cycles for this important material.

Here at Steinert we are delighted that we are able to play a key role here through the work of our development teams and our specialist advisers in the field. The future that intelligently reusing this metal offers us is driving us to achieve even more and develop even smarter solutions.

Sorting technology turns aluminium green

Mr. Hoffmann, how can so much energy be saved by recycling aluminium?
Karl Hoffmann: Basically, you have to compare primary and secondary aluminium. In the case of primary aluminium, firstly bauxite has to be mined and then a complex process is undertaken to produce aluminium oxide from this. The molten salt electrolysis process then produces aluminium with a purity of up to 99.7 %. This is a very energy-intensive process, which causes a lot of environmental pollution. Recycling is brought into the equation when producing secondary aluminium.

By using scrap aluminium in smelting works, much less energy is used. What’s more, the aluminium can be used again and again – in theory, it can be recycled infinitely. And the figures involved are significant: around 75% of the aluminium ever produced is still in circulation. This is firstly because products made from aluminium have a long life and secondly because metal can be recycled with great ease.

So how much less energy is needed to recycle aluminium compared with producing it from scratch?
You can assume a saving of up to 95 %. Of course, this is great news for climate protection. Recycling aluminium has the potential to produce 92 % fewer CO2 emissions than new aluminium. In 2019, 20 million tonnes of aluminium was recycled globally, which is an equivalent saving of 300 million tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Processing one tonne of aluminium scrap also saves 8 tonnes of bauxite from having to be mined. All things considered, it’s a saving of 14,000 kWh.

So why are we producing any new aluminium at all?
These days to be able to produce certain quality alloys, we still need primary aluminium, the manufacturing process for which is highly energy intensive. Maintaining high quality levels for recycled aluminium requires intelligent cycles using highly efficient recycling technologies, such as sensor-based sorting technology. This can then compensate for the downgrading of material qualities experienced in the recycling cycle, which also enables secondary aluminium to be efficiently used in the production of what are known as aluminium wrought alloys.

What is the importance of aluminium alloys?
There are hundreds of different alloys and, depending on the requirements of the application in question, they provide various mechanical properties, such as strength or hardness. Developments in this field are highly dynamic. In the automotive sector, for example, it has long been standard to produce body parts from aluminium. And now, supporting parts, like suspensions are being manufactured out of recently developed aluminium alloys or even aluminium compounds. Of course, the engine itself is already mainly made from cast aluminium. Several automotive manufacturers have already honed in on aluminium as a material. Aluminium’s lower weight helps them comply with ever tighter CO2 emission requirements; the density of aluminium is 2.7 times less that of steel.

Aluminium will also be a key material for electric vehicles. The more steel is replaced with aluminium, the greater the range of an electric vehicle. Its potential for the future is huge too.

Alongside these large potential savings in CO2 emissions driven by lightweight design in the automotive sector, this potential will also be boosted by the efficient and specific use of recycled aluminium to reduce greenhouse gases.

Using recycled aluminium consumes around 95% less energy than primary aluminium. But precise sorting technology is essential for ensuring high-quality recycled goods.

How do you ensure as high a grade of aluminium as possible from recycling?
It goes without saying that this depends a great deal on the input material. The quality needed of course also depends on its intended use. Course impurities, like plastics or wood, can be removed with relatively simple technology, involving eddy current separators.

Sensors can sort to a much finer degree. X-ray transmission technology is basically the same as that used in the medical profession where the absorption of x-ray radiation makes different material densities visible. When sorting metal, this means that pieces of metal on a conveyor belt can be radiated and classified into materials and purity levels to a high degree of accuracy.

The huge advances made in detection, software and the processing of signals deliver a combination of very accurate sorting and high speed. Compressed air is then used to separate good parts out from not so good ones.

What happens then with the sorted material?
Smelting plants buy the metal to process it further. But there is also an option of further sorting the aluminium into alloys. The more precisely this is done, the more specifically the material can be used. We then inch ever closer to the goal of a closed cycle, in other words, a circular economy.

