ALUMINUM SCRAP SORTING
Sustainable value creation with STEINERT technology
Aluminum is everywhere – in cars, construction, packaging, and electronics. Its lightweight, corrosion-resistant properties make it indispensable across industries. But producing primary aluminum is highly energy intensive. Recycling aluminum scrap saves up to 90% of the energy required for primary production and significantly reduces CO2 emissions.
To unlock this potential, precise sorting is key. That’s where STEINERT comes in – empowering recyclers with advanced sorting technologies that enhance purity, maximize recovery, and contribute to a circular economy.
Your benefits:
- Purity of sorted products, high selectivity and detection
- Ferrous and non-ferrous metals, separation with magnet and eddy-current technology
- Alloy detection, detection of heavy and light elements with x-ray technology
- Extended sorting of aluminum alloys, discrimination between cast and wrought alloy with laser technology (LIBS)
- Long lifetime of all sorting machine components
- All magnet and sensor sorting technology from a single supplier!
How to sort aluminum scrap
Sorting aluminum scrap is not just good for the planet – it’s good for business. From the collection of used materials to melting and remanufacturing, the process is designed to preserve the value of this versatile metal.
Input material preparation and ZORBA fraction
Aluminum scrap, including profiles, used beverage cans (UBCs), and shredded fractions from end-of-life vehicles and household appliances, but also production or new scrap, enters the recycling stream as part of mixed scrap – or after precleaning referred to as ZORBA.
Pre-treatment and ZORBA processing
This fraction contains aluminum and other non-ferrous metals and must be cleaned and pre-shredded. After this, the scrap sorting process begins.
Separating out iron
Magnetic separation of ferrous metals
Firstly, magnets often separate the iron content out of the material flow. This is essential to prevent contamination in subsequent processing steps and to recover valuable ferrous metals.
STEINERT magnetic solutions
Magnets such as STEINERT BR magnetic head pulleys and STEINERT UME overhead suspension magnets are often used for this purpose. They ensure efficient and continuous removal of iron components from the scrap stream.
Non-ferrous separation
Cast aluminum characteristics in automotive scrap
Regarding aluminum scrap from automotive shredder residue, it should be noted that, in addition to wrought aluminum, it also consists of a significant amount of cast aluminum. Cast aluminum typically contains 4 to 12% silicon, as well as copper and zinc.
Impact of silicon content and grain size sorting
The higher the silicon content, the less ductile the metal becomes, causing it to fragment during shredding into small grain sizes. STEINERT capitalizes on this property by pre-sorting the non-ferrous shredder product stream into grain sizes of 10–30 mm, 30–70 mm, and 70–150 mm using the STEINERT EddyC.
ZORBA fraction purification
The process yields a ZORBA fraction, a blend of light and heavy metals, which is purified from non-metallic impurities such as plastics, stones, and wood.
Sensor-based sorting in an aluminum recycling process
Application for profiles and light aluminum scrap
For fractions of profiles and light aluminum scrap, wet mechanical separation of free heavy metals and high-alloy aluminum components (such as cast parts) is often not economically viable.
Dry sorting by atomic density
In such cases, dry mechanical sorting by atomic density provides a reliable alternative or addition to sink/float separation. The above-mentioned grain-size-separated fractions are then processed using the STEINERT XSS T EVO 5.0.
High-purity aluminum output
This system effectively separates aluminum scrap from a mixed fraction of copper, brass, zinc, and other heavy metals. It enables the separation of high-alloy aluminum and free heavy metals, achieving aluminum scrap purities of more than 99.5%.
Modular process for specific aluminum grades
The two-step approach with eddy current separation and sorting by atomic density not only maximizes aluminum yield and purity but also enables recyclers to market the material in well-defined qualities – such as Al 224, Taint Tabor (mainly clean sheet goods), or high-value premium grades. Our systems are modular and scalable – tailored to your input streams and desired product purity.
STEINERT PLASMAX | LIBS
Game-changer for aluminum alloy sorting
Market demand for specific alloy grades
Alloy sorting is the next frontier in aluminium scrap recycling. Some customers, especially in the automotive and aerospace sectors, demand specific alloy grades. Sorting similar-looking aluminium alloys by hand is impossible.
High-precision alloy separation with STEINERT PLASMAX | LIBS
With STEINERT PLASMAX | LIBS, we make high-precision separation of aluminium alloys not only possible, but efficient. Alloy series such as 5xxx, 6xxx or even 7xxx as well as more specific alloys can be sorted by exact chemical composition – enabling closed-loop recycling and maximum material value.
Technical features and sorting performance
Using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), this innovative system identifies and sorts alloys based on their exact chemical composition. Whether it’s distinguishing between 5xxx and 6xxx series, or removing unwanted magnesium, PLASMAX offers:
- 3 products in 1 sorting run
- Sorting rates up to 11 t/h with unmatched precision
- Clean alloy fractions ideal for closed-loop recycling
- Reduction of downcycling and material loss
Melting and remanufacturing
High-quality feedstock for furnaces
Once sorting in an aluminium recycling plant has ensured high-purity aluminium fractions, the final stage is melting and remanufacturing. Here, the benefits of STEINERT technology fully unfold.
Benefits for aluminium producers
Because the sorted aluminium meets tight quality specifications, aluminium producers can feed their furnaces with confidence—without additional manual sorting or costly corrective steps.
Reintegration into industrial production
These materials are then turned into semi-finished products like slabs, ingots, or extruded profiles and re-enter the production cycle across various industries – from construction to transportation to packaging.
Thanks to STEINERT’s upstream sorting technologies, the feedstock is exceptionally clean, reducing furnace slag, stabilizing process conditions, and increasing throughput. This translates into significant energy savings, minimized material loss, and improved overall plant efficiency and profitability.
Conclusion
The future of aluminium scrap sorting lies in smart solutions. STEINERT technologies support recyclers worldwide in unlocking the full value of aluminium scrap – for profit, for quality, and for the planet.
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