Technology from Belgium-based Ad Rem NV has been designed to extract metal from shredded ELV fractions.

Belgium-based Ad Rem NV is providing technology to a heavy media separation plant in Polykastro, Greece, designed to help separate more than 10 metric tons per hour of mixed plastics and metals from shredded end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). 

According to Ad Rem, as of late December, trucks are driving on and off the site of Greek recycling company Konstantinidis Bros. SA, delivering “structures and components of their new separation plant: a Heavy Media Separation (HMS) system, built by Ad Rem, aimed to deal with their automotive shredder residue.”

Ad Rem calls the new plant a high-tech, state-of-the-art installation “doing much more than just separating materials.” The technology provider says the plant’s owner, Konstantinidis Bros., was established in 1971 and is Greece’s largest recycling company.

In 2018, Ad Rem installed what it calls “Scavenger” system at the Konstantinidis Bros. main production facility in Thessaloniki, Greece. The Scavenger is a compact machine, combining several sieving and wind sifting steps, according to Ad Rem.

Using the device, a fines fraction is created, as well as a light fraction that is suitable for waste-to-energy applications. The remaining fraction is called SHF (shredder heavy fraction) and contains all the plastics and metals. Free from fines and light materials, the SHF fraction will enter into the new HMS system. 

The HMS system is the result of many years of innovations by Ad Rem and its parent company, Galloo, which processes scrap and operates shredders. Galloo started developing flotation plants for metal recovery more than 30 years ago and continues to do so, now via Ad Rem.

The new plant in Greece includes a washing system designed to comply with local regulations and to keep the sorting media clean, so “the separation process remains stable, and pollutants are concentrated in a single sludge output,” according to the firm. Ad Rem tapped into the knowledge base of Galloo and sister company Trevi Environmental Solutions to design the system.

Instead of vibratory rinsing screens, rinsing drums are added at both output sides of the separation drum, designed to enable cleaning of the sieves while in operation. Not only does this prevent frequent maintenance stops, it also prevents media material losses, says Ad Rem. “By using this innovation, the plant will consume the lowest possible amount of medium, while remaining operational on a 24/7 basis, except one shift per week for cleaning and general maintenance,” the company adds.

A double medium storage system enables the operator to switch the density of the system in a very short amount of time, according to Ad Rem. “This way, plastics can be separated from metals on a lower density, while magnesium or aluminum can be floated from heavy metals on higher densities using the same system.”

The separation drum itself is the result of a study done in coordination with the university of KU Leuven in Belgium. In that study, a computer model of the separation process was created, and the process and drum geometry were simulated for varying circumstances. The results of the study were implemented in the physical design of the plant: When floating aluminum from heavy metals, the misplacement observed in both outputs approaches zero, says Ad Rem.

A patented system was added to extract water from the medium, ensuring “perfect control over the medium density and avoiding the need to add fresh medium every time the density needs to be increased,” Ad Rem says.

A focus on automation means these stages work largely without any operator involvement, says the firm. Frequency drives for most motors and pumps, sensors measuring the tank levels, automatic density measurement help ensure the plant can operate efficiently. “Pump clogging up? The increased current will be visible for the operators so they can unclog it before the system stops. Density dropping? The automatic medium dewatering system will keep it up and stable,” the company says.

Additionally, an interactive visualization and analytics system will store all plant data for years and display it in custom-made graphs.

The plant is scheduled for completion in early 2022, according to Ad Rem, which describes itself has having been founded in 2008 as a joint venture between machine-building group Valtech and recycler Galloo.

The Fond du Lac, Wisconsin-based company continues to grow under the direction of its third generation of family leadership.

Sadoff Iron & Metal, a scrap metal company headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2022.

In addition to its Fond du Lac headquarters, which features an auto shredder and nonferrous downstream system, the company operates a second location in Fond du Lac, three additional yards in Green Bay, Manitowoc and Sheboygan, Wisconsin, as well as two scrap yards in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, and Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction processing locations in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and La Vista, Nebraska. In addition to metals and electronics recycling, Sadoff provides auto salvage.

In 1947, Sadoff’s founder, Edward H. Rudoy, purchased Block Salvage Co. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In 1964, he purchased the Sadoff Iron & Metal Co. in Fond du Lac. Rudoy’s son-in-law, Sheldon Lasky, joined the business in 1972. In 1991, Rudoy retired, and Lasky took over. 

Today’s leadership team includes Sheldon Lasky’s sons, CEO Mark Lasky and Executive Vice Presidents Jason Lasky and Bradford Lasky. They work together to carry on the company’s legacy and to ensure the business remains focused on its customers.

“Edward and Sheldon’s philosophy was that our best method of growth was to grow with our customers,” Mark Lasky says. “That was the foundation of how the company started and it continues through today.”

Recycling Today profiled the company in its August 2021 issue. At that time, Jason Lasky said, “We’re a relationship-based company, and we’re a foundry-pointing company. When customers buy into that, then we have the ability to work with them and partner on their cost savings, whether it’s producing different product blends or different things like that. Something that I think we do really well is to work with our customers, listen to our customers and, at times, to provide really out-of-the-box solutions for them, without being too specific for competitive reasons.”

Sadoff also prides itself on being a safe and sustainable company. “We went from believing in safety to really having safety as a value,” Jason Lasky says.

