It’s all about the purity: high-grade aluminum concentrate from incinerator bottom ash

February 2021

The reference at a glance

Project

Replacing a machine for aluminum processing

Technology

Impact mill of type PM 0806

Operating site

France

Industry

Recycling

Application

Fine preparation of the aluminum fraction from waste incineration.

Solution

Installation and commissioning of an impact mill of type PM 0806 including control system and staff training

French waste recycling company Norval has been using an impact mill (PM) from BHS-Sonthofen for aluminum processing in the final process step since June 2019. The sturdy machine frees the pre-sorted aluminum fraction from the waste incineration system from undesired adhesions, thus reliably ensuring that a high-grade aluminum concentrate is obtained.

Metals contained in waste can be recovered and returned to the material cycle through the processing of incinerator bottom ash. To make this costly processing worthwhile, the metal concentrates that are recovered must be as pure and clean as possible. The market requirements for recycled aluminum have risen again, particularly in recent years. For this reason, it is essential to apply an efficient solution for the fine preparation of aluminum scrap. Norval, a recycling company belonging to Suez, has already been using an impact mill for this purpose for several years. The rather old machine was to be replaced by a new one, which was a task for BHS and its French sales partner Ressor.

Norval’s requirements were clear: The machine had to be able to process at least eight metric tons of feed material per hour. In addition, the end product had to meet a degree of purity of at least 85 percent. These two points did not pose a major challenge for the BHS impact mill of type PM 0806: Its crushing and impact forces enable it to optimally clean the aluminum fraction. The machine tolerates even slightly larger feed materials and impurities thanks to its impact plates situated on spring units. A particular advantage of BHS’s impact mill is the screwed-on and easy-to-replace wear parts made of cast iron.

BHS provided complete support for the project, which consisted of mechanical and electrical installation, as well as commissioning and training of employees. In addition to the new machine, Nikolas Kaufeisen, Area Sales Manager Recycling & Environmental Technology at BHS, and his team also supplied the steel substructure and the machine control system with control cabinet. “The impact mill has been running completely without any problems at our customer’s site since commissioning,” states an obviously pleased Nikolas Kaufeisen about this successful project.