Every year, the doors open to Ecomondo, an international exhibition held at the Rimini Fair. The exhibition brings together all sectors of the circular economy in one space, from the recovery of materials and energy to sustainable development. Within that, naturally, are companies working in the field of demolition, all showcasing products that in one way or another are aimed at contributing to a more sustainable workflow. This year’s edition, which was held from 8 to 11 November, was actually the 25th since its inauguration and had as many as 1,400 exhibitor brands filling the exhibition space of 130,000m2. This year, Ecomondo also saw an increase in attendance by 41% compared to 2021 and 15% compared to the record edition of 2019. Ecomondo also doubled its foreign attendance, with visitors from up to 90 countries, thanks to its internationalisation policy launched by organisers, the Italian Exhibition Group. A second show, the Key Energy Show, was held concurrently with Ecomondo.

‘Eagle III’ from Mantovanibenne

One of the exhibitors at Ecomondo was Mantovanibenne, which introduced the third generation of its ‘Eagle’ shear line, which is mainly aimed at the recycling sector. It received its premiere at Ifat and its construction sector premiere at bauma. It is available in the 2.5t to 22t class, and was developed with the goal of reducing maintenance and downtime, with the heavy duty pivot components contributing to durability and long life through the addition of an easily removable central pin on the shear. The new line offers a smaller frame, and the centre of gravity has been moved to the rear which enhances stability, according to Mantovanibenne. It features a redesigned bolt on piercing tip made of alloy steel, and the guide system is integrated inside the frame. The new design of the jaws provides up to a 9% larger opening. The lower and upper jaw are cut with a high pressure water jet from 160mm thick Hardox steel plates and then milled, to avoid possible weakening due to high temperatures. The upper jaw is made from a single element without welding and is equipped with a new type of exchangeable piercing tip and a single integrated guide puck allows the upper jaw to use 100% of the cutting capacity, even at difficult angles, according to Mantovanibenne. The most heavily used parts are armoured with interchangeable Hardox 500 steel plates installed on the jaw profiles to avoid frequent maintenance operations, with the armouring allowing the shear to resist impact without altering the structure. Mantovanibenne  states that the cylinder is inverted to protect the rod inside, and the enlarged bore develops more power by accelerating the cycles (opening and closing speed), with the shear also being equipped with seals that can last up to 3,000h.

Simex releases the ‘Art 1000’

Simex has now introduced its Art 1000, a patented technology development for the onsite regeneration of damaged asphalt (‘Art’ standing for ‘Asphalt Repair Technology’). It is designed to be used for the restoration of road surfaces to a depth varying between 30mm and 10mm. The technology does not require milled material to be removed or virgin hot mix asphalt to be added, instead it is able to use existing material available on site. According to Simex, it also ensures that the asphalt will last for a reasonable amount of time to allow local authorities to plan road maintenance. During the milling stage, Simex uses an environmentally friendly chemical admixture for the cold regeneration of the mix produced. By drawing on the self-levelling milling technique of ‘PL’ cold planers, the new equipment consists of two drums; the first for milling and mixing, the second for crushing and desegregation. It also features an integrated 85l tank containing the rejuvenator, an electric pump and nebulizers, and a detection wheel that ensures the correct dosage of additive, proportional to the speed of the carrier and the set working depth. The rehabilitation work consists of three steps: milling and regeneration, mixing, and compaction. The Art takes care of the first two steps, while the third is determined by the compaction tool supplied to the operator. Art 1000 is Simex’ most important product shown at Ecomondo and this was the first time it was shown in Italy. It had its premiere at bauma. Simex’ stand also featured the ‘CBA’ asphalt granulator bucket, designed for the volumetric reduction of asphalt slabs to a certifiable grain size, thanks to the configurable rear grid, as well as the ‘VSE’ screening buckets, designed for separating different sized materials on the worksite.

Hammel’s VB 750 DK ‘long version’ now standard

At the previous Ecomondo, Hammel introduced their VB 750 DK long version prototype primary shredder, with a discharge height of 4,600mm and belt width of 1,400mm and dimensions of 12m x 2.5m x 4.6m. This year, Hammel announced that the long version has become the standard version, and that it has undergone shaft improvements as well as a higher magnetic position for improved metal separation. Through the lightweight construction of the neodymium magnet, the machine's overall weight remains the same as the previous shredder model. The newly designed conveyor achieves a discharge height of approximately 4,600mm. Hammel states that this enables both the formation of large volume material heaps with the end product transferring directly to containers or trucks. The shaft length is 2,000mm and the shaft diameter is 650mm, with the model weighing approximately 23t and requires no special permits. It is suitable for domestic waste, bulky waste and metal, to name but a few applications, and features a Cat C9.3 Stage V 380hp diesel engine. It has recently been used in projects in Eastern Europe, and just four weeks before Ecomondo, it was installed in a project in Bulgaria.

Other products at Ecomondo

Arjes’ ‘Impaktor’ 250 E-PU, a stationary electric version of its double shaft shredder, was also exhibited at the show. The two shredder components, the shredding unit and the control unit, can be integrated into existing recycling plants or used as an individual machine. Construction and demolition waste can be processed for the extraction of secondary raw materials, with the shredder creating the basis for these recycled materials.

Zato also exhibited at Ecomondo, highlighting one of the company’s latest developments, the new headquarters for Zato North America, located in Atlanta, Georgia. Zato has also implemented remote assistance for the twin shaft industrial pre-shredder ‘Blue Storm GF1000’, and offers service worldwide. The model is designed to handle light ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, and features shafts with differentiated speeds.

At Idrobase’s booth it was possible to see the mobile fog maker cannon ‘Elefante 90’, developed for dust and odour suppression. It is the largest machine from the company and it is characterised by its 90m fan jet and 50l/min maximum flow rate. The model nebulizes droplets of 18/20 microns, agglomerating fine dust such as PM10 and PM2.5 thanks to 135 nozzles with a pressure of 90bar. It also features pneumatic wheels for easy movement.

Avant Tecno showed its multifunctional wheel loader Avant 860i with a Stage V engine, 1,900kg lift capacity, 57hp diesel engine, 3.5m lift height and 30km/h speed. Brokk and Aquajet were also present, with Brokk highlighting a Brokk 110 with a ‘Flashcut’ rock saw from Austramac. The latest news from Aquajet include the ‘Aqua Cutter’ 750V, which was presented at bauma, as well as the Aqua Cutter 710V ‘Evolution’ 2.0, a robot featuring a new hoist and 3D positioning, tower system and quick connection at the front. VTN Europe highlighted its mobile scrap shear series ‘CI_R’ which features interchangeable and reversible cutting blades and hydraulics that are easily accessible through bolted hatches. It comes with a reinforced body with there being 13 sizes available in the series.

Ecomondo will be back in Rimini from 7 to 10 November 2023. It is preceded by the first edition of K.EY The Renewable Energy Expo. This is a Key Energy spin off that will become autonomous with double the space and is set to occur from 22 to 24 March 2023.