The company says its employees also embrace the culture, atmosphere and their purpose to contribute to the company. 

When reflecting on Sadoff’s future, the Laskys say they are prioritizing sustainability, focusing on taking actionable steps. In 2016, the company began its newest recycling expansion with the addition of Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction, an R2 (Responsible Recycling) certified electronics recycler.

The company says it is honored to share this milestone with its employees and the community. “When you have successes, you celebrate, reward, recognize and respect the people that got you there,” Mark Lasky says.

Dan Mihuc will serve as director of engineering for the company’s recycling group.

Houston-based Industrial Service Solutions (ISS) – Recycling Technologies has announced the addition of shredding and recycling industry veteran Dan Mihuc as director of engineering.

With almost two decades of experience in the metal recycling industry, Mihuc served as director of metal sales/project manager at Engineered Recycling Systems in Atlanta. Previous to this role, he was the project engineer for OmniSource Corp., which is owned by the Fort Wayne, Indiana-based Steel Dynamics Inc.

“We are very fortunate to add someone with Dan’s experience and qualifications to our organization,” says Bill Tigner, vice president of ISS – Recycling Technologies. “With new nonferrous plants, complete automobile shredder systems and AmeriMex AC and DC motors and controls, as well as overseeing the other areas we are bringing to the scrap metal industry, such as shredder emissions and controls, Dan will be able to lead us to the forefront of one of the fastest growing divisions within ISS.”

Mihuc will be based in Chicago. His responsibilities will include taking over the management of the new 7090 shredder being installed in Houston in the first quarter of this year.

ISS has 45 locations nationwide and provides field services, fully equipped service shops and supply shops with available parts. In support of the scrap metal industry, ISS offers complete stationary shredders, including castings and wear parts, AmeriMex motors and controls, emission controls, shredder explosion mitigation and the Taurus US line of scrap shears and balers. 

The company also revamped its product packaging to eliminate all single-use and nonrecyclable materials from the packaging process.

Schneider Electric, a Rueil-Malmaison, France-based company focused on the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has unveiled the first home energy solutions made from ocean plastics and has updated its product packaging to enhance its commitments to sustainability.

The products debuted at CES 2022, which is taking place through Jan. 7 in Las Vegas.

Schneider’s Merten range of sockets and switches now features models made from polyamide fishing nets recovered from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. The company partnered with DSM Engineering Materials, Troy, Michigan, in transforming discarded fishing nets into high-grade technical plastic that can be used in electrical devices.

According to a news release, DSM collaborates with local communities in India to recover and collect the fishing nets, which are then cut up, cleaned, extruded and inspected before being sent to DSM for processing into Akulon Repurposed compound.

“Tackling the global challenge of ocean plastics will require our entire industry to step up and find innovative solutions to drive a circular transformation,” says Helen Mets, executive vice president of materials at DSM. “Through our collaboration with Schneider Electric, we aspire to take small steps toward maintaining healthier marine life, litter-free beaches and cleaner oceans and the initiative also supporting local livelihoods and create jobs.”

DSM was recognized last year for its partnership with Ford Motor Co. in the use of Akulon Repurposed plastic in the Ford Bronco Sport, making Ford the first automaker to use 100 percent recycled ocean plastic to produce car parts.

The World Wildlife Federation estimates abandoned fishing nets account for as much as 46 percent of the waste in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which covers an area twice the size of Texas and three times the size of France. Schneider says the new Merten product line contribute to reducing the approximately 640,000 tons of fishing nets discarded in the ocean each year and is the first step in making its range of products more sustainable.

In an attempt to further its sustainability commitments, Schneider also has revamped its product packaging, eliminating all single-use and nonrecyclable materials from its packaging process in what the company says is a first step toward future 100 percent recyclable packaging.

“The challenge of weaning the world from our addiction to plastic waste might seem impossible, but change is possible and it begins at home,” says YiFu Qi, executive vice president of global home and distribution at Schneider. “The collaboration between DSM and Schneider Electric is a world first and a game-changer for the market.

“We hope to pave the way for even more sustainable innovations in the electrical solutions industry and spark inspiration and innovation for years to come.”

The system is under construction and is expected to be operational early this year.

CECO Environmental Corp., an environmental services company based in Dallas, has announced that its CECO Busch brand recently provided an aluminum recycling system to a provider of aluminum plates, sheeting and extrusions based in North America. The system is for a new milling operation, which is currently under construction and will be fully operational early this year.

According to a news release from CECO, the integrated solution includes a multiproduct line, aluminum chip collection and recycling solution. As aluminum producers mill the surface of slabs before finish rolling, the scrap material is generated at a rate of up to 25 tons per hour. 

CECO says its custom-engineered solution integrates and leverages the strength of CECO technologies, including CECO Flex-Kleen dust collection and CECO Fisher-Klosterman cyclone separation systems, to collect this scrap material and recycle it.

“Our solutions deliver an efficient way to recycle excess aluminum that is discarded during the manufacturing process, significantly reducing waste, which reduces a manufacturer’s impact on the environment and assists with meeting sustainability initiatives,” says Todd Gleason, CEO of CECO Environmental. “Aluminum manufacturing continues to be critically important to a range of industries including food and beverage packaging, automotive, aerospace and construction.”