What technological advances have been made recently at Steinert?
Not long ago, we updated our system with x-ray transmission technology. We call the system XSS, which stands for x-ray and sensor sorting, the latest innovation bears the add-on EVO. This embodies developments made over the last five years. For example, we are now able to detect various material characteristics much more precisely than was previously the case. This is mainly thanks to enhanced signal processing. Nowadays, the systems are able to better separate out certain alloys. What’s more, we are also now able to separate free magnesium, a metal that is frequently found in aluminium scrap and if not detected causes considerable extra work in aluminium smelting works. This is challenging because, like aluminium, magnesium is a light metal and its absorption coefficients for x-ray radiation are therefore very similar.

Have you made any other breakthroughs?
Yes, we have made the components in our systems even more resistant. The x-ray source, a key and costly component, for example, now comes with a four-year warranty, which is unique in the sector.

What is happening on the markets right now?
Light metals allow weight and therefore CO2 to be saved in the mobility sector. The statutory requirements in this area are getting more and more stringent all the time so there is growing pressure on OEMs to implement lightweight solutions. At the same time, there is more and more interest from society in sustainable economies. Aluminium recyclers are therefore increasingly stating the share of recycled aluminium used. It can be assumed that demand for aluminium over the next few decades will increase by another 50 percent. An above-average amount of this will have to come from recycled material. Around 5 million tons of aluminium scrap is currently recycled a year in Europe. The figure globally is 20 million tons. Experts estimate that this figure will double over the next 10 years.

What trends do you see emerging for aluminium recycling?
Most of the material we sort today comes from vehicles or other products that were manufactured ten or more years ago. The number of alloys used has increased since then. So in the future, it will be important to be able to distinguish between alloys more accurately than we can today.

Are there also any technological solutions, which would simplify the recycling of all these alloys?
Yes, and we have already developed them: Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy or LIBS for short. This involves firing at aluminium with a high-energy laser. When the laser hits the metal, it turns into a metal vapour known as plasma. As it cools, it implodes and emits a measurable energy radiation, which is specific to that atom structure. This allows the various aluminium alloys to be determined with great accuracy.

If this technology is introduced across the board, we will be able to separate the alloys from one another so precisely that a circular economy is possible. The smelt works know what they need for their alloys. If a company can determine exactly what kind of material they have, then they can also establish what needs to be added to achieve the specified material properties.

Steinert uses the term “Greener Aluminium”, what does this mean?
“Greener Aluminium” highlights the opportunities, which this metal and its unique possibilities offer us in recycling. This does require intelligent recycling cycles and sorting technology, but it is already allowing us to produce closed material cycles for this important material.

Here at Steinert we are delighted that we are able to play a key role here through the work of our development teams and our specialist advisers in the field. The future that intelligently reusing this metal offers us is driving us to achieve even more and develop even smarter solutions.

Circular metals and global value chains

After the opening speech of Susie Burrage, President of EuRIC Non-Ferrous Metal Recycling and Trade Branch (EUROMETREC), stressing the enormous contribution of metal recycling to the economy and environmental protection, Hildegard Bentele, Member of the European Parliament, highlighted the key role of metals, in particular critical raw materials, for Europe’s green transition. Dr. Frank Pothen, Head of Fraunhofer IMW branch, Center for Economics of Materials CEM, joined the keynote session to further elaborate on the study made for the BDSV on steel scrap recycling benefits. Linking it with EU’s Green Deal and Circular Economy strategic priorities, Dr. Pothen outlined the CO2 and energy savings stemming from steel scrap use in steelmaking and eluded to the need to reward these benefits in order to level the playing field with extracted raw materials.

