San Leandro, USA | Aluminum Chip Briquetting Line | Pre-Sales Site Assessment | ENERPAT

1. On-Site Visit to Assess Aluminum Chip Recycling Requirements

On November 6, 2026, ENERPAT's sales representative traveled from the company's Ohio facility to San Leandro, California, for an on-site visit to a metal recycling operation in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The visit focused on assessing the customer's aluminum machining scrap, understanding existing material handling practices, and discussing a complete shredding, separation and briquetting solution within the Metal Chips Recycling System.

The customer operates multiple industrial facilities across Northern California and handles a variety of ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap. With increasing volumes of aluminum machining chips collected from local machine shops, the customer is evaluating additional processing equipment to improve material quality, handling efficiency and recycling value.

During the visit, ENERPAT's representative inspected the production facilities, reviewed the actual material conditions and introduced the company's manufacturing capabilities, engineering services and North American support network.

2. Aluminum Chip Recycling: Customer Requirements

Current Material Handling Challenges

The customer currently collects approximately 500 metric tons of aluminum machining chips per month from local machine shops.

These materials are sold in their original loose form without further processing. However, the customer is now considering investing in an integrated aluminum chip recycling line to improve the value of the recovered material.

Several operational requirements were identified:

• Coolant and moisture reduction: Remove residual cutting fluids from aluminum chips to improve the quality of the recovered material before shipment to aluminum smelters.

• Cleaner material handling: Reduce loose chips scattered around the processing area and improve overall plant cleanliness.

• Ferrous contamination removal: Separate steel chips mixed into the aluminum scrap before briquetting.

• Higher material density: Compress processed aluminum chips into dense briquettes for easier storage, transportation and downstream smelting.

• Future processing capacity: Accommodate the current monthly material volume while allowing room for future business expansion.

The customer's primary objective is to produce cleaner, denser aluminum briquettes suitable for sale to domestic and international aluminum smelters.

3. ENERPAT Aluminum Chip Shredding, Separation and Briquetting Solution

Following the site inspection and technical discussion, ENERPAT introduced an integrated aluminum chip processing line featuring a single-shaft metal chip shredder, magnetic separation equipment, material conveying systems and a hydraulic metal chip briquetting press.

The proposed system is designed around an approximately 5-ton-per-hour processing capacity.

Proposed Equipment Configuration

1. Feeding Conveyor

Transfers loose aluminum chips into the primary shredding stage, providing a continuous material feed.

2. MSA-F1500 Single-Shaft Metal Shredder – 110 kW

Reduces bulky and tangled aluminum turnings into smaller, more manageable pieces, preparing the material for downstream separation and briquetting.

3. Metal Chip Conveyors and 6 m³ Storage Hopper

Convey the shredded material between processing stages and provide temporary storage to support a more consistent material flow.

4. Vibratory Separation Table and Magnetic Drum Separator

The vibratory separation table distributes and spreads the material for more effective separation.

The magnetic drum separator removes ferrous contaminants, including mixed steel chips, from the aluminum material stream before briquetting.

5. Separate Discharge Conveyors for Ferrous and Aluminum Materials

Dedicated conveyors collect and transfer the separated steel chips and aluminum chips into their respective handling stages, preventing unnecessary mixing.

6. 6 m³ Aluminum Chip Storage Hopper and Transfer Conveyor

Provides intermediate material storage and controlled feeding to the weighing and briquetting section.

7. Weigh Belt Conveyor

Measures the material flow before it enters the briquetting machine, supporting production monitoring and material handling management.

8. BM-12531 Metal Chip Briquetting Press

The hydraulic metal chip briquetting press compresses processed aluminum chips into dense briquettes.

Briquetting reduces the loose volume of machining scrap, improves storage and transportation efficiency, and helps prepare the material for downstream aluminum recycling and smelting.

9. Discharge Conveyor and Centralized Coolant Collection System

The discharge conveyor transfers finished aluminum briquettes for collection and handling.

A centralized coolant collection system gathers liquids separated during processing, supporting cleaner operations and more effective fluid management.

Integrated Processing Line

The proposed aluminum chip recycling process combines:

Aluminum Chip Feeding → Single-Shaft Shredding → Material Conveying → Vibratory Separation → Magnetic Separation → Ferrous and Aluminum Discharge → Material Storage → Weighing → Hydraulic Briquetting → Finished Briquette Discharge.

The final equipment arrangement, electrical requirements, motor specifications and plant layout will be confirmed through detailed engineering.

4. ENERPAT North American Service and Technical Support

For customers investing in large-scale metal recycling equipment, local technical support and spare parts availability are important considerations.

During the visit, ENERPAT introduced its North American operational capabilities, including its Ohio facility and Los Angeles warehouse.

The proposed project includes technical support throughout the equipment delivery and commissioning process:

• Engineering and system design: Customized equipment configuration, production line layout and technical specifications.

• Installation and commissioning: On-site installation, system commissioning and operational training.

• Spare parts support: A recommended spare parts package for initial operation, with additional parts support through ENERPAT's Los Angeles warehouse.

• Local technical assistance: Access to North American engineering and service resources.

These capabilities help customers evaluate not only the performance of an aluminum chip briquetting machine, but also the long-term support available for an integrated recycling system.

5. Additional Project: Brass Scrap Shredding and Separation

In addition to the aluminum chip briquetting project, the customer expressed interest in processing brass scrap.

The requested solution will require further investigation into the material's physical characteristics, particle size and composition.

ENERPAT will arrange material testing using comparable brass scrap at its facility.

The next technical evaluation will include:

• Brass scrap material testing.

• Processing video documentation.

• Test results and material condition assessment.

• Recommended shredding and separation equipment configuration.

Based on the test results, ENERPAT will develop a suitable brass scrap recycling solution according to the customer's actual processing requirements.

6. Project Follow-Up and Next Steps

Following the site assessment, ENERPAT will prioritize the following actions:

Aluminum Chip Briquetting Line

1. Finalize the complete equipment list and technical specifications.

2. Prepare the overall production line layout.

3. Confirm individual equipment dimensions, motor power and electrical requirements.

4. Review the material conveying and storage arrangements.

5. Submit the complete technical proposal for the customer's evaluation.

6. Arrange a follow-up meeting to explain the proposed configuration and engineering details.

Brass Scrap Recycling Project

1. Identify suitable brass scrap samples for testing.

2. Arrange a material testing procedure.

3. Record the testing process and results.

4. Submit a testing report and processing video.

5. Recommend a suitable brass shredding and separation solution.

With the initial site assessment completed and the customer ready to proceed with the technical evaluation, ENERPAT will continue working closely with the customer to advance both recycling projects.