Starting with Panizzolo: new solutions for metal processing

In metal recycling, not every company starts from the same point. Materials, processing volumes, production goals and investment capacity all vary. This means that starting or expanding a processing operation does not necessarily require a complex plant from day one. This understanding led us to develop a new generation of Panizzolo machines: more essential and accessible solutions, designed to provide technology that is proportionate to actual processing needs.

A more essential approach, fully industrial

The new Compakt, PreRefine and Industry series share a clear principle: compact design, fast installation, easy integration and a more accessible investment make it possible to focus the technology on what the process actually needs. This design choice does not change the industrial nature of the machines. Panizzolo know-how and manufacturing standards remain at the core of the range, with the same focus on reliability and operational continuity.

This new approach is also reflected in the machines’ visual identity. For Compakt, PreRefine and Industry, we selected a dedicated colour that sets them apart from the traditional Panizzolo range, making the new series immediately recognisable and giving them a distinctive identity within our offering.

Simplicity is the real innovation

Designing a more essential machine may seem simpler. In reality, reducing complexity means looking even more carefully at every element, distinguishing what is essential from what can be simplified without compromising the final result.

As Mauro Panizzolo, Owner & Sales Manager, explains, this challenge required a clear project vision and constant dialogue between the different areas of expertise involved.

“From the beginning, we were clear about the kind of response we wanted to bring to the market: more essential machines, with a more accessible investment, without giving up the aspects that are fundamental to us. This direction led to very concrete, coordinated work across the different departments. Every choice was analysed and shared to find the right balance between simplicity, performance and investment. This approach guided every stage of development, from design and industrialisation through to operation, maintenance and integration into our customers’ processes.”

The result is not a scaled-down version of our traditional ranges, but a new generation of machines developed around different needs. More immediate and focused solutions, where essential design is not a compromise but a deliberate engineering choice.

Who are the new series designed for?

Compakt, PreRefine and Industry were developed to address different processing needs. The new series can be a solution for:

• starting a first processing operation with a lower initial investment;
• bringing a specific process in-house and increasing the opportunities to recover value from materials;
• adding a new processing stage to an existing plant;
• expanding the range of scrap materials processed by introducing new processing capabilities.

What materials can they process?

Depending on the series, model and configuration, the new technologies can process a wide range of scrap materials, including:

• electric motors and transformers;
• WEEE components and materials;
• WEEE fluff;
• radiators;
• aluminium housings and scrap;
• mixed ferrous and non-ferrous metals;
• medium- and small-sized metal scrap.

From small volumes to continuous industrial processing, the three series make it possible to select technology that matches the material, volumes and processing goals, while keeping the solution proportionate to the actual needs of the process.

Compakt: start recovering value even from small volumes

The Compakt series is designed to make metal recovery accessible even to companies processing smaller volumes of scrap. Compact and based on a plug-and-play concept, it can be installed quickly and easily integrated into different operating environments, either as a company’s first processing system or as a dedicated unit within a more structured process.

The Compakt 240 hammer mill, with 7.5 kW installed power and a processing capacity of up to 150 kg/h, is designed to process different types of scrap, including small electric motors, transformers, radiators, WEEE components and mixed metals. The available configurations also allow the machine to be adapted to the material and processing requirements. The series is also built around a clear economic principle: making recovery viable even on a small scale, through an accessible investment designed for a fast return.

PreRefine: grinding and material preparation focused on quality

With the PreRefine series, the focus shifts to processing medium- and small-sized scrap and to the output quality. More specifically, the PreRefine 450 is a hammer mill developed to prepare material for subsequent recovery stages, including materials containing inert and abrasive components. Compact and robust, it is engineered and industrialised to ensure reliability and operational continuity during working cycles and, with 55 kW of power, can achieve a throughput of up to 6 t/h.

The PreRefine mill can operate either as a dedicated grinding solution or as part of more complex processes, integrating naturally with Panizzolo refining plants. It can process a wide range of materials, including mixed ferrous and non-ferrous metals, WEEE-derived materials, aluminium housings, electric motors and transformers, and WEEE fluff.

Industry: the technology you need, where you need it

The Industry series is designed for the specialised processing of specific scrap types and for applications where the material and operating objective are clearly defined. Its monobloc design combines robustness and performance in a compact structure engineered for reliability and operational continuity. In particular, the Industry 1300 hammer mill, with 315 kW of power, can achieve a throughput of up to 12 t/h.

Available with three distinct settings, the series allows processing to be optimised according to the required result. It can be used for mixed and light iron scrap, electric motors up to 15–20 kg and mixed metals, as well as for preparing WEEE fluff and WEEE for subsequent granulation stages. A focused solution that concentrates the technology on the specific process to be carried out and the result to be achieved.

An evolving range

Compakt, PreRefine and Industry share the same design direction: offering a more essential and accessible way to approach Panizzolo technology, while retaining the same know-how and manufacturing standards at their core.

Presented at the latest edition of IFAT Munich, the new series have already received positive feedback from international markets, particularly in Europe and Latin America. Just a few months after launch, this interest is an encouraging first sign for a project that is already looking ahead to its next steps.

As Mauro Panizzolo explains, work on the new range has already entered a new phase:

“We have several developments under way. New models will expand the existing series, while at the same time we are working on additional ranges and accessories that will progressively extend their application possibilities. We want to continue along this path by starting from real applications and the needs we encounter every day through our dialogue with the market.”

The result is a dynamic, evolving offering that will continue to enrich the Panizzolo range and broaden the possibilities for companies looking to start or develop a metal recovery operation.