Moving to the panel discussion, Maria Nyberg, Policy Officer at Energy Intensive Industries and Raw Materials, DG Grow, European Commission, outlined how the European Commission’s New Industrial Strategy aims at boosting the secondary raw materials markets. Axel Eggert, Director General of EUROFER, highlighted the need to level the playing field and ensure that exports of waste meet equivalent conditions to the ones imposed by European legislation. Tom Bird, President of BIR, made the point that free and fair trade is vital to the recycling industry’s competitiveness, thus a crucial success factor to transitioning towards a more circular economy. Thomas Papageorgiou, President of EuRIC Ferrous Recycling Branch (EFR), talked about the importance of carefully balancing measures which can impact trade as Europe’s supply for most raw materials from recycling exceeds the demand, which is the case for steel scrap. Wrapping up on the previous interventions, Murat BAYRAM, Director and Head of EMR European Non-Ferrous, added that free and fair trade of non-ferrous metal scrap is vital to the recycling industry’s competitiveness and ability to invest in innovation to recover hard to recycle materials.

Olivier Francois, Vice-President of EuRIC, concluded the debate by stressing the inherent global nature of metals in general and the readiness of the recycling industry to provide high quality recycled materials provided there is a market in Europe, which adequately value the environmental and economic benefits it brings to society as a whole.

Circular metals and global value chains

After the opening speech of Susie Burrage, President of EuRIC Non-Ferrous Metal Recycling and Trade Branch (EUROMETREC), stressing the enormous contribution of metal recycling to the economy and environmental protection, Hildegard Bentele, Member of the European Parliament, highlighted the key role of metals, in particular critical raw materials, for Europe’s green transition. Dr. Frank Pothen, Head of Fraunhofer IMW branch, Center for Economics of Materials CEM, joined the keynote session to further elaborate on the study made for the BDSV on steel scrap recycling benefits. Linking it with EU’s Green Deal and Circular Economy strategic priorities, Dr. Pothen outlined the CO2 and energy savings stemming from steel scrap use in steelmaking and eluded to the need to reward these benefits in order to level the playing field with extracted raw materials.

Moving to the panel discussion, Maria Nyberg, Policy Officer at Energy Intensive Industries and Raw Materials, DG Grow, European Commission, outlined how the European Commission’s New Industrial Strategy aims at boosting the secondary raw materials markets. Axel Eggert, Director General of EUROFER, highlighted the need to level the playing field and ensure that exports of waste meet equivalent conditions to the ones imposed by European legislation. Tom Bird, President of BIR, made the point that free and fair trade is vital to the recycling industry’s competitiveness, thus a crucial success factor to transitioning towards a more circular economy. Thomas Papageorgiou, President of EuRIC Ferrous Recycling Branch (EFR), talked about the importance of carefully balancing measures which can impact trade as Europe’s supply for most raw materials from recycling exceeds the demand, which is the case for steel scrap. Wrapping up on the previous interventions, Murat BAYRAM, Director and Head of EMR European Non-Ferrous, added that free and fair trade of non-ferrous metal scrap is vital to the recycling industry’s competitiveness and ability to invest in innovation to recover hard to recycle materials.

Olivier Francois, Vice-President of EuRIC, concluded the debate by stressing the inherent global nature of metals in general and the readiness of the recycling industry to provide high quality recycled materials provided there is a market in Europe, which adequately value the environmental and economic benefits it brings to society as a whole.

Tomra Recycling explores future of global aluminium industry

Tomra Recycling’s Segment Managers for Metal Recycling, Tom Jansen and Terence Keyworth, were joined by guest speakers, Patrik Ragnarsson, Senior Manager Automotive and Transport at European Aluminium, and Edward George, Commercial Manager at Alutrade Ltd.

Ragnarsson kicked off the session by highlighting the fact that the switch to electric vehicles has happened much faster than predicted, driven in part by the strict CO2 regulations set by the European Commission’s (EC). The targets are currently set at a 15% reduction for 2025 and 37.5% for 2030 – based on 2021 levels. However, Ragnarsson stated that European Aluminium anticipates even more stringent targets to be introduced this summer to align with recently introduced climate targets.

