STADLER Designs and Installs First of Three High-Efficiency MRF and Compost Refinement Plants for Terna Energy in Tripoli, Greece

Greek renewable energy company Terna Energy, part of the Gek Terna Group, is a leading player in clean energy production and the largest investor in Renewable Energy Sources in Greece. It further consolidates its role in sustainable development and circular economy through its integrated waste management projects. For this area of its activity, the company has chosen STADLER, the globally active German company specialized in the planning, production and assembly of turnkey recycling and sorting plants, as strategic partner in Public Private projects for the design and installation of Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF) in the Epirus region and now also in the Peloponnese. STADLER has now completed the commissioning and start-up of the latest facility, an MRF and Compost Refinement Plant in Tripoli, the capital city of the Peloponnese region, and two further projects in Sparta and Kalamata are in progress.

The new facility stands out for its high degree of automation and efficiency, and for its capacity to adapt to changing material composition. It produces consistently high-quality output, achieving outstanding recovery rates – above 90% for the organic fraction, plastic containers, bottles and paper, and 80% for biofilms and PE film. It is also designed to facilitate maintenance, with easy access to all components and motors for service.

High efficiency and adaptability for consistently high-quality output

The sorting plant receives mixed Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) with an input capacity of 30 to 40tph in a single line. It is processed to produce a high-quality output of recyclates and organic material. The former – PET, HDPE, PP/PS, Foils, Paper, Cardboards, Ferrous and non-Ferrous cans and containers –are sorted into automatic bunkers then baled. The latter, in fractions below 60mm from Anaerobic Digestion and 65-85mm from vessel composting, are further processed in the compost refinement plant with a capacity of 10tph, producing two fractions of clean compost with different specifications and material size.

STADLER’s design team developed a plant that delivers the high-quality output required by Terna Energy, effectively addressing the challenge presented by the peculiarities of the waste stream in the region: “The Peloponnese is a very touristic region, and this has an effect on the composition of the waste, with high variations in seasonal consumption and diversity of packaging,” explains Dimitris Blanas, Head of Sales Greece & Middle East at STADLER.

The process begins with two trommel screens then a STADLER STT5000 Ballistic Separator that separates the rolling, flat and screened fractions. At this stage of the process, Pellenc ST COMPACT optical sorters, seamlessly integrated with STADLER’s high-speed conveyors, come into play to sort waste by material and color on the two main lines: 2D for flat objects such as mixed paper, cardboard and film, and 3D for hollow objects such as bottles, containers and trays. These sorters, which feature Pellenc ST’s latest advanced technology, are perfect for the task with their compact size, low energy consumption and high level of performance, as well as their capability to manage the volumes and variations in the feed: “The high capacity of this equipment will be able to absorb the increase of waste volumes, says Steve Halpin-Gosset, Regional Sales Director, South Europe at Pellenc ST. “Thanks to their high scalability, sorting settings can also be adapted according to input stream composition changes.”

Effective collaborative approach ensures timely delivery

“We had a very short time for completing the assembly and the plant was required to run at full capacity on the first day of hot commissioning, because of the high volumes of municipal waste arriving and the lack of storage facilities,” explains Dimitris Blanas. Close collaboration with the teams from Terna Energy, technological partner Pellenc ST and suppliers was key to delivering on time. “We focused on effective coordination of all the teams, as well as careful timing of deliveries ahead of assembly to avoid wasting any time. Also, detailed checks and meticulous preparation throughout the assembly and cold commissioning phases were critical.” Steve Halpin-Gosset adds: “We have been working with STADLER for many years and have built a strong partnership. The quality of our relationship and the smooth interactions between our teams have guaranteed the success of this project.”

The entire project unfolded to the satisfaction of Terna Energy, as expressed by Diomidis Kamoutsis, Project Manager, who appreciated “STADLER’s solid design and quality equipment, together with the effective management of the project in all its phases – from designing to delivery, construction and commissioning. Their team was always available, fast in responding whenever an issue arose, coordinating and supporting the construction team, effectively collaborating with the other providers and suppliers on site. The fast delivery and installation were impressive.”

A strategic partnership for sustainable development and the circular economy

As part of its partnership with Terna Energy, STADLER has designed two further MRF and Compost Refinement plants with similar characteristics and capacity in the area of Lakonia and Messenia, also in the Peloponnese region, which are expected to start operation in the autumn. STADLER will support the three plants with a local service team and a dedicated maintenance storage center. These three plants, together with the facility designed and built by STADLER in Epirus, will be the most advanced MRF sorting plants in operation in the country.

