Editorial. Lindner News. Valued customers,

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1 Editorial Lindner News Fakuma Micromat HP 3 Circular Economy A Golden Opportunity 4 Case Studies Winco Plastics 5 CeDo Recycling 6 Valued customers, welcome to the winter edition of our Transform newsletter concluding an eventful and successful year for Lindner. A definite highlight was the inauguration of our new production facility in Feistritz/Drau, making our manufacturing processes ever more efficient and flexible. At the same time, it is testament to our company s positive financial development has been the best-selling year in our company s history with double-digit growth rates. Ultimately, it is you, valued customers, who have made it possible by continuously putting your trust in us. We truly appreciate it. The newsletter focuses this time on plastics recycling and the recent developments in the sector, which are closely linked to China s decision to dramatically curb the import of plastic waste. A lack of impulses from the political landscape reinforce the resulting uncertainty. Our examples show how companies can take advantage of this situation be it by supplying high-quality recyclates selling at great prices, or by handling the processing and selling of their granules themselves. And these examples underline the fact that we, with our extensive experience in the industry and tailor-made shredders, washers and dryers, with individual components or complete turnkey lines, are a partner to trust. These contributions also document our increasing internationality. We operate bases in Germany, the United States and Singapore, and will continue to expand our global presence, focusing on Latin America and Asia. And we are already looking forward to opening our new headquarters in North Carolina/USA next year, when we celebrate our 70th anniversary, and creating ample space there for the presentation, preparation and repair of our machines. But first of all, we wish you a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year. DI Manuel Lindner Mag. Michael Lackner

2 LINDNER NEWS FAKUMA 2017: SOUGHT-AFTER SHREDDING SYSTEMS BY LINDNER Plastics recycling is gaining momentum. Lindner presented their innovative shredding and washing systems at this year s trade fair for industrial plastics processing in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Fakuma, previously a German specialist injection moulding fair, has developed into an international plastics exhibition. For the fair s 25th anniversary, 1,889 companies presented their products and services in an 85,000-square-metre exhibition space in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance from 17th to 21st October Many of the 48,375 who visited Fakuma from all over the world over those 5 days were not only interested in the latest moulding injection innovations but also in plastics recycling systems, as Marcel Willberg, Export Sales Manager at Lindner washtech (headquartered in Germany), noted: The topic of plastics recycling is gaining momentum. There were more providers from the industry at the fair, attracting more customers who are interested in plastics recycling. What the market wants The high number of visitors was surprising. An Apollo 1000, a stationary universal shredder that reduces various types of product waste to a defined granulate size, was displayed at the Linder stand. In addition to the usual visitors from Austria, Switzerland and Germany, the Lindner team found that numerous potential customers from Eastern Europe also flocked to the stand. Many leads were registered and machines were sold directly to Germany and Eastern Europe; one Antares 1300 universal shredder was even bought by a customer from Israel. Harald Hoffmann, Sales Director Plastics Division, welcomes the strong international demand for Linder processing systems: Since the market for exporting plastics waste to China has as good as ground to a halt, the market is looking for new, innovative plastics recycling solutions. As a manufacturer of shredding technology, Linder has also proved successful on this market in recent years as a provider of efficient and compact plastics washing solutions. Clean, high-quality, sorted recyclates allowing for better marketability that is our goal.

3 LINDNER NEWS MICROMAT HP: HIGH-PERFORMANCE SHREDDING FOR PLASTICS AND OTHER WASTE With the shredder series Micromat HP HP stands for High Performance Lindner-Recyclingtech has added extremely efficient machines to their range of universal shredders for processing plastics and other waste. While the machine sizes and technology are the same as in the tried-and-tested Micromat 2000 and 2500 systems, increases in output of up to 30% are now a reality. Just like the present single-shaft shredders of the same type, the new versions can be flexibly configured to any desired purpose and boast a low-energy design with minimal maintenance requirements. Ambitious European targets for sustainability, climate and environmental protection will require recycling companies to increase their production capacities among other things. The recycling rate for plastic packaging, for example, is scheduled to reach at least 80% and the waste produced by the lightweight plastic-processing industry will increase significantly. For this reason, many recycling companies and producers of secondary raw materials who are adapting to this dynamic development are already searching for shredding systems that ensure more output without consuming any more space. With the higher performance of the Micromat HP series, Lindner can now meet all these requirements. To achieve this progress, Lindner re-designed the rotor geometry to allow the knives to be used more efficiently per rotation. The optimised Siemens control unit also contributes towards this goal, meaning that now more than ever before the new Micromat HP is an ideal choice for customers who want an emely cost-efficient and productive means to shred plastic waste and all other kinds of municipal, industrial and commercial waste to an exact, pre-defined grain size. As with all Lindner models, the knives can be replaced with minimal effort which keeps maintenance downtimes short. Furthermore, the rotor cooling contributes to optimised material processing, making the operation very cost-effective. Depending on the size and customer requirements, the robust and versatile Micromat single-shaft shredders from Lindner can come with a 132 or 160 kw motor driving the rotor with a speed of 105 RPM. Thanks to the superbly executed gearbox and the connected safety clutch, damage to the machine caused by foreign objects and obstructions can be avoided meaning no more long machine downtimes. The hydraulically operated maintenance door makes it possible to quickly remove foreign objects and comfortably access the rotor. Additionally, the internal pusher system ensures efficient material feeding.