Ragnarsson explained that those car manufacturers who are unable to meet these targets will face hefty fines, so they need to use every available means to reduce CO2 emissions, which is why light-weighting is becoming increasingly important. He also stated that car manufacturers are also being incentivised to sell more zero and low emission vehicles, such as electric vehicles.

Keyworth then highlighted that demand for aluminium in Europe is anticipated to grow to around 18 million tonnes by 2050 – an increase of more than 40% compared to 2018. Keyworth explained that there would be significant growth in the automotive, construction and packaging sectors. In the automotive sector, light-weighting of vehicles will be the key driver, while in the construction sector, there will be greater focus on more energy efficient buildings to comply with the EU Green Deal. And in the packaging industry, collection and recycling rates for aluminium beverage containers will have to increase. All these factors will lead to a growth in demand for recycled aluminium.

Jansen then provided participants with an overview of the latest sorting technologies for aluminium scrap which are set to play a crucial role in achieving the goal of increasing aluminium recycling rates as set out in the European Aluminium VISION 2050 report. Jansen highlighted the advances in X-ray Transmission (XRT) technology for sorting and upgrading various types of aluminium scrap, including Zorba, Twitch and shredded aluminium profiles and sheets. He also highlighted the benefits for remelters when using high quality aluminium scrap sorted by X-ray transmission, including consistent quality, reduced energy consumption, reduced furnace cleaning requirements and increased production capacity or tap-to-tap time.

Jansen cited the example of an aluminium remelter who, following the installation of XRT technology, increased the amount of post-consumer scrap used for remelting from 25 – 50%, resulting in increased profits of €1.5 million annually. At the same time, the remelter’s energy consumption reduced by 6% and its production capacity increased by 2% – resulting in a €1 million increase in revenues.

Participants heard about TOMRA Recycling’s X-TRACT X6 FINES sorting machine which includes a high-resolution sensor to provide sharper X-ray images than the standard XRT version and offers higher precision on small and thin objects such as copper wire. Jansen also told participants about TOMRA’s X-TRACT unit for magnesium removal which enables the removal of magnesium and the superlights fractions from aluminium to create cleaner aluminium fractions and process material with more stable output quality.

Keyworth then emphasised the clear need for all sectors of the aluminium industry to increase the amount of recycled aluminium being used in new products, and reiterated that sensor-based technology will play a vital role in helping the industry increase aluminium recycling rates to achieve the low carbon roadmap set out in the European Aluminium Vision 2050 report.

Tomra’s second guest contributor was Edward George, Commercial Manager at Alutrade Ltd, a specialist aluminium recycler in the UK. 70% of Alutrade’s business is aluminium extrusion and 30% is aluminium can-to-can recycling, with the material sorted, cleaned then sold to remelters around the world to be melted back into aluminium cans.

George stated that Alutrade Ltd has witnessed increasing demand for aluminium for both residential and commercial use in the building sector as businesses take advantage of the thermal, UV and aesthetic benefits that aluminium offers when used in windows, doors and curtain walling. He explained how sensor-based sorting technology has changed the way the company processes material. Using X-ray technology from TOMRA Recycling, Alutrade can now process upwards of 100 tonnes per month of post-consumer waste from demolished buildings or replacement windows and doors. The aluminium found in these items contains other metals such as copper, brass and zinc which previously had to manually separated. Now, using X-ray technology, Alutrade is able to meet high demand from the global fenestration sector for high purity pre-consumer and post-consumer aluminium scrap, offering a full closed loop recycling solution.

Tomra Recycling explores future of global aluminium industry

Tomra Recycling’s Segment Managers for Metal Recycling, Tom Jansen and Terence Keyworth, were joined by guest speakers, Patrik Ragnarsson, Senior Manager Automotive and Transport at European Aluminium, and Edward George, Commercial Manager at Alutrade Ltd.

Ragnarsson kicked off the session by highlighting the fact that the switch to electric vehicles has happened much faster than predicted, driven in part by the strict CO2 regulations set by the European Commission’s (EC). The targets are currently set at a 15% reduction for 2025 and 37.5% for 2030 – based on 2021 levels. However, Ragnarsson stated that European Aluminium anticipates even more stringent targets to be introduced this summer to align with recently introduced climate targets.

