Gebrüder Gratz is led by two cousins, Karl-Heinz Gratz and Kurt Gratz, and is located in the north of Austria, close to three foundries. They collect scrap metal from industrial and commercial companies in both the public and private sectors. The sorted, shredded and prepared metal is supplied to steelworks foundries, especially in the Austrian, German and Italian markets.
The cousins bought their very first scrap shear back in 1980, which also marks the beginning of the partnership between Gebrüder Gratz and Metso, then known as Lindemann. During the intervening 30 years or so, the two companies have experienced a lot and have grown together.
“We are still very much a family company, even though we have grown to have our own rail connection and exports account for 80% of our sales. We take pride in our work, which shows in the high-quality products which are in demand internationally,” says Dr. Karl-Heinz Gratz.
Watch the interview with Dr. Karl-Heinz Gratz.
Keeping up with production output and quality with “the Mercedes of scrap processing equipment”
The recycling industry has evolved due to the scarcity of natural resources and stricter laws and regulations. The requirements for pure steel scrap are increasingly restrictive. For example, steel scrap as an end product must contain only a small amount of copper, or no copper at all. Besides controlling the end product, regulations on water and air quality must also be met. For this, Metso has supplied a de-dusting system for Gebrüder Gratz.
“We have to be flexible, and the equipment needs to be adjusted constantly. We need the equipment to meet our quality standards, and we can’t risk our production by not having the best-performing and most compliant equipment. With Metso, we know that we get that, and with the same aspiration for success that we have,” says Dr. Gratz
Gebrüder Gratz has not settled for premium product quality only; they are also working on their production output. In 2018, they replaced their shear with a Metso Lindemann EtaCut™ II and the shredding housing with a Metso LindemannTM ZZ 190 X 260 housing and the new Shredder Drive Assistant. Their output grew by 10–15%, and the Shredder Drive Assistant has allowed smart monitoring and controlling of the process for optimal results.