Page 57 from: Recycling International November/December issue 2024

TECHNOLOGY EXPERT

URT commissions seventh industrial lithium-ion
battery recycling plant

expertise. By engineering and supplying turn-
key plants, URT offers complete plant con-
cepts. It is the exclusive point of contact,
which helps to avoid interface problems.
Together with trusted suppliers, URT develops
and refines new techniques and technologies
to ensure that application units are constantly
optimised.
Phillip Steinbock, Erlos operations manager
for battery recycling, emphasises the success-
ful cooperation. ‘URT has proved to be the
best possible partner for battery recycling.
‘Despite the challenges that such a project
entails, all topics were clearly addressed col-
laboratively, and work was always solution-ori-
ented. The plant technology meets the expec-
tations of Erlos and all stakeholders in terms
of both operation and performance. With this
technology, we are prepared for the increas-
ing challenges of recycling.’

COMPREHENSIVE KNOW-HOW
Plants already built by URT have given the
company extensive knowledge, especially of
permission procedures. With this expertise,
URT supports customers worldwide and
addresses the respective national requirements
such as the TA-Luft regulation in Germany.
These range from electrical control systems
and pressure vessels to safety devices.
Two areas are essential: plant safety with fire
and explosion protection, and emissions. The

company’s many years of recycling plant con-
struction is due not only to research and
development but also to its participation at
conferences.
‘This is a good way of gathering information,’
says Hessler. ‘It enables us to maintain contact
with OEMs and recyclers worldwide and to
constantly check whether our plant concepts
meet customer requirements. One of the rea-
sons we can do this is the 30 years we have
been in the business of building recycling
plants.’

PLANT EXPERTISE
In 2019, the first plant was built for
Volkswagen in Salzgitter. With over 10 years
of experience in lithium-ion battery recycling
technology and over 30 years in plant engi-
neering for WEEE recycling, customers can be
secure in their investment.
‘The operating parameters and experience
gained from our plants already in operation
provide us with a very diverse input on a daily
basis,’ comments Rainer Hock, cto of URT.
‘This is how we generate important know-how
essential for the further development of our
technology.’
Crucial to the success of recycling technology
is the knowledge gained from building e-scrap
recycling plants with regard to inert shred-
ding, airlock technology and emissions, partic-
ularly the release of solvents from electrolytes.

In this way, knowledge of explosions and flam-
mability risks can be passed on, a key factor
for plant and operational safety.

SERVICE IS KEY
In order to operate plant technology in a sus-
tainably efficient manner, URT values a profes-
sional customer support system. This includes
an online maintenance system for the compa-
ny to respond quickly to plant malfunctions.
Trained service personnel can also arrive on
site quickly if necessary.
Above all, URT attaches great importance to
training customers to carry out valuable pre-
ventive maintenance work independently. It
has developed a special spare and wear parts
concept that serves as the basis for the regu-
lar replacement and worn parts exchange.
Another component of the service concept,
which Erlos has also implemented, is a pool
cutting system aimed towards shredding tech-
nology. Shredding influences the downstream
separation technology and the throughput
rate and is therefore crucial for an optimal
recycling process.
With the rental system offered by URT, the
customer is provided with suitable spare parts
from the company’s cutting unit pool, which
trained service teams replace with new or
overhauled units as they wear out. This avoids
additional procurement costs and ensures a
high degree of flexibility.

Dust-free filling of large bags with black mass.

Celebrating the launch of the new Erlos plant.
From left to right: plant manager Phillip Steinbock,
Saxony’s prime minister Michael Kretschmer, URT’s
Peter Hessler and Erlos md Matthias Schmidt.

Renting cutting units such as shredders avoids high
procurement costs.

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