Test installation validates new techniques for plastic recycling
B+B Anlagenbau has recently put into operation a testing facility where potential clients can test their plastic recycling requirements, in order to substantiate the business case before building. B+B Anlagenbau is part of Heilig Group and is a specialist in designing, building, installing and maintaining complete plastic recycling installations and individual machines. There has been a substantial investment in a test facility where solutions for the future are devised.
“We have built the test facility for the somewhat more difficult issues facing the plastic recycling industry. Together with the customers who are considering giving plastic a new life in some way, we are showing the possibilities with our machines through testing and validation. Customers will receive a validation report and get to see the result. In the end, a tailor-made solution will probably be developed for them, but in the test installation they can already see whether the method they came up with really does produce the intended result,” explained Innovation Manager Arjan Wever at Heilig Group.
Transparency
This test installation makes the entire process of recycling and washing of plastic much more transparent for customers. “It is more than just putting a piece of plastic through a centrifuge or a washer. All facets of the technology are involved; heat, water, air, chemistry, etc.” continued Arjan Wever. B+B Anlagenbau build standard machines for washing plastic waste. However, what the optimal solution is for a customer who wants a certain washed end-product, differs. The type of product also makes a difference to the set-up: PET requires different techniques than laminated plastic or foils. Arjan Wever adds, “Each issue stands on its own and we look for the best answer to it together with our customer. This way, we offer the customer some extra goodwill. We show that we want to work together and make a case to show investors what something can be worth. By working together in the early stages of a major investment, we hope to win trust and loyalty of our customers.”
Subjects
The test report answers the main questions of the customer, but of course it also will raise new ones. “That is precisely why we can put innovative steps into practice.” says Wever. “It’s a lot more nuanced than ‘you throw something in and something comes out’. Many different disciplines come together in washing plastic: sorting techniques, washing techniques, thermodynamics, but also fluid dynamics, for example. Within Heilig Group we have all this knowledge and specialities. This test installation is specifically intended for plastic recycling, but there is a lot of cross-fertilisation with other business units.”
The test installation can also be at the basis of innovations. Wever outlines: “Customers come to us with products that are not yet washed. Our approach is that we first clearly set out the basic question with the aim of achieving a functionally optimal process and the highest possible customer return. In doing so, we are not limited by our existing machine portfolio. We can convert or expand machines very flexibly – we have more than enough capable mechanics and engineers in house for that.” Thinking about what goes into an installation and how it comes out again is really in Heilig Group’s DNA. “With this test installation, we hope to share that knowledge more widely with the market.”
