The latest iteration of the WENDT CORPORATION Test Center is officially open for customers to test their materials, explore, and learn about the newest technologies available in the metal recycling industry. Located at the company’s headquarters in Buffalo, NY, this evolution of WENDT‘s Test Center focuses on the next generation of metal sorting technology and highlights the increasing efficiencies in processes that result in high-value outputs creating value for our customers.
WENDT‘s 2025 Demo Days event marked the grand opening of the Test Center and invited customers to experience these new technologies live and in person:
- TOMRA AUTOSORT™ PULSE (LIBS)
- MTB MaX
- DIDION Metal Polishing Drum
- TOMRA XTRACT™
- TOMRA GAINnext™
Kicking off the festivities during Demo Days, our partner MTB showcased why the MaX wire-chopping system’s innovative design offers a cost-effective solution without compromising on performance, making advanced recycling technology accessible to businesses of all sizes.
This compact, plug-and-play system is engineered to process up to one ton of cable per hour. It integrates shredding, granulation, and separation into a single, efficient unit, and its compact footprint allows for flexible integration into any operation. Attendees of Demo Days got the chance to see the variety of materials this machine can handle, from #1 copper wire to aluminum cables and more.
The second part of WENDT‘s Demo Days focused on TOMRA’s GAINnext™, XTRACT™, and brand-new AUTOSORT™ PULSE. Tom Wendt, President, said, “I believe this to be the only Test Center in North America to offer these three technologies in one location and give customers the ability to bring their materials to test for their desired outputs.”
Reflecting on past Test Centers, WENDT began offering tests using TOMRA’s FINDER technology to recover metals from shredder residue and later evolved into dry sorting using TOMRA’s XTRACT™. Now, Tom Wendt shares the motivation behind the development of today’s Test Center as, “Market dynamics and added furnace capacity here in North America for producing sheet aluminum and the desire to do that with recyclables in combination with the introduction of the AUTOSORT™ PULSE. The two are a perfect marriage, and we’re here to pull that story together.”
The WENDT and TOMRA teams demonstrated the next generation of sorting capabilities featuring AI (GAINnext™), XRay (XTRACT™), and LIBS technologies (AUTOSORT™ PULSE). Using the three machines in a combination of processes, they can effectively sort out contamination from aluminum packages and create furnace-ready commodities, helping customers grow their businesses.
To add even more value to our demonstrations, we displayed how using DIDION’s Metal Polishing Drum as a precursor to sorting can eliminate dust, surface contamination, and oxidation from metals, producing brighter, polished materials that command higher commodity premiums.
WENDT is proud to offer TOMRA’s GAINnext™ to our customers and shared a quality control demonstration during Demo Days as an addition to other metal sorting solutions, like the XTRACT™, to aid in ejecting high silicon and magnesium pieces and creating a 3X shred package. This AI-powered solution enhances aluminum recycling by accurately separating low-alloyed cast from wrought aluminum, delivering smelter-ready, premium-grade aluminum with high-purity levels.
The XTRACT™ provides sorting of low and high-density alloyed aluminum fractions using x-ray transmission. This core step in aluminum sorting showed Demo Days attendees how it can functionally eject heavy metals and inclusions to create a clean twitch product. With consistently high purity levels, the XTRACT™ is integral to any metal sorting process.
As the newest machine installed in the WENDT Test Center, demonstrations concluded by showcasing how the AUTOSORT™ PULSE can sort twitch into alloy families. Using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, the AUTOSORT™ PULSE sorts metals by chemical composition, making it the most advanced sorting technology in the aluminum market.
William Close, Business Development Manager, said, “The AUTOSORT™ PULSE is breaking new ground in that formerly, we were making high-quality concentrates, but they were just that, concentrates. With the PULSE, we’re getting down to the elemental analysis of the material, and we can create very high-grade, singulated alloys such as 6063.” He continued, “It’s an opportunity to upgrade all your materials and finally upcycle materials that were previously left in a mixed metals package and downcycled.”
The conclusion of Demo Days opens up the Test Center to private demonstrations. Interested customers are encouraged to send samples representative of their own materials to be tested and schedule time to witness the equipment in action. Materials will be tested, analyzed, and a full report of data-driven recommendations will be provided.
David Siejka, Director of Sales, sums up the importance of the WENDT Test Center: “The industry is dynamic. Having a Test Center allows us to stay on the cutting edge of what aluminum consumers want and what scrap customers are producing. It allows the processor to send us their material and prove the business case so that you have a great idea of how these pieces will fit into your process and boost the value of your scrap.”
William Close adds, ” The goal of this facility is to take the risk out of the transaction for you. It’s peace of mind for everyone involved.”
Experience the powerful sorting technologies available and see for yourself how the value of your materials can be enhanced by booking an appointment to test with us today. Email sales@wendtcorp.com or call +1 716-391-1200.
Comments are closed.