Harnessing digital technologies to advance the circular economy
Digitalization is playing an increasingly significant role in industry and is a strategic priority for Stadler. “The trajectory is clear,” explains Julia Stadler. “The future will increasingly involve harnessing machine and material data to minimize plant downtime, reduce costs for recyclers and increase process transparency, ultimately leading to a more efficient industry. At Stadler we have focused on developing and prioritizing digital solutions that deliver substantial value for our customers. We have already successfully implemented digital solutions for dynamic plant control, maintenance, and visualization of production data across various customer sites. We run an ongoing development program, testing prototypes at our Test Center and at customer facilities to ensure the efficacy and adaptability of our technologies.”
Stadler is planning to increase its investment in digital technologies in the short and medium term: “Our strategy includes the integration of digital solutions consistently into our comprehensive offering, and driving our research forward,” says Julia Stadler. “We are currently working on a new, innovative platform, Stadler Connect, which will integrate all our digital solutions to provide a cohesive and streamlined user experience. With this platform, we aim to enhance connectivity and functionality, maximizing the benefits for our customers.”
STtadler is also exploring the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the recycling industry and has already applied it to improve the recognition of materials for quality analysis, as well as in the new WireX, where it is used to identify the direction of the wires. Julia Stadler explains: “Our future plans in this area are focused on enhancing our AI-based technologies while leveraging our existing solutions. To this end, we are collaborating with a select group of start-ups working in this field.”
“This strategic partnership approach allows us to integrate cutting-edge technologies without starting from scratch, ensuring we remain at the forefront of innovation in our industry,” concludes Willi Stadler.
An industry first: the new WireX
Center stage on Stadler’s booth at IFAT was a holographic display of its latest innovation, the WireX an automated dewiring unit for bales. At the press conference, Rok Mežič, Head of Development at Stadler, explained how this machine is capable of dewiring crosswired bales in a single pass - an industry first: “The WireX uses specially designed wire detection and bale measurement systems, which rely on AI and sensor technology to determine if the bale is single- or double-wired and to position it precisely to remove the wire efficiently in one pass. This fully automates and speeds up the dewiring process, achieving an outstanding capacity of up to 60 bales/h (single-wired). The WireX is fast, efficient and safe, and significantly increases the capacity of the sorting line.”
