By Frank Antosiewicz
CORRESPONDENT
Published: September 24, 2014 3:25 pm ET
Updated: September 24, 2014 3:29 pm ET

Image By: Vecoplan AG
Gerhard Lerch, Deputy Chairman of M.A.X. Automation AG, left, Evenline Lemke, Minister of Economic Affairs of the State of Rhieland-Palatinate, Germany, and Werner Berens, CEO Vecoplan AG at the ribbn cutting for Vecoplan's new tech center

Vecoplan AG recently held a grand opening of its 17,000-square-foot technology center in Bad Marienburg, Germany, equipped with more than 25 machines for processing, recycling or repurposing of waste and biomass.

The center is set up to conduct comprehensive tests on specific materials across customized systems. The company said it allows for a chain of complex processes to be performed in-house, speeding research and development time.

The Aug. 5 gala drew more than 350 people from the environmental industry. The center includes machines for size reduction, shredding, chipping and granulating. Tasks include separating materials, optical sorting, plastics washing and dust collection.

“Vecoplan continues to make significant advances in process engineering, material classification, sorting innovations and washing technologies to once again raise the bar in our industry,” said CEO Werner Berens, in a news release.

Vecoplan, which was founded in 1969, designs, engineers and manufactures machinery for shredding, conveying, screening, sorting and general processing of both raw and residual materials for recovery and reuse.

Eveline Lemke, the minister of economic affairs for the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, announced the formation of a Green Technology Network next year that will link regional green technology companies with international economic and scientific players.

Vecoplan figures to be a cornerstone of the new network and has laboratories and a conference room adjacent to its machinery systems’ area. The company has more than 450 employees worldwide. It also has operations in Archdale, N.C.; New Albany, Ind.; Birmingham, England; Spain; Austria and Germany.