The two companies will provide equipment to customers in Atlanta.

The Quebec-based waste robotics company announced a partnership with Torxx Kinetic Pulverizer, based in Bermuda, to deploy their equipment to a material processor in the Atlanta metropolitan area. 

Waste Robotics will provide three WR-2 C&D sorting robots for sorting construction and demolition (C&D) waste and various types of green waste in the facility. The company said the robot can recognize hundreds of different materials, including organics, plastics, paper, wood, bricks, concrete, and metals. The company said that in addition, they can accurately determine the quality of wood and the difference between aggregate and plastic.

In addition, Torxx will provide customers with power shredders. Torxx says its shredder can crush the input material together at high speed. This crushes hard materials and tears softer materials into fluff, which the company says produces less output compared to traditional technology.

"By combining two innovative technologies, we enable our end customers to sort and prepare C&D recycled materials to meet specific market needs," said Eric Camirand, CEO of Waste Robotics. 

"The ability to control the quality of the final product through robotic sorting and our shredding technology is the key to selling the final product," said Peter Everson, CEO of Torxx Kinetic Pulverizer.

Please refer to the following video about the WAR technology of waste robots:

Please refer to the video of Torxx power shredder operation below:

MRF can improve throughput and uptime in many ways without the need to invest in new equipment.

The flow of incoming materials at a material recovery facility (MRF) in 2019 is very different from what MRF experienced ten years ago. For example, about 10 years ago, MRF might want to pack old newspaper (ONP) fiber grades instead of mixed paper, but in recent years ONP grades have been reduced to extinction. In addition, for single-stream facilities, pollution is a constant concern and varies from community to community. 

Adding a color sorter or automation equipment may be the solution to these problems, but some MRFs are short of funds and this is not the solution. During the MRF Operations Forum held in Chicago on October 22, Mark Henke, senior manager of recycling at Phoenix-based Republic Services, and Jim Marcinko, vice president of recycling operations at a Houston-based waste management company, provided some suggestions on what MRF can do. If existing funds need to be improved, doing so can improve throughput and uptime. 

Improve throughput without capital

All MRFs need to produce high-quality materials, and the equipment certainly helps to improve the quality of the materials-but sometimes it is not possible to make a large investment in a new color sorter or screening machine. "Not everyone can have [a brand new system], you still need to produce high-quality products," Henke said. 

He said that in MRF, a system that has been in use for 3 to 5 years is not designed to handle current material flow or quality specifications. In addition, over time, the quality of screens and other equipment will decline and wear out due to contamination. 

Henke shared several ways that MRF can increase throughput without capital investment:

• Cooperating with steel mills and end markets: Henke stated that it is now important for MRF to understand their end markets. "It's not just knowing where you bring the material; knowing what their final product is," he said. "[Factory] need what formula? What can they tolerate? What deterrent to them? Be their partner. And make sure they understand the problems you face in terms of inbound quality as an operator." He advised MRF operators to visit the factory To better understand their needs and invite them to visit MRF. 

• Sorter placement is the key: Make a reliable plan for the placement of each sorter. Henke suggested that MRF operators have sorter responsibility charts to lay out each site and where everyone should go. In addition to machine separation, it is also important to have a high-quality sorter on the production line. He suggested that MRF operators determine the best working position for each sorter. He said this might mean moving the sorter occasionally so they wouldn't get bored either. "Bring the sorter to the best position so they can get the job done," he said.

Improve uptime without spending money 

Many issues can cause MRF downtime—mechanical failure, scheduled maintenance, operational issues, and even issues such as employees going out to attend company lunches or needing vacations. Downtime will happen, so it is important for MRF to work as efficiently as possible outside of these events.

"Uptime is everything," Masinko said. "If the conveyor belt doesn't move, we won't produce anything from the back end." 

