Aussie metal recyclers go tech-forward with STEINERT

Scrap metal recovery and recycling in Australia is synonymous with the name Sell & Parker. Whether it’s small deliveries like small backyard clean-ups - right through to thousands of tonnes of scrap with steel, aluminium, copper, brass and stainless steel – Sell & Parker ‘get it sorted’.  This Australian-owned and operated company produces quality end-products from all grades and quantities of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals.

Luke Parker is the CEO of the family-run Sell & Parker Group. “I’m a second-generation scrap dealer. This business was founded by my father, Ross Parker, and partner, Max Sell, in 1966. Since the late 1960s, it has been 100 per cent owned by the Parker family. I joined in 1995 after earning degrees in Commerce and law (including an MBA) and gaining some external experience. I now run the business alongside my brother, Morgan, and brother-in-law, Craig.”

STEINERT, a leading provider of global material processing solutions, has worked closely with Sell & Parker over many years to help refine the development and production of scrap metal processing lines. What started with traditional magnetic separation equipment such as the STEINERT UME Suspension Magnets and STEINERT MTEs (Electromagnetic Drums) has evolved over the years to include innovative sensor sorting technologies such as the latest STEINERT KSS (combination sensor sorter) to cater for the ever-rising demand for recyclable metal products.

Reliability, trust + tech-forward thinking

Luke explains his reasons for choosing this processing equipment, “Initially, we were told by our OEM that STEINERT was the best, so we went with STEINERT, and it worked.  We’ve tried a couple of other suppliers over the years, but almost all that other equipment has been subsequently replaced with STEINERT.” 

Over the years, customer service and after-sales support have played an integral part in the long-standing relationship for Sell & Parker, where STEINERT has provided counsel and advice along the way, “We trust their advice, which is critical.”

Sell & Parker is a busy operation with much ground to cover. They operate eight large yards - with one large shredder, six static shears, two static non-ferrous balers and many pieces of ancillary mobile plant. In addition to metal recycling, they have divisions that undertake engineering, fabrication, drink container and battery recycling, and military disposals. Sell & Parker’s facilities operate right across Australia - servicing from Port Hedland in Western Australia, Darwin in the Northern Territory, plus six yards across NSW, including 3 in the Sydney Basin.

With the input streams that their facilities process, Luke explains, “Australia doesn’t have as much car or consumer goods manufacturing (as per overseas), so almost all of our scrap is post-consumer.  The shredder processes a lot of material recovered from landfills, along with some ELV (end-of-life) vehicles and peddler scrap.”  

Consistency is key - metals sorting systems that keep on ‘keeping on’

On the future of metal recycling in Australia, Luke states, “For us, it is all about efficiency and recovery, generating the most net revenue from each tonne of material we get in the gate. All our scrap is sourced from within Australia”.

The main challenge in the current metals recycling market is an oversupply of processing capacity and, therefore, strong competition for feed material. This requires streamlined performances from the Sell & Parker production lines—to be disciplined and efficient. 

The STEINERT sorting systems have achieved this positive difference over the years for Luke’s downstream processes, “We’ve found STEINERT equipment to be very reliable and consistent.  Most of the equipment is literally set and forgotten, and we don’t have many issues. The most fantastic piece of sporting equipment is no good to us if it breaks down, and this is where STEINERT shines.  We’ve got some Eddy Current Separators (STEINERT ECS) and Suspension Magnets chugging along at 100,000 hours. So long as we take reasonable care of them, they keep performing!”

Sell & Parker’s main shredder has been running for 22 years, and as Luke explains, “It’s a bit like my grandpa’s axe, for example, four new handles and three new axe heads. There’s nothing of our original shredder that hasn’t been changed or modified. And that includes our STEINERT kit.” 

Metal recovery + recycling for a sustainable future

With the recycling industry’s initiative to return resources back into the materials cycle and the ever-growing importance of sustainability, Luke explains, “The jargon and trendiness of the circular economy make me smile. Metal recyclers have been around since the day that man first made metal. It’s a great business built on sound economics. It can’t be forgotten that metal recycling is the cornerstone of the broader recycling industry. Metal recyclers inject money into the recycling ecosystem to fund the recycling of uneconomic items.”

Over the years, the team at Sell & Parker have forged a path to capture every piece of value in the post-shredder stream.  With the current and future metals recycling market, they continue to focus ever more intently on the improvement of the quality of the products they sell.  Implementing the latest in STEINERT technology helps to drive this vision. Luke plans for “…more success and satisfaction for our company, its employees and our customers.  Hopefully, we can all prosper together.” Currently, Sell & Parker employs over 400 team members throughout Australia.

And why Luke continues to work with STEINERT machines: “Our main three frontline STEINERT ECSs are each over 40,000 hours and working as good as they were when they were commissioned.  I often joke that it is STEINERT’s biggest shortcoming. Their equipment never needs replacing. I compare that with our material handlers, which we replace every 12,000 hours!”

Johan van Zyl, Managing Director for STEINERT Australia, said, “STEINERT prides itself on delivering customer satisfaction with both the company’s products and its dedicated technicians and services. We continue to work side-by-side with Luke and his team to maintain the traditional and long-lasting processing equipment and deliver the latest new technologies as they become available. Together, we work to make recycling processing lines more efficient and effective for our customers so they can, in turn, deliver a more sustainable future for the recycling industry.”