Ragnarsson explained that those car manufacturers who are unable to meet these targets will face hefty fines, so they need to use every available means to reduce CO2 emissions, which is why light-weighting is becoming increasingly important. He also stated that car manufacturers are also being incentivised to sell more zero and low emission vehicles, such as electric vehicles.

Keyworth then highlighted that demand for aluminium in Europe is anticipated to grow to around 18 million tonnes by 2050 – an increase of more than 40% compared to 2018. Keyworth explained that there would be significant growth in the automotive, construction and packaging sectors. In the automotive sector, light-weighting of vehicles will be the key driver, while in the construction sector, there will be greater focus on more energy efficient buildings to comply with the EU Green Deal. And in the packaging industry, collection and recycling rates for aluminium beverage containers will have to increase. All these factors will lead to a growth in demand for recycled aluminium.

Jansen then provided participants with an overview of the latest sorting technologies for aluminium scrap which are set to play a crucial role in achieving the goal of increasing aluminium recycling rates as set out in the European Aluminium VISION 2050 report. Jansen highlighted the advances in X-ray Transmission (XRT) technology for sorting and upgrading various types of aluminium scrap, including Zorba, Twitch and shredded aluminium profiles and sheets. He also highlighted the benefits for remelters when using high quality aluminium scrap sorted by X-ray transmission, including consistent quality, reduced energy consumption, reduced furnace cleaning requirements and increased production capacity or tap-to-tap time.

Jansen cited the example of an aluminium remelter who, following the installation of XRT technology, increased the amount of post-consumer scrap used for remelting from 25 – 50%, resulting in increased profits of €1.5 million annually. At the same time, the remelter’s energy consumption reduced by 6% and its production capacity increased by 2% – resulting in a €1 million increase in revenues.

Participants heard about TOMRA Recycling’s X-TRACT X6 FINES sorting machine which includes a high-resolution sensor to provide sharper X-ray images than the standard XRT version and offers higher precision on small and thin objects such as copper wire. Jansen also told participants about TOMRA’s X-TRACT unit for magnesium removal which enables the removal of magnesium and the superlights fractions from aluminium to create cleaner aluminium fractions and process material with more stable output quality.

Keyworth then emphasised the clear need for all sectors of the aluminium industry to increase the amount of recycled aluminium being used in new products, and reiterated that sensor-based technology will play a vital role in helping the industry increase aluminium recycling rates to achieve the low carbon roadmap set out in the European Aluminium Vision 2050 report.

Tomra’s second guest contributor was Edward George, Commercial Manager at Alutrade Ltd, a specialist aluminium recycler in the UK. 70% of Alutrade’s business is aluminium extrusion and 30% is aluminium can-to-can recycling, with the material sorted, cleaned then sold to remelters around the world to be melted back into aluminium cans.

George stated that Alutrade Ltd has witnessed increasing demand for aluminium for both residential and commercial use in the building sector as businesses take advantage of the thermal, UV and aesthetic benefits that aluminium offers when used in windows, doors and curtain walling. He explained how sensor-based sorting technology has changed the way the company processes material. Using X-ray technology from TOMRA Recycling, Alutrade can now process upwards of 100 tonnes per month of post-consumer waste from demolished buildings or replacement windows and doors. The aluminium found in these items contains other metals such as copper, brass and zinc which previously had to manually separated. Now, using X-ray technology, Alutrade is able to meet high demand from the global fenestration sector for high purity pre-consumer and post-consumer aluminium scrap, offering a full closed loop recycling solution.

Tomra Recycling explores future of global aluminium industry

Tomra Recycling’s Segment Managers for Metal Recycling, Tom Jansen and Terence Keyworth, were joined by guest speakers, Patrik Ragnarsson, Senior Manager Automotive and Transport at European Aluminium, and Edward George, Commercial Manager at Alutrade Ltd.

