Stadler launches WireX, new digital solutions

Germany-based recycling and sorting equipment supplier Stadler Anlagenbau GmbH launched the WireX automated bale wire remover and introduced new software solutions at the IFAT trade fair in Munich, Germany, May 13.

CEO William Stadler and Chief Digital Officer Julia Stadler led a press conference at the convention, outlining the company’s short- to medium-term strategy, which focuses on advancing the circular economy, harnessing digital solutions and pursuing a research program to support growth in the recycling industry.

“At Stadler, we believe that effective collaboration of all the members of the value chain is essential for further progress towards a circular economy to be made,” William Stadler says.

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“As a plant and equipment manufacturer, our primary role in the chain is to support the recycling industry with our high-performance sorting systems,” Julia Stadler says. “We are constantly searching for new ways to help the recycling industry expand its scope and effectiveness.

“To this end, in addition to our in-house research programs, we participate in research projects to explore solutions to recycle more materials from different waste streams. Also, we believe that we can make a big difference by acting as a link between key elements of the value chain."

The company says digitalization is one of its priorities as the process becomes more common in the recycling industry.

“The trajectory is clear,” Julia Stadler says. “The future will increasingly involve harnessing machine and material data to minimize plant downtime, reduce costs for recyclers and increase process transparency, ultimately leading to a more efficient industry.”

She says Stadler is focused on developing and prioritizing digital solutions that deliver value and highlights the company’s implementation of digital solutions for plant control, maintenance and visualization of production data across various customer sites.

“We run an ongoing development program, testing prototypes at our test center and at customer facilities to ensure the efficacy and adaptability of our technologies,” she says.

Stadler Connect, the company’s new digital platform, is in development and aims to integrate digital solutions to provide a streamlined experience, Julia Stadler says. Additionally, the company is exploring the potential of leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in the recycling industry and has already applied it to improve the recognition of materials for quality analysis. WireX also uses AI to identify the direction of wires.

“Our future plans in this area are focused on enhancing our AI-based technologies while leveraging our existing solutions,” Julia Stadler says. “To this end, we are collaborating with a select group of start-ups working in this field.”

WireX uses wire detection and bale measurement systems, relying on AI and sensor technology to determine if the bale is single- or double-wired. Rok Mežič, head of development at Stadler, says the technology allows for the removal of the wire in one pass.

“This fully automates and speeds up the dewiring process, achieving an outstanding capacity of up to 60 bales [per hour], single-wired,” he adds. “The WireX is fast, efficient and safe and significantly increases the capacity of the sorting line.”