Wendt installs downstream system in Canada

Wendt Corp., based in Buffalo, New York, has announced the commissioning of a nonferrous metals sorting system at Dartmouth Metals Ltd. in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The equipment maker says installation of the system “represents part of Dartmouth’s growth strategy to recover a greater percentage of nonferrous metals, opening additional markets for the valuable material.”

Wendt Corp. describes Dartmouth Metals as a third-generation, family-operated business that roots in the scrap industry tracing back to the 1960s. In 1979, Peter Giberson founded what is known today as Dartmouth Metals Ltd., with his son, Dave, joining the business full time in 2003. The company now has 40 employees.

The nonferrous sorting plant provided by Wendt Corp. features a tumbleback feeder, trommel screen, fines eddy current separator, J-box and a Wendt/Tomra Finder sensor unit. The plant also incorporates Dartmouth Metals’ two previously existing eddy current separators. Dartmouth’s nonferrous plant was installed and commissioned this June.

Dartmouth operates what Wendt Corp. describes as a small shredder and had been running its automobile shredder residue (ASR) through the two eddy current separators, leaving some other nonferrous metals uncaptured.

“We were shipping away our no-ferrous materials to a friendly local competitor, but we knew what we were missing,” Dave Giberson says.

Dartmouth Metals had its ASR sampled several times and found it should have been getting 11 to 14 percent metallic recovery but was only achieving 6 percent recovery with its original setup. “We were missing half of the material we could have been recovering,” Dave Giberson says. “When the door closed for shipping our fluff material without sorting it properly, we knew it was time to invest.”

Dartmouth says it expects to recover that last 6 to 8 percent of metals, which includes zorba fines, zurik and copper wire, with the new system. The company also attributes the new system with increased labor savings and attracting higher levels of talent.

“The Wendt system modernizes our yard and has made it a more appealing place to work,” Dave Giberson says. “We have saved in labor because of the advanced technology but have also added higher level positions to operate and maintain the equipment. People are familiar with Wendt equipment, and it has attracted additional talent to my company because of it.”

Wendt Corp. describes itself as specializing in developing solutions to fit customer requirements, from single pieces of equipment to small scrap processing plants to the largest plants in the world.

“Wendt had a lot of ideas from the start and systematically took their time to make sure I was happy with the layout and that it would fit my current operation,” Dave Giberson says.

Bill Close, Wendt’s nonferrous business development manager, says, “We discussed what their goals were to grow his business and what available assets he wanted to reuse. Together we collaborated to develop a solution unique to their needs.”

Dartmouth Metals had a 45-year-old existing building onsite the company needed to utilize to fit the nonferrous plant inside. “The Wendt team engineered the system to maximize space and fit in our existing building,” Dave Giberson says. “They were flexible and practical with the layout to account for the equipment, as well as the handling of material.”