Metales Bolueta uses Steinert’s sorting and recycling technology to recycle aluminium scrap

Metales Bolueta is a non-ferrous metal business that was established in 1980. Metales Bolueta manages approximately 4000 tonnes of metal every month with the help of Steinert's flagship aluminium sorting technology at its Gatika plant. Due to increasing customer requirements, the company has made quality a primary objective, especially in the aluminium sector.

At first, the founder, Julio Marín, traded in non-ferrous metals at a site that was only 200 square metres. The business was later passed on to his three sons, who have been running it. Julio Marín continues to provide advice to them. The company is located close to Bilbao, Spain and is run by a family.

The CEO, Joseba Marín, a second-generation owner, illustrated: "Ten years ago, we were processing around 2000 tonnes of metal a month. We could see huge potential in the aluminium sector, but our customers needed aluminium with very high levels of purity for extruders and rolling mills. Our systems weren't able to cope; we needed to expand. That was when the idea for the plant in Gatika was born."

The town of Gatika, situated around 20 km from the head office, is home to a state-of-the-art plant designed and constructed by Steinert. The company has been involved in the entire project, from its inception to the commissioning and fine-tuning of the sorting systems. The layout of the plant is expertly designed, as explained by Joseba Marín.

Operational protocol in the Gatika plant:

The plant has a yard where raw materials such as mixed metals and aluminium profiles are received, pre-sorted, and pre-classified. The material is then shredded and screened to achieve homogeneous particle sizes for optimal sorting. An eddy current separator enriches non-ferrous metals, and the Steinert X-ray sorting system ensures that the plant achieves the purity of aluminium concentrate that its customers require.

Operators of aluminium smelters highly value Metales Bolueta's products due to their ability to be processed in the same way as primary goods. Customers consistently emphasize the superior quality of these products compared to others in the market.

The Gatika aluminium separation line employs advanced equipment such as the Steinert MTE electromagnetic drum, Steinert EddyC eddy current separator, Steinert MOR neodymium magnetic separator, and Steinert XSS T EVO 5.0 X-ray sorting system. These machines work seamlessly to recover non-ferrous metals like aluminium, brass, zinc, or copper.

The Steinert XSS T EVO 5.0 sorting system sorts heavy and light metals, followed by cast and wrought aluminium. The sorting of wrought aluminium is done with precision using X-ray transmission technology, ensuring an exceptionally high level of purity of up to 99.8%, meeting the needs of the market.

CEO Joseba Marín stated that while there have always been sufficient materials on the market, processors have required robust sorting systems due to the inconsistent levels of input quality. This is especially true for profiles and, to a lesser extent, taint/tabor. "Thanks to Steinert technology, we are seeing that even when using a low-quality material, we can achieve a quality product that meets the requirements of our customers," he said.

"We have a new project that will see the light of day at the start of 2024. This will involve us significantly increasing capacity again. This line will be the cherry on the cake for Gatika. I look forward to us continuing to grow with Steinert," Joseba Marín concluded.

Metales Bolueta has been operating a plant in Gatika for the past two years. Despite its relatively short period of operation, the company has already made a name for itself as a leading supplier of high-quality recycled material across the nation. Metales Bolueta has announced plans to build a parallel sorting line in early 2024 to expand its operations further.

The new line will feature another Steinert XSS T EVO 5.0 X-ray sorter and is expected to increase the company's capacity by an additional 1000 tonnes per month. This move reflects the company's commitment to growth and its focus on providing high-end services to its customers.

To learn more about the recycling sector in the aluminium industry, please have a look at AL Circle's World Recycled Aluminium Market Analysis.