Polish Recycler Polcopper Chooses Electric Sennebogen Handlers

Polcopper, a Polish recycling firm founded in 1990, has developed from a small scrap yard to one of the largest scrap metal recyclers in that country.

Piotr Rusiecki, who has been general manager of Polcopper since 2000, says the facility handles 500,000 metric tons of scrap each year with 300 employees.

To boost productivity, the company recently began operating two new Sennebogen 818 Electro material handling machines at its Smigiel, Poland, headquarters, that are used to continuously supply two baling presses.

The company cites low running costs, minimal background noise and high reliability as key advantages cited in choosing the electric handlers over conventional drive versions.

“With the new Sennebogen machines, we have found the optimal solution for our processes,” says Rusiecki. “The electric drive in particular impressed us with low running costs and optimal environmental sustainability.”

Equipped with an 11-meter (36-foot) long boom and the elevating multicab comfort cab, Sennebogen says the 818 is ideally suited to the work. The machine reaches more than 100 cycles per hour when handling metals of all types and shapes.

With the stable wide-track crawler chassis, the 818 is designed to stand firm and can be turned around and moved easily as required. According to Sennebogen, the hydraulically elevating cab provides an unrestricted view into the press from above.

Rusiecki says the 818’s properties may increase in importance due to rising energy prices. Because the handlers have an electric drive, the machines can operate 24 hours a day without refueling, Sennebogen says. Material is gathered constantly from surrounding smaller scrap yards, sorted and loaded onto vehicles. The easy operation and high power reserves make the machine a reliable partner in everyday use, the company says.

Servicing of the handlers is being provided by the Polish sales and service partner Bax Baumaschinen.

“We decided together that the Sennebogen 818 was the optimal machine for our needs,” says Rusiecki. “The technicians are on-site quickly when needed and support our drivers and mechanics with all maintenance work—this is a key aspect, as we can’t afford downtime.”