Recycling : New STADLER WireX sets new standards in automated bale dewiring

Baling wire is an essential part of the recycling industry: without it, it would be much more difficult to collect, transport and handle the large volumes of waste materials that are fed into the recycling process. However, the extensive use of wire means that recycling facilities are faced with the challenge of dewiring bales efficiently and safely.

“It is a complex task, which is usually done manually or with limited mechanical assistance,” explains Rok Mežič, Head of Development at STADLER. “However, manual removal is time-consuming and labour-intensive, and poses safety risks for workers. In our sorting plant projects and speaking with our customers, we saw that this was a significant pain point in the existing process and decided to develop a solution to address the issue efficiently. The result is our new WireX, which fully automates the process, dewiring bales in a single pass. It significantly increases the efficiency of the process and the sorting line’s capacity, as well as improves workers safety. We believe that WireX fills a critical gap in the market, aligning closely with our customers’ needs and setting new industry standards.”

Using sensor detection and measuring systems, the new STADLER Wirex effortlessly measures the bales and removes the wires from single and cross-wired bales in one pass without double feeding. The steel dewiring unit is integrated into a vibration-resistant steel frame. The machine geometry is designed for standard bale dimensions to ensure smooth operation.

The bales are fed into the machine by an independent conveyor which is guided by a moving pusher plate onto the base plate which holds the bale in position. Sensors located above the infeed conveyor, inside the chamber and on the flap ensure the bale is correctly positioned with high accuracy. Once the bale is in position, combs are pushed into the bale to secure the wire for cutting. The bale measuring system ensures that the knives move correctly inside the bale. When cutting is complete, the combs are pulled out and the wire is wound up and discharged by a small integrated conveyor into a separate bin, ready for recycling. The bottom plate opens and the bale falls onto a conveyor located underneath the machine, which feeds the material into the sorting system.

“With WireX the bales are dewired quickly and efficiently, saving considerable time as there is no need for a second pass of the bale or manual intervention to remove all the wire,” says Rok Mežič.

The new WireX has undergone STADLER's rigorous development and validation process and has been extensively tested at STADLER's test centre in Slovenia. It is also in the final stages of further testing under real conditions at a customer's recycling plant.
Interested customers can see the new WireX in this video.