Four Dutch recycling projects have been granted strategic status by the European Commission. They recover aluminium, copper and battery metals from scrap and waste. That is good news for Europe's raw materials position: metals that would otherwise be lost return to the supply chain.
Recycling is a tough working environment
A recycling plant has little in common with a clean production hall. There is metal dust, there are shocks and vibration, and machines move day and night. Meanwhile, cranes with grabs, sorting systems, shredders and mobile units all need a safe supply of power, data and media.
That is exactly where things often go wrong in practice. Cables and hoses that hang free or are poorly guided get damaged by falling material, sharp edges or constant back-and-forth movement. Every fault means downtime, and in an installation that runs continuously, that is expensive.
What cable guidance needs to account for
- Dust and dirt: an enclosed cable carrier or a cover keeps out metal dust and sharp particles.
- Shocks and vibration: steel cable carriers and sturdy mounting absorb impacts without deforming.
- Long travel lengths: on cranes and mobile units, the carrier has to be properly guided, with a channel that moves with the installation.
- The right cables: cables made to move, rated for the number of bending cycles and the radius of the carrier.
- Maintenance: periodic inspection reveals wear before it becomes a breakdown.
Experience from the steel and process industries
Wisman Techniek has years of experience with cable carriers in the steel and process industries: environments with heat, dust and heavy loads. We are keen to apply that knowledge to this new generation of plants.
It starts with the first design: what movement the machine makes, what weight has to move with it and what goes into the cable package. We run the calculations, assemble the complete carrier in Ruurlo and stay involved with inspection and maintenance for as long as the installation runs.
Working on a recycling plant, or on the expansion of an existing line? See what we do for recycling and waste processing, or get in touch directly.