Ragnarsson kicked off the session by highlighting the fact that the switch to electric vehicles has happened much faster than predicted, driven in part by the strict CO2 regulations set by the European Commission’s (EC). The targets are currently set at a 15% reduction for 2025 and 37.5% for 2030 – based on 2021 levels. However, Ragnarsson stated that European Aluminium anticipates even more stringent targets to be introduced this summer to align with recently introduced climate targets.

Ragnarsson explained that those car manufacturers who are unable to meet these targets will face hefty fines, so they need to use every available means to reduce CO2 emissions, which is why light-weighting is becoming increasingly important. He also stated that car manufacturers are also being incentivised to sell more zero and low emission vehicles, such as electric vehicles.

Keyworth then highlighted that demand for aluminium in Europe is anticipated to grow to around 18 million tonnes by 2050 – an increase of more than 40% compared to 2018. Keyworth explained that there would be significant growth in the automotive, construction and packaging sectors. In the automotive sector, light-weighting of vehicles will be the key driver, while in the construction sector, there will be greater focus on more energy efficient buildings to comply with the EU Green Deal. And in the packaging industry, collection and recycling rates for aluminium beverage containers will have to increase. All these factors will lead to a growth in demand for recycled aluminium.

Jansen then provided participants with an overview of the latest sorting technologies for aluminium scrap which are set to play a crucial role in achieving the goal of increasing aluminium recycling rates as set out in the European Aluminium VISION 2050 report. Jansen highlighted the advances in X-ray Transmission (XRT) technology for sorting and upgrading various types of aluminium scrap, including Zorba, Twitch and shredded aluminium profiles and sheets. He also highlighted the benefits for remelters when using high quality aluminium scrap sorted by X-ray transmission, including consistent quality, reduced energy consumption, reduced furnace cleaning requirements and increased production capacity or tap-to-tap time.

Jansen cited the example of an aluminium remelter who, following the installation of XRT technology, increased the amount of post-consumer scrap used for remelting from 25 – 50%, resulting in increased profits of €1.5 million annually. At the same time, the remelter’s energy consumption reduced by 6% and its production capacity increased by 2% – resulting in a €1 million increase in revenues.

Participants heard about TOMRA Recycling’s X-TRACT X6 FINES sorting machine which includes a high-resolution sensor to provide sharper X-ray images than the standard XRT version and offers higher precision on small and thin objects such as copper wire. Jansen also told participants about TOMRA’s X-TRACT unit for magnesium removal which enables the removal of magnesium and the superlights fractions from aluminium to create cleaner aluminium fractions and process material with more stable output quality.

Keyworth then emphasised the clear need for all sectors of the aluminium industry to increase the amount of recycled aluminium being used in new products, and reiterated that sensor-based technology will play a vital role in helping the industry increase aluminium recycling rates to achieve the low carbon roadmap set out in the European Aluminium Vision 2050 report.

Tomra’s second guest contributor was Edward George, Commercial Manager at Alutrade Ltd, a specialist aluminium recycler in the UK. 70% of Alutrade’s business is aluminium extrusion and 30% is aluminium can-to-can recycling, with the material sorted, cleaned then sold to remelters around the world to be melted back into aluminium cans.

George stated that Alutrade Ltd has witnessed increasing demand for aluminium for both residential and commercial use in the building sector as businesses take advantage of the thermal, UV and aesthetic benefits that aluminium offers when used in windows, doors and curtain walling. He explained how sensor-based sorting technology has changed the way the company processes material. Using X-ray technology from TOMRA Recycling, Alutrade can now process upwards of 100 tonnes per month of post-consumer waste from demolished buildings or replacement windows and doors. The aluminium found in these items contains other metals such as copper, brass and zinc which previously had to manually separated. Now, using X-ray technology, Alutrade is able to meet high demand from the global fenestration sector for high purity pre-consumer and post-consumer aluminium scrap, offering a full closed loop recycling solution.