4 CIRCULAR ECONOMY CIRCULAR ECONOMY A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY, NOT JUST AN OBLIGATION The Circular Economy is a prominent theme among producers, processors, users and recyclers of plastics, especially in the multifaceted field of packaging. We all know about its significance for the environment and people alike. However, many of those involved have lacked the drive to implement the necessary measures because ultimately it has to be a worthwhile investment, and these days that is often not the case if the state does not take accompanying supporting measures. This could change in the foreseeable future, as international developments and EU regulations set clear goals that not only benefit the environment but also open up attractive opportunities for recyclers. What is decisive here is the word all, which, as always with absolute concepts, represents an ideal that cannot be realistically attained however, it is an ideal that the entire chain must come much closer to realising in the future than it is today. The necessary pressure is currently coming from China and the EU. China and the EU are forcing us to think again In the past, it was possible to conveniently sell substantial amounts of plastic waste such as films and mixed plastics to China. As part of the National Sword campaign against importing untreated waste, China is putting an end to this practice as of the end of this year. For many waste management companies here in Europe as well as e.g. in the USA or Japan, this is a real challenge and they are having to rethink their business models. Moving away from disposal and towards recovering more materials is also the EU Commission s declared objective, which sets ambitious goals for material recycling. As things stand at present, it aims to achieve a 55% recycling rate for plastic packaging by In comparison, the current (2014) recycling rate for plastics packaging waste in Europe is around 28%. More supply means more opportunities China s initiative will increase the supply of recyclable waste plastics in this country, which in turn will depress the achievable prices. This development is rather counterproductive for the EU s goal of increasing the recycling rate. But as there are two sides to every coin, qualified recycling companies will be on the winning side of this development in the long term. They will face a growing supply of waste plastics, enabling them to raise their own standards. In other words, they will be able to impose higher quality requirements on the input material, thereby reducing its sorting and processing costs and ultimately offering the market larger quantities of higher quality recyclates at better prices. In this regard, the expected initiatives of the packaging industry and major brands to promote recyclable designs will also be beneficial, as will intensified efforts in collection logistics to enable improved waste sorting. The bottom line is that the future holds attractive opportunities for plastics recyclers. The development is foreseeable and its consequences will soon be felt. This means that those waste management companies that want to take advantage of these opportunities in the future already have their programme laid out for them. Only those who check the efficiency of their plants today and, if necessary, bring them up to par will be able to cost-effectively produce high-quality, marketable output in sufficient quantities tomorrow. And those companies that have sufficient space to not only modernise but also expand their facilities will be able to benefit fully from the growing supply of input material and hence increase their market share.

5 CASE STUDY RECYCLING ALL KINDS OF PLASTIC WASTE: LINDNER S TAILOR-MADE RE-GRINDING LINE BOOSTS OUTPUT AND GROWTH FOR WINCO PLASTICS Winco Plastics, North Aurora, IL/USA, a subdivision of Winco Trading (is one of the largest full service plastic recycling companies in the Midwest with 30 years experience. After purchasing a Lindner re-grinding line including a Micromat 2500 pre-shredding system and an LG grinder, Winco have significantly increased their plastics waste handling capacity, making them one of the fastest growing companies in their sector in The range of rigid materials fed into their Lindner system includes HDPE pipes of any size and thickness, HDPE sheets, PE and PP purge, and PC sheet as well as PET, mainly from post-industrial sources such as automotive and others. Tim Martin, President of Winco Plastics, confirms an output of 1800 kg to 2700 kg of regrind material per hour, ready for sale to the company s clients for further processing in the recycling loop. One major reason for our decision to purchase Lindner s re-grinding line was its ability to handle the wide variety of size, weight and form of the expected input material coming from different suppliers, he says. We were happy to see that Lindner s re-grind line is designed to shred heavy parts including pipes up to 2,5 m long, purges and logs up to Gaylord size as well as light material which can be directly ground without a pre-shredding process. What convinced us even more was that all of this is backed by a high level of sustainability, particularly low power consumption, as well as low-maintenance operation with virtually no rotor wear and a maintenance-friendly layout thanks to the specially designed maintenance flap, which makes cleaning and maintenance very easy and convenient without requiring staff to climb inside the hopper. We believed that at the end of the day this combination of plus points would pave the way to a highly cost efficient recycling process. Lindner Recyclingtech America LLC, the US branch of Austrian company Lindner Recyclingtech, offered Winco a tailor-made re-grinding line which exactly met their specific needs. In a first step the delivered plastic waste is transferred to a heavy duty feeding belt conveyor, designed to handle all kinds of material loaded by forklift or Gaylord dumper, followed by a 180 HP Micromat This high performance single-shaft shredder is equipped with a customized (higher) internal ram enabling high throughput of all input materials as well as a new overlapping rotor (length 2500 mm) to avoid bridging of material between ram and rotor during the shredding process. The rotor carries fourfold reversible 43 mm x 43 mm Monofix knives which further assist high productivity operation whilst