Marcinko shared some ways that MRF can increase uptime without investing in new equipment:

• Determine actual production capacity: To ensure efficiency, Marcinko said that MRF operators need to understand the composition of the material flow, and they also need to understand the demand for these commodities in the factory and the end market. He said that production requirements vary depending on the composition of the stream. Although running faster will produce more bales for sale, it may be more worthwhile to slow down the production line to create cleaner bales. He said that knowing the exact level of contamination can help operators understand whether they need to slow down the production line to produce a cleaner end product. 

• Collect data: Keep a record of the causes of blockages in the production line, and track downtime required for lunch and breaks. Marcinko said tracking where the jams occurred will help prevent them from recurring in the future. "If you don't have data, it's all guesswork," he said.

• Prepare employees for success: Marcinko said that in order to reduce opportunities for personnel turnover, provide maintenance and operators with tools for success. He suggested that operators use iPads to check preventive maintenance tasks to simplify the process. He also said that it is good to track the team to measure their performance and set goals for each team within the deadline. In addition, he emphasized the importance of providing employees with a clean workplace that they can be proud of. "Efforts like this will lead to better success and longer-term employees," he said, which reduces downtime due to personnel turnover.  

The cost of scrap and scrap substitution decreased by 9% in the third quarter of 2019.

Nucor Corp., an electric arc furnace (EAF) steel manufacturer headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, announced that its consolidated net profit for the third quarter of 2019 was $275 million, or 90 cents per diluted share. The company’s reported consolidated net profit was US$386.5 million, or US$1.26 in diluted earnings per share in the second quarter of the same year, and US$676.7 million in diluted earnings per share in the third quarter of 2018, or US$2.13 in diluted earnings per share. Earnings for the third quarter of 2018 included non-cash impairment charges of 110 million U.S. dollars, or 26 cents per diluted share. The company pointed out that income related to its natural gas well assets and 24.8 million U.S. dollars related to insurance recovery, or per share Diluted income is 6 cents.

Nucor reported that as of the first nine months of 2019, consolidated net profit was US$1.16 billion, or diluted earnings per share, of US$3.78, while consolidated net profit for the first nine months of 2018 was US$1.71 billion, or diluted earnings per share. 5.35 USD.

John Ferriola, Chairman and CEO of Nucor, said: “After a short summer rebound, the plate market in the third quarter tended to be weak. Excess inventory throughout the supply chain caused our customers Continue to destock. However, the non-residential consumer construction market maintained a healthy level in the third quarter, and our metal construction, piling, joist and deck sectors continued to maintain strong performance; and the performance of our rebar manufacturing sector improved," he Added.

He is confident in the company’s business fundamentals and long-term strategy, adding: “The strong cash flow we generate throughout the cycle highlights the benefits of our low-cost and highly variable cost structure and highly diversified business model. Looking ahead to 2020 and beyond, Nucor is in a unique position to consolidate our competitive advantage and continue our long-term record of creating value for shareholders."

Nucor's consolidated net sales fell 7% to US$5.46 billion in the third quarter of 2019, compared to US$5.9 billion in the second quarter of 2019. It also dropped by 19% compared with the US$6.74 billion in the third quarter of 2018.

The average selling price per ton in the third quarter of 2019 was 5% lower than the second quarter of 2019 and 13% lower than the third quarter of 2018.

In the third quarter of 2019, a total of 656 million tons were shipped to external customers, a decrease of 3% from the second quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 7% from the third quarter of 2018.

The total shipments of steel mills in the third quarter of 2019 were similar to the total shipments of steel mills in the second quarter of 2019, but were down 8% from the third quarter of 2018. Steel mills’ shipments to internal customers accounted for 21% of steel mills’ total shipments in the third quarter of 2019, compared to 19% in the second quarter of 2019 and 20% in the third quarter of 2018. The shipment volume of downstream steel products to external customers in the third quarter of 2019 increased by 5% compared to the second quarter of 2019 and was similar to the shipment volume of downstream steel products to external customers in the third quarter of 2018.

In the first nine months of 2019, Nucor’s consolidated net sales fell 7% to US$17.46 billion from US$18.77 billion in the first nine months of 2018. The total tonnage shipped to external customers in the first nine months of 2019 was 2.05 million tons, a decrease of 5% from the first nine months of 2018, while the average sales price per ton dropped by 2%.

