Stadler technology targets baler wire

Germany-based Stadler Anlagenbau GmbH says its new WireX automated bale wire remover is an "industry first,” possessing the ability to automate the wire removal process and to “dewire” cross-wired bales in one pass, “ensuring a highly efficient and safe process.”

The company says it will introduce the new technology at the IFAT exhibition in Munich, Germany, this May.

Stadler says baling wire is essential in the recycling industry but adds, however, that the presence of wire also means material recovery facilities (MRFs) face the challenge of dewiring inbound bales efficiently and safely.

“It is a complex task, which is usually done manually or with limited mechanical assistance,” says Rok Mežič, head of development at Stadler. “However, manual removal is time-consuming and labor-intensive and poses safety risks for workers.

“In our sorting plant projects and speaking with our customers, we saw that this was a significant pain point in the existing process and decided to develop a solution to address the issue efficiently. The result is our new WireX, which fully automates the process, dewiring bales in a single pass.”

Stadler says WireX significantly increases the efficiency of the process and the sorting line’s capacity, as well as improves worker safety. "We believe that WireX fills a critical gap in the market, aligning closely with our customers’ needs and setting new industry standards," the company adds.

Using sensor detection and measurement systems, Stadler Wirex measures the bales and removes the wires from single- and cross-wired bales in one pass without double feeding, according to the company.

The steel dewiring unit is housed in a steel frame resistant to vibration, and the machine geometry is designed for standard bale dimensions. Inbound bales are fed onto the machine by a conveyor, guided by a moving push plate onto the floor plate designed to keep the bale in position.

Sensors above the input conveyor, inside the chamber and on the flap ensure the bale is positioned correctly with high precision, according to Stalder. Once the bale is in position, combs are pushed into the bale to fix the wire for cutting.

When the cutting is complete, the combs pull out and the wires are coiled up and discharged by what Stadler calls a small integrated conveyor into a separate bin, ready to be recycled as ferrous scrap.

The floor plate opens and the bale falls onto a conveyor placed below the machine, which can feed the material into the sorting system.

“With WireX, the bales are dewired quickly and efficiently, saving considerable time as there is no need for a second pass of the bale or manual intervention to remove all the wire,” Mežič says.

The WireX device has been tested at Stadler's test center in Slovenia and is in the final stages of further testing at a customer’s recycling facility.

A video of the WireX at work can be found here.