The custom designed waste screening system

The Circular Economy Action Plan, adopted by the European Commission, has some ambitious targets for the next years in the EU – recycling 65% of the urban waste by 2035, and 70% of packaging waste by 2030. Moreover, reducing waste, recycling and composting are finally in the Paris agreement, being as important as other leading climate solutions to win the battle against a climate crisis. All this highlights the waste separation sector, an industry with a wide range of technologies available on the market today. Among these technologies, the screening machine has a key role in a recycling plant, as it’s responsible for the separation of the materials by dimension and type, thus determining the processing quality and the economic and productive results. So, what should a customer in search of a waste screening system take into consideration for its plant?

“A team of experts who can understand the client’s business goals, cutting-edge technology, and custom design are factors that can certainly facilitate customer choice and simplify a big part of the acquisition process“, states in an interview Edoardo Pizzato, Technical Department Engineer in Ecostar.

How easy or difficult it is for a customer to choose the optimal waste screening system for its business?

The choice of the machine is never simple, especially in our line of business where, over the years, technologies that are currently outdated have been consolidated but are still chosen by habit. One can think of the rotating drum screens, bulky, energy-consuming and difficult to clean systems.

I believe that, when choosing a waste screening system, it’s very important to be supported by a team that knows how to integrate the client’s business needs in terms of productivity, flexibility and maintenance costs, factors that represent the strengths of Ecostar.

What kind of technical and economic solutions should an entrepreneur consider when choosing the right screening machine?

Flexibility, a fast payback of the investment and the performance of the machine. Our waste screening machines are very performant, but to get the best results they require some precautions, especially as regards the positioning of the loading and unloading flows of the material. Our team offers all the necessary support in this regard, both on the configuration of the machine and its positioning in the plant. Thus, with our support, the initial investment made by the customer will have faster returns than many other technologies.

What are the design steps since a customer contacts you until the machine is delivered?

First, we must identify the type, size and quantity of the material to be treated, in order to understand the work surface of the machine and then configure it for the system. Subsequently, the technical department can quickly provide a detailed proposal. Thanks to the modular construction of our screens, the machine tailored to the customer is made by assembling standard structures in any combination. If the customer already has a layout of the system, we use it to adapt the machine, otherwise, we recommend a solution that meets the performance needs and/or space requirements. We further develop the project and, once approved by the customer, we produce the machine. The last step is the installation and testing performed by our technicians, who will also train the machine users. At this point the screen is operational, but our support continues with customer care, from the adaptation of the machine to new materials to be treated, to wear or breakage assistance.

If the production lines are already in operation, and the customer needs to integrate another machine in this system, how difficult it is for Ecostar to respond to this request?

As our technology is more recent than others, we often revamp systems equipped with obsolete machines. Our versatility was also built on this need, so our machines are well suited to old systems. In addition, the compactness of our screens has allowed us to enter a waste screening system even in plants where, previously, the customer had to limit himself to just having conveyor belts.

Once the machine has been designed, can the customer make changes in the screening process (e.g. speed)?

Our machines use the DDS technology, Dynamic Disc Screening, a patented Ecostar technology, which in addition to making them more efficient in terms of production capacity, thanks to the particular shape of the disc movement, allows the customer to vary the screening section by about 20%, simply by varying the speed of the engines, without the need for structural interventions.

How is the design team composed in Ecostar?

The design department is composed of a team of engineers responsible for all stages of the development, from design to the configuration of the machine dedicated to customer needs. The team is led by Fabio Cappozzo, CEO Production and R&D, who thanks to his over twenty years of experience can find the best design solutions for our customers, also being responsible for all the research and innovation that has always been the main value of Ecostar.