The average cost per ton of scrap and alternatives used in the third quarter of 2019 was US$299, a decrease of 9% compared to US$330 in the second quarter of 2019, and a decrease of US$374 in the third quarter of 2018 20%. The cost per ton of waste and waste replacement used in the first nine months of 2019 was US$328, a decrease of 9% from the US$361 in the first nine months of 2018.

The pre-operating and start-up costs related to Nucor's growth project in the third quarter of 2019 were approximately US$28 million, or 7 cents per diluted share, compared to approximately US$21 million in the second quarter of 2019, or US$0.05 per diluted share. , About 11 million U.S. dollars, or 3 cents per share after dilution, in the third quarter of 2018.

In the first nine months of 2019, the pre-operating and start-up costs related to Nucor’s growth project were approximately US$68 million, or 17 cents per share, compared to approximately US$19 million, or per share, in the first nine months of 2018 Diluted income is 5 cents.

The overall operating rate of Nucor's steel plant fell to 83% in the third quarter of 2019, compared with 84% in the second quarter of 2019 and 92% in the third quarter of 2018. The operating rate in the first nine months of 2019 dropped to 85%%, compared with 93% in the first nine months of 2018.

Nucor said that as of September 28, its liquidity position remains strong, with US$1.94 billion in cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, as well as an unused US$1.5 billion revolving credit line, which will not be used until 2023. Month expires.

In September 2019, Nucor’s board of directors declared a cash dividend of 40 cents per share, which was paid on November 8 to shareholders of record as of September 27. The dividend is Nucor's 186th consecutive quarterly cash dividend, and the company expects to continue to maintain this record.

Unsurprisingly, the performance of the steel mills in the third quarter of 2019 was lower than that in the second quarter of 2019. In the third quarter, the plate market was weaker. Excess inventory in the entire supply chain led to continued destocking by our customers.

As the non-residential construction market conditions remain strong, the profitability of the steel products segment in the third quarter of 2019 has improved compared with the second quarter of 2019. In addition, the efficiency measures we have implemented in the steel bar manufacturing and metal construction businesses are improving the performance of these businesses.

Due to the further compression of the profit margin of Nucor's direct reduced iron (DRI) business, the operating performance of the raw material segment in the third quarter of 2019 was lower than that of the second quarter of 2019. In early September, our DRI facility in Louisiana began a planned power outage, which is expected to last until mid-November.

Nucor's earnings in the fourth quarter of 2019 are expected to decline from the third quarter of 2019. The company stated that it expects the profitability of the steel mill division to decline further in the fourth quarter of 2019 due to lower steel prices at the end of the year. We believe that the third quarter, which has bottomed out, affected our fourth quarter results. Nucor said that due to the normal year-end seasonality, the profitability of the steel products division in the fourth quarter of 2019 is expected to decline slightly from the third quarter of 2019.

Due to the impact of the planned suspension of production at our Louisiana DRI plant until mid-November, the performance of the raw materials division in the fourth quarter of 2019 is expected to be lower than that in the third quarter of 2019, and the profit margin of the entire company is expected to face further pressure. Raw material companies.

The project is called "Project Wolverine" by New Way Trucks and will initially create 100 jobs.

New Way Trucks Inc., a garbage truck manufacturer based in Scranton, Iowa, announced that it will expand its operations to include a 152,000-square-foot factory at 1 Wolverine Drive in Booneville, Mississippi. 

New Way Trucks stated that it worked closely with the Mississippi State Development Agency (MDA) to ensure the safety of this "strategic site." The project is called "Project Wolverine" by New Way Trucks and will initially create 100 jobs.

"We are very happy to work with the teams from Booneville, Prentice County and Mississippi. They have made us feel at home," New Way CEO Mike McLaughlin said in a press conference.

New Way said it plans to start operations in the next three months. Once in operation, the company will begin production of its Cobra and Viper rear loader, and other products will follow. The new manufacturing equipment is being planned to be delivered and installed at the new location.