6 CASE STUDY at the same time facilitating cutting blade replacement and maintenance. The pre-shredded material is discharged from the Micromat by two successive belt conveyors, one of them equipped with a Gaylord dumper for handling any scrap suitable for direct feed into the downstream LG grinder without prior pre-shredding. This universal heavy duty Lindner grinder is equipped with a large feed opening and a 2500 mm long rotor with a diameter of 635 mm, carrying 7 knives and 2 counter knives, making it a first choice for recovering heavy and bulky rigid scrap as well as for second step grinding of pre-shredded material with high output rates. As Tomas Kepka, Sales Director Plastics Division Lindner Recyclingtech America LLC, recalls: An initial challenge was to provide a system which would completely fit into the customer s limited shredding area. Thanks to compact design of Lindner s systems, the complete regrind line could be installed on just 110 m², leaving plenty of space for operation and maintenance. And he also highlights the uncompromisingly safe and secure operation of the system in spite of the partly undefined input material. Being basically very sensitive to any contamination, the Lindner system is equipped with dual protection technology including a safety clutch on the Micromat 2500 shredder and a metal detector installed on the feeding conveyor into the LG grinder. In addition, the rotor is protected by a highly effective hard coat to extend lifetime when shredding abrasive material. And Martin sums up: We chose Lindner for our shredding line because of their engineering knowledge and long experience in the plastics recycling industry. They had several references worldwide showing them to be a reliable partner for customized shredding projects. Their systems are heavy duty, which is an absolute necessity for our daily operations. Lindner s experienced project team was very helpful from day one and they were able to supply a full shredding line including complete control, installation and electrical work to ensure the line would be operational in a timely manner. With hindsight, our decision to accept Lindner s offer was absolutely correct. The complete system went into operation in March 2016 after a lead time of only 4 months. Its energy consumption is even lower than expected and its performance is outstanding!

7 CASE STUDY CIRCULAR ECONOMY: CEDO GIVES PLASTICS A GENUINE SECOND CHANCE Blow-moulded films are highly demanding products, and consequently the use of recycled material in their production represents a major challenge. Impurities in the feed material necessarily lead to production faults that can range from specks and minor defects in the tubular film through to production stoppages. Nevertheless, the CeDo Group, which is based in the English town of Telford and is regarded as one of the European market leaders for bin liners and garbage bags, uses exclusively recycled material in its blown film extrusion lines. It does this out of conviction: We give the plastics a genuine second chance, says Ton Emans, Managing Director of the recycling division at the Dutch site of Geleen. It only really functions so well because we know exactly how plastics have to be prepared for processing. The key to success is the correct washing technology, which is why CeDo Recycling recently purchased a complete washing line from specialists Lindner washtech GmbH from Großbottwar in Germany. The Lindner Group specialises in the machine technology for the processing of plastic waste including size reduction, sorting, washing and finally drying. All the components in the chain are tailored to one another and coordinated to the needs of each customer. Precisely for machines that run continuously 24/7, customers need a competent contact partner for the entire process. This is one of Lindner s key strengths. Particularly for film waste as is processed here at CeDo Recycling, an efficient centralised control of the overall plant is also key to economic efficiency, says Harald Hoffmann, Sales Director Lindner Plastics Division, talking from experience. All the components of the facility can be controlled via a central touch display, and can even be monitored by means of a mobile phone or notebook. Apart from that, our service engineers in charge of remote maintenance have access to the control system at all times and can optimise the plant to the benefit of the customer, says Hoffmann, who also emphasises that the control unit developed by Lindner is quite unique in terms of its ease of operation. Bin bag production instead of downcycling With its special service concept and overall machine performance, Lindner was able to fully convince the customer that it was the right partner. CeDo Recycling is the first company to deploy the Rafter pre-washing unit showcased by Lindner at K This is absolutely typical of recycling pioneer CeDo, which frequently opts for innovations. When it was founded around 40 years ago, the company was one of the first to operate a PET recycling facility and it was also the first company, a few years later, to use a friction washing machine for treating post-consumer waste and was also, in turn, the first to opt for the NIR technology for sorting the residual materials. We are pioneers when it comes to plastics recycling and above all as regards the quality of the produced regrind material, and we want to keep it that way, says Ton Emans, who is very proud indeed of his team of 54 employees who, just like him, are 100 % behind this common interest. Without such a committed team, we could not do such good work, he says, and continues: Our joint aim is to protect the en-

