Eldan takes big leap into sorting technology

Eldan Recycling is expanding its product portfolio with optical sorting and new innovations.

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Since 1956, the world-leading Danish company has manufactured recycling equipment known for excellent performance, low production costs and high output purity. Its systems and machines are based on ambient mechanical techniques for size reduction and separation, requiring no melting or chemical treatment.

Modular design enables customers to expand or upgrade their plants as the market changes. By adding new machines with AI and infrared technology to its product portfolio, Eldan is now able to offer even more sustainable recycling solutions.

Introducing optical sorting

In January 2024, Eldan announced a co-ownership with Picvisa Machine Vision Systems – a frontrunner in optical separation technology. Integrating optical sorting technology into Eldan processes represents a big leap forward.

This has resulted in the development of new lines of sorting equipment. The first machines, the Eldan MPS (Multi Purpose Sorter) and the Eldan SPS (Small Purpose Sorter) were launched during the second quarter of this year, with the SPS on display and providing frequent live demonstrations at Munich’s IFAT show in May where it proved to be a huge success.

The MPS and SPS are tailored for efficient sorting in various applications, particularly WEEE, non-ferrous and mixed metal scrap systems but also for different kinds of polymers. In advanced technologies such as broadband infrared technology (NIR/MWIR), AI (shapes and appearance) enables innovative and sustainable sorting by colour and material.

Exciting times

As a natural step, the name Eldan Sorting has been established to build the brand for the sorting part of the company. Toni Reftman, ceo of Eldan Recycling, is very happy about this co-ownership: ‘This is extremely exciting, and the timing couldn’t be better. We are thrilled to bring these new products to the market, and others will follow during 2024.’

In terms of what this co-ownership means for reaching new markets and segments, Toni continues: ‘We will be able to reach out to new customers but also give existing customers more possibilities than before, which in turn will benefit them and their own customers.’

Eldan Recycling has broadened the horizon with these new combinations which offer the best of the best. This is a great positive step, the company believes, in conserving the planet’s scarce resources for future generations.

Improvements through innovation

Eldan Recycling is constantly finding new ways to meet its customers’ needs, including the above-mentioned addition of optical sorting. Another is Eldan’s Heavy Duty Granulator (HDG): this has been modified for recycling tough materials, including electrical waste such as ASCR cables and low-grade cables with some impurities, as well as non-ferrous metals, refrigerators, industrial waste and more besides.

The product’s new knife system with integrated rotary knives/knife holders with a rotor provides a solid foundation for the resistance required when processing heavy objects. The knives are straight and can be used on all four sides, grinding materials with ease.

Friction clutches protect the machine from material overload while the belt drive ensures a simple transmission. The HDG can also process RDF efficiently and can produce a 20 mm material size.

Virtually indestructible

The HDG is designed and manufactured to process more and tougher materials like ACSR cables or e-waste with high Fe content. This granulator also performs well as a pre-chopper for these materials and other Cu or Al cables and can include various screen hole sizes from 12 mm upwards, according to customer requirements.

Key features of the HDG include an adjustable knife clearance, which optimises the cutting function. Knives can be reground multiple times on a ‘flat-bed’ grinder, ensuring long life and lower operational costs.

The design allows for quick and easy knife and screen changes while the rotor is manufactured and designed for minimum wear with hard-face welding. The screens offer different hole sizes for flexible production, and five pieces of screen per set are included and interchangeable, depending on wear.

Exchangeable wear parts provide operators with a virtually indestructible machine.

Seeing is believing

For Eldan Recycling, it has always been important to be ‘on the road’ – to meet people at trade shows, to display products, to discuss possibilities and to help scrap companies to arrive at the very best solution for them. With four trade shows left this year, Eldan Recycling will be able to look back on eight successful events in 2024 alone.

The biggest of these was IFAT in Munich where, as noted above, the latest machine for optical sorting was on display and available for live demos. The SPS (Small Purpose Sorter) was certainly an eye-catcher but did not in any way steal the show from all the other recycling solutions displayed on the company’s stand.

In the second half of 2024, Eldan Recycling put itself in the spotlight once again at RWM in Birmingham, SOLID Recycling Technik in Dortmund, Waste Expo in Melbourne and, of course, Ecomondo in Rimini. ‘For those not able to attend live events, our webpage and sales reps are always available wherever you are,’ says Nilla Hedlund, cmo of Eldan Recycling, with a smile.