For more information, visit http://www.w-stadler.de

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Netzsch Employee Takes Part in Dresden-Dakar-Banjul Rally

The team leader of the business unit chemical, pulp & paper at NETZSCH Pumpen & Systeme GmbH from Waldkraiburg, Egon Grainer, successfully participated in the 33rd Dresden-Dakar-Banjul Rally. Together with his rally partner Christian, he was able to master the journey to Banjul despite some initial difficulties.

The Dresden-Dakar-Banjul Rally is organized by Breitengrad eV and does not have the usual goals of a rally. It is not about who reaches the finish line first. The purpose of the competition is to improve the living situation of the people in Gambia. The rally participants contribute to this by auctioning off the cars they have modified for rally participation at the end in Banjul. The proceeds from this auction will go to sustainable projects in Gambia, enabling the local people to lead a better life. Egon Grainer was particularly impressed by how the people he and his rally partner met are nevertheless happy in the simplest of circumstances.

“What I found most impressive was how happy people are despite living in such poor conditions. I can well imagine participating in the rally again. While this trip was all about having fun, if I were to do another rally, I would take a lot more aid supplies with me to give to the people in order to make a small contribution to a better world,” Egon Grainer concluded.

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Arburg Obtains Certification for Its Information Security

• Internationally recognised standard: ISO 27001 is proof of an effective information security management system
• Resilience: Arburg documents and improves processes for IT security and data protection
• Digitalisation pioneer: Information security is a top priority for Arburg

As a pioneer of digitalisation in plastic parts production, Arburg has also been voluntarily certified to DIN ISO/IEC 27001 since March 2023. This globally recognised standard is proof that the machine manufacturer from Lossburg in Germany has implemented an effective information security management system (ISMS) in its information systems division and is doing its utmost to meet the high requirements of information security as well as the underlying security procedures.

“IT security is a top priority here at Arburg and is being vigorously advanced by our highly qualified team,” says Jürgen Boll, Managing Director Finance, Controlling and IT at Arburg. “The ISO 27001 certification is now proof in black and white that we are reliably documenting and constantly improving our information security processes and continuously strengthening our IT resilience.”

Certified information security
Machine manufacturer Arburg is at the forefront of the industry with its voluntary ISO 27001 certification. IT security and data protection have a high priority for this innovative family company, both at its central production site in Lossburg and in its own organisations at 35 locations in 25 countries around the world.
“As this topic is close to our hearts and we already had a very good technical and organisational set-up, we were able to achieve certification in a record time of just six months,” explains Andreas Dümmler, Divisional Manager Information Systems at Arburg. “We also worked with certified IT service providers to achieve this and, in the process, rebuilt and documented our ISMS.”

Re-certification takes place every three years and a detailed risk assessment of all IT services is carried out annually, an analysis of which is incorporated into the company’s own opportunity management. On top of this, there are internal audits, management evaluations and surveillance audits by TÜV Süd. As an internationally recognised framework, ISO 27001 creates the “guard rails” to further advance corporate information security based on processes, guidelines and policies. This is precisely what more and more customers, partners and suppliers are increasingly asking for and demanding.

Arburg ISO-certified in all important areas
Arburg is now ISO-certified in all important areas and transparently documents the relevant processes in associated manuals. The company’s certifications comprise:

• ISO 9001 for quality management,
• ISO 14001 for environmental management,
• ISO 29993 for quality management in vocational and in-company training,
• ISO 50001 for energy management, and
• new: ISO 27001 for information security.

Further information about Arburg can be found at www.arburg.com

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New Melt Index Testers Save Time and Increase Repeatability

With the MFi5 and MFi7, Instron presents a new generation of melt index testers for a wide range of tasks, from monitoring incoming materials to product development and process control. The compact, manually operated MFi5 is ideal for fast and reliable measurements thanks to preset methods, while the modular MFi7 can be flexibly adapted to accommodate an increasing volume of testing. Both are suitable for test temperatures from 50 °C to 450 °C and are equipped with test weights from 0.1 to 21.6 kg. A piston travel transducer resolution of 0.005 mm and a piston displacement accuracy of up to 0.02 mm enable particularly accurate measurements. They thus cover the entire range of requirements for standard melt index tests in accordance with ISO 1133 and ASTM D1238, Methods A, B and C. Each System is operated via a 7" capacitive color touchscreen.

Optional equipment for MFi5 and MFi7 includes a motor-driven cutting device for precise, repeatable separation of the extrudate by time (with 0.01 s accuracy) or position. Also optional are automatic automatic die plug opening, special pistons for high flow materials with very high MFR (1600 g/10 min and more), and the use of particularly corrosion- and wear-resistant steels for cylinders, pistons, and dies.

