Andritz opens recycling test and research centre in Austria

Engineering group Andritz has opened a new 3,600m² test and research centre for the recycling industry in St. Michael, Upper Styria, Austria. The group, which supplies plant machinery for recovering energy and materials from tyres and auto parts among other waste streams, is to expand its research and development activities with the new facility. It will collaborate closely with the University of Leoben at the Andritz Recycling Technology Center (ART-Center), though the ART-Center is available to customers and researchers from around the world. The facility is equipped with innovative shredder technology from the company’s ADuro product line, used for primary and secondary shredding as well as fine granulation and dismantling of composite materials. This enables customers to conduct recycling tests under real plant conditions with industrial-scale equipment.

“We know how important it is to improve processes and products on a continuous basis. That is why we are also offering our customers the opportunity to experiment with new machines and configurations in the ART-Center in order to find the best possible solution for the respective need,” explains Michael Waupotitsch, vice president reject & recycling at Andritz.

The same site also accommodates the newly opened Digital Waste Research Lab of the University of Leoben – a research centre for waste processing and waste management. The collaboration between Andritz and the University of Leoben creates synergies between research and industry to develop technologies and products for the future needs of the recycling industry.

“A recycling-oriented circular economy is a response to our environmental problems. New, innovative sorting and processing technologies can convert more and more of our waste into useful secondary raw materials,” adds Dr. Roland Pomberger, professor at the University of Leoben and head of the chair of waste processing technology and waste management.

“With the new research centre of leading company Andritz, the Green Tech Valley is continuing to grow. There are already 20 technology leaders and 1,800 university researchers working jointly on solutions for climate protection and the circular economy at this new innovation centre in southern Austria,” says Bernhard Puttinger, general manager of Green Tech Cluster.

The ART-Center will be opened officially via a virtual live-stream event on 12 November, 2020, which can be joined via Andritz’s website.