Sicon opens Technical Research Center

Germany-based Sicon has announced its new Sicon Technical Research Center (TRC) has opened in Hilchenbach, Germany.

Under construction for nine months, the company says the TRC features a wide selection of Sicon equipment for live demonstrations and trials. The exhibited equipment includes versatile airsifters, EcoShred size-reduction equipment and the Laser Sort LIBS (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy) recovery system, among other machines, enabling a real-world demonstration of scrap and metal processing, the company says.                     

Located in the Rothaargebirge mountain-range, Sicon says the TRC is a located near a major interstate. Visitors can talk with the Sicon team and are consulted by its engineers throughout the testing procedures.

Sicon says, “The decision to invest into the new TRC has been recognized and confirmed by numerous positive feedback from visiting customers and partners. Sicon is looking forward to welcome you to Hilchenbach and the TRC.”

In other company news, Sicon says with rapid changes in the scrap market, new opportunities exist for nonferrous separation, including electric motor and meatball processing.

The company says in a statement, “Recent Chinese import restrictions overseas are now affecting the domestic market. Until now mostly paper and plastics were subject to harsher regulations, however, recent changes in foreign legislations now also target domestic metal markets. Although the new Chinese import restrictions have not yet shut down the scrap import, they have indeed made scrap exports to China more difficult and increased price competitiveness.

As a result, domestic scrap and metal traders increasingly process nonferrous metals supplying raw material to local nonferrous smelters. In fact, domestic processing of nonferrous metals is usually more lucrative than their export. The increase in the value chain correlates with higher and more secure marketability based on direct contact with end customers, which in return can lead to new business opportunities.

Input for nonferrous separation can be versatile, including meatballs, electric motors, transformers, radiators, mixed-wire and appliances.

Profitable processing requires a reliable partner with thorough understanding of the processing steps in order to design a system accordingly to individual specifications. General requirements include:

• flexible system to process various material inputs;
• end product quality has to meet pre-set requirements of buyers;
• inexpensive operation costs to avoid revenue loss during market price volatility; and
• heavy-duty build system and reliable service for consistent operations.

Sicon offers a variety of flexible processing systems for electric motors, meatballs and other materials handled by the scrap industry.