"Our products are in great demand, and the new Mississippi plant provides strategic advantages that will benefit our customers and extensive dealer network," said Johnathon McLaughlin, executive vice president of New Way Trucks. "The fourth manufacturing plant will enable New Way to establish new industry standards for efficient and time-critical solid waste equipment delivery to meet the needs of our distributors and end users."

The site was chosen because it can meet the various needs of the company. The Booneville facility is almost ready and meets the capacity requirements with overhead cranes, lighting, and sufficient electricity. It is located on 40 acres of land and can be expanded on site if necessary. Labor availability is another decisive factor in the final decision. New Way will soon begin the recruitment process, and recruitment information will be posted on the company's website. The garbage truck manufacturer also works with local employment networks and Northeast Mississippi Community College to recruit top talent in the area.

The company stated that MDA and Mississippi have been providing support throughout the process to assist New Way Trucks in achieving its expansion goals.

"Adding New Way Trucks to the Booneville business community shows industry leaders across the country that Mississippi is a place where manufacturing companies seeking first-rate, skilled labor and a supportive business environment are expected to enjoy years of growth and success," said Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant said. "Leaders at the state and local levels are committed to strengthening communities through economic growth, as evidenced by New Way's pledge to create 100 jobs in Prentice County."

More information about the progress of the expansion will be released in the future.

The chairman of the BIR Plastics Committee stated that he believes the long-term prospects for plastic recycling are bright.

Henk Alssema of the Netherlands-based Vita Plastics and Chairman of the International Recycling Agency (BIR) Plastics Committee said that amidst worrying economic development and wider uncertainty, plastic recyclers are "increasingly louder." . Alssema made comments in an introductory statement at the committee meeting during the round table of the Bir World Recycling Conference in Budapest, Hungary, October 14-15.

Although many companies have been plagued by issues such as high inventories, Alssema insists that he is "more optimistic" about the long-term prospects of the plastic recycling industry. He said that many large companies are now adding more recycled plastics to their products, and plastic recycling technology has made progress, especially in chemical recycling.

Specially invited speaker Rob de Ruiter, a senior business developer of TNO in the Netherlands, further elaborated on some of the latest technological advances. While insisting that mechanical recycling continues to play an important role, he focuses on other options, such as solvent-based dissolution and thermochemical conversion. He said that based on the current situation, he expects pyrolysis to become "an important factor in the future."

De Ruiter highlighted the increasing involvement of major companies in the recycling sector, as evidenced by the recently announced Dow/Fuenix partnership, which covers the supply of pyrolysis oil raw materials made from recycled plastics for manufacturing New polymer.

Although some emerging recycling technologies may take many years to commercialize, de Ruiter assured the delegates: "It will take time, but it is inevitable that we are moving in this direction."

The board members of the BIR Plastics Committee also reviewed the latest key developments in their respective countries and regions. Sally Houghton of the California Plastics Recycling Company reported that a few days before the meeting, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would require the lowest post-consumer recycled content in plastic beverage containers. She described the decision as "surprising."

For the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, the report submitted by Mahmoud Al Sharif of Sharif Metals International stated that scrap prices were “good”, but demand slowed slightly.

Clément Lefebvre of Veolia Propreté France Recycling said that the market conditions are “not the best”, but he added that “good prices” are for good quality. "

Andrei Mihai Sofian of Rematholding Co. SRL in Romania said that China’s interest in Eastern European pellets has been declining and prices have been falling sharply.

Steve Wong, CEO of China Waste Plastics Association Hong Kong Fufu Co., Ltd., said that the current market conditions in Southeast Asia are "the most challenging market conditions in history." He added that profit margins have fallen, and many recycling businesses have either gone bankrupt or struggled to survive.

BIR is compiling a list of plastic recycling businesses-including machine processors and others-with the aim of sending it to the governments of all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries to help them determine which materials can be transferred to these countries Make wise decisions about those facilities. Ross Bartley, BIR's Director of Trade and Environment, called on anyone with a company listing or other related data to provide it to BIR before the October 31 deadline.