MTB and TOMRA join forces in metal recycling
MTB, based in Isère, is a well-known recycler of non-ferrous metals and has recently expanded its plant with a Zero Waste Metal sorting line equipped with two TOMRA machines. The investment results from the excellent cooperation between TOMRA and MTB and their common goal to provide customers with the best possible sorting results.
Experts in their field
MTB is the reference in sorting non-ferrous metals; the company processes 50,000 tons of waste per year at its Trept site to supply the market with high-quality secondary raw materials (copper scrap, aluminum scrap, etc.). For more than 40 years, MTB is active in metals recycling and in the manufacturing of metal sorting equipment it uses for the development and installation of metal sorting plants. It offers a huge product portfolio comprising equipment for various applications, including but not limited to pre-shredders, shredders, shears, granulators, magnetic separators, eddy current machines. Its latest machinery is used for sorting cables, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), ordinary industrial waste (OIW), tires, scrap metal, etc.
Ten years hand in hand with TOMRA
The cooperation between MTB and TOMRA dates more than ten years. Together they work on technological solutions for the respective sorting challenges of their customers. Since 2011, with the takeover of the company by Jean-Philippe Fusier, the current president, MTB has strengthened its developments and its international focus. MTB and TOMRA started their technological partnership on the North American continent and have gradually extended it to other countries where customers are looking for tailored solutions. Thus, their relationship is based on joint expertise and their respective commitment in the recycling industry.
"We are in contact with TOMRA's teams worldwide, more dominantly with the local team in France, but also with the Test Center team in Germany. Once a year, we meet some of the team members at ISRI in the United States, which is one of the numerous platforms we use to stay in touch and build a relationship of closeness and trust," explains Romain Doeppen, Sales Manager at MTB Manufacturing.
In addition to the technological advantages offered by TOMRA, MTB appreciates the unconditional commitment of the team.
"Our contacts at TOMRA have a sympathetic ear. They work closely with us to develop the best solutions or select the right machine - AUTOSORT®, FINDER, X-TRACT, COMBISENSE etc.- for the respective application.
With TOMRA, we can optimize our customers' sorting results, thus maximizing the value of the final product and ultimately the ROI," explains Romain Doeppen. "For both us and TOMRA, customer satisfaction is paramount. After all, it is the combination of our commitment to customers and our technological achievements that are critical to our success. TOMRA does not even shy away from challenging conditions and tasks. On the contrary, they are even highly motivated to face it and find the best possible solution."
New "Zero Waste" line featuring TOMRA technologies
MTB already operates a sorting centre with 5 lines recoverin secondary raw materials and preparing them for sale. Only in January, the company opened a brand-new sorting facility at its Trept site. To maximise recovery rates, MTB chose TOMRA as sensor-based sorting technology provider. Thanks to the most advanced recovery solutions, the plant can reprocess and recycle mixed infeed. The expansion of the plant, which was commissioned just weeks before the pandemic, is of strategic importance to the company and part of a global investment plan of around €17 million.
Romain Doeppen, MTB Manufacturing Sales Manager, explains: "For 40 years, we have been pursuing the same goal: to provide our customers with the purest secondary raw materials while having as little impact on the environment as possible. When our technicians developed the Zero Waste Metal line, it was natural for us to turn to TOMRA. “
With this new investment, MTB confirms its position as a supplier of secondary raw materials with a very low environmental footprint. The low environmental impact results from a very efficient recycling process in which TOMRA's technologies play a decisive role.
"This new sorting facility reflects the company's strategic direction and is also of particular importance in terms of recycling," explains Romain Doeppen. "From a niche market focused on a specific type of recycling, recycling has evolved into an indispensable part in waste management. TOMRA and its sorting technologies support us in this process. “
The Zero Waste Metal line featuring TOMRA technologies
MTB relies on two of TOMRA's sorting machines in its new line: firstly, TOMRA's FINDER and secondly an X-TRACT for separating metals or plastics according to atomic density.
"The FINDER with its electromagnetic sensor is THE technology for applications in the metal sector. The machine is very robust and easy to maintain," explains Damian Barnes, TOMRA's Metal Division Manager in France. "It owes its reputation to its ability to recover very pure metal fractions, regardless of the complex composition of the original stream or its grain size.“
This machine is equipped with three types of sensors used for versatile processing of metallic as well as for non-metallic streams: an electromagnetic sensor, a LOD (Laser Object Detection) laser to detect specific metallic objects, and a NIR (Near Infrared) sensor to detect objects (e.g. electronic cards, PE/PVC coated cables). Next on the agenda is the X-TRACT machine, which uses X-ray transmission technology to sort objects by atomic density without being affected by surface contaminants. In this case, Zorba streams are processed to identify high-value aluminum fractions.