BMW implements new system at Dingolfing press shop for fully recycling aluminium sheet waste

German automaker BMW AG has reportedly invested 6.5 million euros in the technical retrofitting of its Dingolfing press shop for the implementation of a new system to accomplish the goal of fully recycling its scrap aluminium waste.

The new system enables the press shop to separate and recycle aluminium sheet waste to turn it into reusable products for the industry. It can also save CO2 emission of around 120,000 tonnes per annum.

During the production of car components in the press shop, there is always a generation of sheet metal waste, out of which the plant’s new recycling equipment automatically can separate aluminium portions by means of scrap chutes. The chutes the deposit the aluminium scraps on a trio of conveyor belts and feed into a machine that presses the scraps into cubes.

In order to develop and implement the system, BMW has teamed with Novelis, to whom the former ships the cubes and the latter then melts the cubes, combines with various other metals, and produces aluminium alloy. The alloy is then sold to Novelis’ customers, many of who operate in the automotive production sector.

Dingolfing manager Christoph Schröder said, “With the introduction of this system, we are strengthening our position as a global aluminum competence center in the company. At the same time, we take responsibility for the environment and the efficient use of raw materials in the supply chain.”