Shortened test cycles with high operational reliability

As an additional standard feature of the MFi7, a motorized lifting device handles the automatic, operator-independent application of test masses for more accurate, repeatable and reliable test results. An easily removable die retainer facilitates cleaning so that testing can be quickly resumed. An automatic material compaction system operates at constant pressure, also providing added accuracy and repeatability. Automated purging and cylinder cleaning allow effortless, rapid emptying of materials remaining in the cylinder after testing is complete. Load-cell controlled compaction and emptying phases avoid operator influences and can thus further boost laboratory efficiency and the consistency of test results. Time-consuming cleaning operations are eliminated at the end of each test. Options for the MFi7 include a manual mass selector for added operator safety and a safety cover that prevents unintentional access to the machine’s test areas.

Three inputs via the user interface of the control panel are sufficient to create test methods quickly and easily. User permissions can be set up individually. Test results are displayed in the form of real-time graphs. Live help offered on each screen reduces the amount of training required for new operators, and it helps avoid costly errors during testing.

Convenient with Bluehill Melt software

The MFi series is supported by Instron’s Bluehill Melt software. Equipped with easy-to-understand icons and workflows, it simplifies user training and test setup. Test methods can be deployed to any number of recipients, multiple measurement systems can be managed over a wired network, and reports can be generated, saved and exported automatically.

Fast from idea to commissioning, service 24/7

Application-specific optimal melt index measuring devices can be put together with the help of an online, interactive and intuitive configurator. Once the order is placed, Instron uses its smart inventory management and efficient production processes to realize short delivery times. In the test lab, videos then explain the measures for self-installation and immediate commissioning of the system.

To ensure productivity, reduce risk and minimize downtime, support teams are available around the clock to answer technical questions. A team of more than 300 service technicians helps Instron customers worldwide on-site to resolve issues. This is helped by the InSkill app as an AI-driven support tool that can be used, among other things, to submit support requests and view the calibration certificates and service history of the specific system.

www.konsens.de

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Successful start for the Hydrogen Business and Technology Forum

Participants from more than 20 companies jointly laid the foundation for the continuous exchange of technology and information between experts from the plastics industry and the hydrogen economy.

The international Hydrogen Business and Technology Forum initiated by the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and Trade at RWTH Aachen University got off to a flying start. On 16 May 2023, around 50 participants from more than 20 companies jointly laid the foundation for the continuous exchange of technology and information between experts from the plastics industry and the hydrogen economy.

The first meeting of the forum was characterized by an intensive exchange and open and transparent discussions. The breaks were used very actively to make new contacts. The companies’ speed pitches at the beginning of the event made it easy to pinpoint the right contact person at once.

“This was a great event! Business cards were literally flying in during the breaks, everyone did a great deal of networking,” enthuses Dr.-Ing. Kai Fischer, scientific director at the IKV and initiator of the study. “From both sides I perceived a great need to understand the systems in the different areas and with the forum we have now created the basis for a continuous exchange.”

The opener of the meeting was a brief summary of the results of the jointly developed market and technology study, which is the basis for the work in the network forum. In three phases, markets, technologies and scenarios for hydrogen scale-up were examined between September 2021 and November 2022.

Member companies of the Forum then had their say in four exciting keynote lectures. As users of hydrogen technologies, TOPSOE and TOYOTA MOTOR EUROPE addressed requirements, challenges and “pain points” of components in fuel cells and electrolysis. The presentations from the plastics industry (MOCOM and Freudenberg) dealt with the testing of plastics to ensure compliance with hydrogen-specific requirements such as ion leaching.

In the concluding workshops, the future orientation of the forum was discussed and developed in small groups. Among other things, additional workshops at member companies on specific topics were mutually agreed upon. Once again, it became clear that two industries are really moving towards each other here, and that they are enthusiastically embracing the Forum’s open innovation approach. Both industries showed a willingness to talk very openly about challenges and to look for joint solutions.

On the “Hydrogen Business and Technology Forum”

With the “Hydrogen Business and Technology Forum” network, the IKV is continuing its activities on the use of plastics-specific solutions in hydrogen technologies. The forum now brings together the best minds from the hydrogen and plastics industries to jointly discuss the latest trends and innovations in plastics technology and the hydrogen economy. Plastics specialists as well as system manufacturers and end users in the hydrogen economy are given the opportunity to prepare for the scale-up of hydrogen technologies at an early stage and to jointly define and develop requirements and potentials for the optimal use of plastics in the hydrogen economy.

The IKV takes on the role of network organizer and mediator, responsible for the distribution of knowledge among the actors. As part of the RWTH’s hydrogen ecosystem with the H2 Future Cluster and the Center for Sustainable Hydrogen Systems, the IKV is in a unique position to transfer hydrogen as well as plastics knowledge to the forum. In addition to workshops held twice a year, the Forum offers continuous market and technology monitoring, through which Forum participants regularly receive well-founded information on the latest trends and developments. The Hydrogen Business and Technology Forum is still open for new members.

www.ikv-aachen.de

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