8 CASE STUDY vironment and to make good use of existing resources. And for this, they have also chosen the most difficult fraction of residual materials: Film residues from the DSD fraction 310, which were initially downcycled or incinerated. CeDo Recycling has shown that the in some cases heavily contaminated post-consumer film waste can be turned back into film, in this case for the production of bin liners and garbage bags on blown film lines. In our production plants in Poland and England, we produce a variety of different film sizes for a very wide range of bags, with which we supply 30 major retailers in Europe. The product spectrum also includes bin bags from recycled material produced from extruded blown film with a thickness of 22 µm, says the Production Manager of the recycling company, Peter Vranken, not without a certain amount of pride. These garbage bags have the lowest CO2 footprint that is currently available. Rapid installation of the overall solution In order to attain the high output quality needed for blown film extrusion, the CeDo Group s recycling plant in Geleen operates various washing units, the youngest of which was engineered and installed by Lindner washtech. This was done within a very short time window defined by the customer and with a limited amount of space. We had very precise idea of the new plant, which not only had to be perfectly integrated into our existing infrastructures, but also had to be ready for use within the shortest possible time, admits Ton Emans and praises his supplier: Lindner washtech proved to be a very reliable and punctual partner, who satisfied our demands completely. Peter Vranken adds: We are very pleased indeed with the present solution and are convinced that this is a washing unit equipped with the most sophisticated technology on the market. The starting element of the overall unit is a chain-type conveyor that picks up the supplied film bales and conveys them to the pre-shredder, a Jupiter Here, a rotor with 145 x 145 mm blades opens the bales and undertakes an initial shredding to produce pieces of film as uniform as possible with a size of around DIN A4. The material is then taken to an 80 m3 material bunker in order to ensure a constant material flow for the subsequent NIR sorting. Via a ballistic screen, fines smaller than 30 mm are separated off, and the pre-shredded films are then conveyed through two NIR sorting stations, where the LDPE films are, in the first step, sorted positively and in the second step, negatively. This results in 99 % purity of the necessary material fraction, which will later guarantee the high quality of the CeDo products, says Peter Vranken. The sorted fraction is then taken to the Komet 2800 single-shaft shredder, which, with a throughput of 6 t/h, reduces the pieces of film to smaller particles with a size of around 30 mm in a single step. Characteristic of the Komet are its rugged and low-maintenance work mode and its individual adjustability. The counter-knives, which can be adjusted easily and quickly, ensure precise cutting and, like the rotor blades, are readily accessible thanks to the famous Lindner maintenance flap. All in all, it is a very economical solution, particularly as no downstream cutting mill is required, thus saving further costs and space. Rafter ensures high economic efficiency After the shredding, the film flakes are conveyed to the Rafter. This latest new development from Lindner washtech works with an innovative concept in which the material does not as is usually the case float on the water but is effectively cleaned under water. The unwanted substances and the particles adhering to the plastic that are heavier than LDPE sink in the washing zone and are directly separated off, explains Harald Hoffmann. The advantage is that these separated solid materials are eliminated during the first processing step and do not have to be separated off in a complicated procedure during water treatment. Every hour, around 100 kg of contaminants and particles adhering to the plastic like sand are separated off in the Rafter. The washing process in the Rafter is not only highly effective, it is also, because of the gentle process, not subject to disruption and wear and tear, which in turn benefits the overall efficiency of the unit. After a friction washer and the graviter, in which the separation is made by density, the material flow is split up into two lines and taken to the mechanical dryers. This is where the final cleaning e.g. to eliminate paper residues and subsequent thermal drying to approx. 6 % residual moisture takes place. The cleaned material is then conveyed to silos where it is homogenised and is thus ready for re-extrusion. CeDo processes more than 100,000 tons a year into film for bin liners and garbage bags. Around a third of its input material for this is produced by the company itself in its modern and economical washing and processing plants. It goes without saying that the quality must be absolutely right.