Fewer emissions thanks to aluminum briquettes

The production of lightweight components for car bodies produces aluminum chips which are difficult to transport and recycle due to their high volume. To minimize transport costs and efficiently return the waste to the production cycle, our colleagues at thyssenkrupp Automotive Technology use an aluminum briquetting system.

In 2020 alone, the production of lightweight body parts for the automotive industry produced around 263 tons of aluminum chips. Wherever aluminum is machined, the chips are unavoidable. As a rule, the fine aluminum residues are disposed of in large skips. Due to their large surface area, the chips have a high volume but a low density. Consequently, the disposal of one ton of aluminum requires one whole truck. Accordingly, in 2020 around 263 trucks were on the road for the disposal of production waste - a considerable transport effort that is neither economical nor environmentally friendly.

Briquetting for improved sustainability

To minimize emissions, and logistical effort, the thyssenkrupp Automotive Technology colleagues, therefore, decided to integrate briquetting systems into the production cycle. Briquetting the aluminum residues makes it possible to reduce the volume of the swarf by 80%. Instead of just one ton of aluminum per trip, the low volume means that trucks can be loaded to the limit. Additionally, 500km of forklift traffic can be saved within the plants.

This not only saves emissions but also makes the material cycle much more efficient. Due to the smaller surface area of the aluminum chips they have a lower oxidation rate and canbe better recycled. The result: an increase in the value of the material and improved sustainability.

The material cycle closes

After briquetting, the aluminum briquettes are weighed and delivered back to the supplier from whom the raw material also comes. There they are returned to the process and recycled, thus closing the material cycle. As a result, the briquetting systems lead to significantly lower administrative costs and also allow the disposal quantities to be determined precisely.

The integration of the briquetting plants is not only a good thing in terms of the material cycle. You save 200 truck trips per year, 500km of forklift traffic, and thus a lot of time, money, and emissions.