Top 10 Dry Process PCB Recycling Equipment Suppliers in Germany

Based in Düsseldorf, RRT has been a household name in German engineering since 1975, and their entry into PCB recycling in 2010 was a game-changer. RRT specializes in rugged, industrial-grade equipment, and their dry process line is no exception. Their star product? The compact granulator with dry separator equipment – a compact yet powerful machine that’s perfect for small to medium-sized recyclers. Unlike bulkier systems, this granulator fits into tight spaces but still crushes PCBs into uniform particles (2-5mm) before the dry separator kicks in, using air flow to separate lightweight plastics from heavy metals.

What customers love most? The precision. RRT’s dry separators use a combination of vibratory screens and centrifugal air classifiers to sort metals with 95%+ purity – even tiny gold flakes don’t slip through the cracks. One client in Berlin, a family-run recycler, reported tripling their copper recovery rate within six months of installing RRT’s system. "We used to waste so much material with our old setup," they shared. "Now, every batch feels like we’re mining gold from garbage – because we are."

RRT also excels in after-sales support. Their team of engineers offers on-site training, and they stock replacement parts locally, so downtime is kept to a minimum. Plus, they’re constantly innovating: their 2024 upgrade added smart sensors that adjust air flow in real time based on PCB composition, making the system even more efficient for mixed e-waste. If you need a workhorse that doesn’t cut corners, RRT delivers.

GreenCycle Engineering, based in Berlin’s tech hub, is all about "green tech with a personal touch." Founded in 2005 by a team of ex-automotive engineers, they bring precision engineering to the recycling world, and their dry process equipment is a testament to that. Their signature offering? The GC-Compact Line, a space-saving system designed for urban recyclers who don’t have acres of land for massive machinery.

Don’t let the size fool you, though. The GC-Compact can still handle 500-800kg/hour of PCBs, using a two-step process: first, a low-speed shredder to break boards without generating dust, then a dry electrostatic separator that uses static electricity to pull metals away from plastics. "Dust is the enemy of dry recycling," explains GreenCycle’s founder, Maria Schmidt. "Our shredders are enclosed and vented through HEPA filters, so operators stay safe, and the air stays clean."

What really makes GreenCycle stand out is their focus on circularity. They use recycled steel in their machines and offset 100% of their manufacturing emissions. For businesses marketing themselves as eco-friendly, partnering with GreenCycle adds a layer of credibility. As one customer put it: "We’re not just recycling e-waste – we’re recycling the way we build the machines that do the recycling. It’s a full-circle win."

Hamburg-based TechnoRecycler has been a heavyweight in industrial recycling since 1985, and their dry process PCB line is built for the big leagues. If you’re processing 1000kg+ of PCBs per hour, this is your supplier. Their circuit board recycling equipment is known for brute force meets finesse: a high-torque shredder tears through PCBs (even those with thick casings), followed by a granulator that grinds them into fine powder, and then their proprietary "Trio-Separator" – three stages of dry separation (air, magnetic, and electrostatic) to leave you with pure metal concentrates.

One industrial client in Düsseldorf, which handles e-waste from across the Rhineland, raves about the consistency: "With TechnoRecycler, we know exactly what we’re getting every time – 92% copper, 98% gold recovery. No surprises, no waste. It’s like having a gold mine with a predictable output." And while their systems are large, they’re surprisingly energy-efficient – TechnoRecycler’s motors use variable frequency drives to cut power use by 20% compared to older models.

They also offer custom solutions. Need to integrate your PCB line with existing scrap metal processing? Their engineers will design a seamless setup. It’s this combination of power and flexibility that keeps TechnoRecycler at the top of the list for industrial players.

Headquartered in Stuttgart, CleanSep lives up to its name – their dry process equipment is all about minimal environmental impact. Founded in 2010 by a team of environmental scientists and engineers, they set out to solve a problem: many dry processes still release small amounts of microplastics into the air. Their solution? The compact granulator with dry separator equipment with an integrated air filtration system that captures 99.9% of dust and microplastics, returning clean air to the workspace.

But it’s not just about cleanliness – it’s about efficiency. CleanSep’s granulators use diamond-coated blades that stay sharp 3x longer than standard steel, reducing blade changes and downtime. And their dry separators use AI-driven cameras to adjust sorting parameters in real time. "We had a batch of old military PCBs once – super dense, with weird coatings," a customer in Munich recalled. "CleanSep’s system didn’t bat an eye. The AI figured out the composition in 10 minutes and recalibrated. We were blown away."

They’re also affordable for mid-sized operations. CleanSep offers leasing options, making their tech accessible to businesses that don’t want to ｄｒｏｐ a fortune upfront. For recyclers who prioritize both planet and profit, CleanSep is a clear choice.

Up north in Bremen, NordRecycle Innovations has carved a niche with "tough equipment for tough conditions." Their specialty? Dry process PCB recycling systems that handle the "ugly" PCBs – the ones with heavy components, thick solder, or mixed materials (like PCBs with attached wires or capacitors). Their secret weapon? A pre-shredder with adjustable blades that can be swapped out in minutes, depending on the PCB type.

Take their NR-500 Dry Line: it starts with a shredder that “chews” PCBs into chunks, then a granulator to refine the particles, and finally a dry separator that uses both air and magnetic separation (great for pulling out steel from PCBs). A recycler in Hamburg, who processes 10 tons of e-waste weekly, said, "NordRecycle’s system laughs at the PCBs that used to jam our old machines. We throw in everything – motherboards, old server boards, even broken tablets – and it just keeps going."

They’re also big on transparency. NordRecycle provides detailed reports on recovery rates, energy use, and emissions for each batch, which is a hit with clients who need to prove sustainability to regulators or customers. If your feedstock is messy and unpredictable, NordRecycle has your back.

Frankfurt-based PrecisionCycle is for the recyclers who sweat the details. Their tagline? "Precision isn’t optional – it’s everything." And their circuit board recycling plant with dry separator 500-2000kg/hour capacity lives up to it. What makes them unique? They use ultrasonic sensors to measure particle size in real time, ensuring the granulator never produces particles too large (which miss the separator) or too small (which get lost in air flow).

Customers love the control panel – a user-friendly touchscreen that lets operators tweak settings (shredder speed, air flow, screen size) with a few taps. One small recycler in Wiesbaden said, "I’m not an engineer, but I can run this system like a pro. The screen tells me exactly what’s happening – if the separator needs more air, if the granulator is getting dull. It’s like having a PhD in recycling in a box."

PrecisionCycle also offers a "try before you buy" program: they’ll set up a demo system at your site for two weeks, so you can test it with your actual PCBs. It’s a bold move that shows they stand behind their equipment – and it works. Over 80% of demo users end up purchasing.

EcoShred Berlin is all about accessibility. Founded in 2015, they’ve made dry process PCB recycling possible for small to medium businesses with tight budgets. Their entry-level system, the EcoMini, starts at under €50,000 and handles 200-500kg/hour – perfect for startups or community recycling centers. But don’t mistake "affordable" for "cheap" – the EcoMini uses the same dry separation tech as larger systems, just scaled down.

How do they keep costs low? They source components locally (German-made motors, Austrian sensors) and skip the frills (no AI, no fancy touchscreens – just reliable knobs and buttons). "We wanted to make recycling accessible to everyone," says founder Lena Weber. "Not just the big corporations, but the mom-and-pop shops that are the backbone of local recycling."

A small recycler in Leipzig shared, "EcoShred let us start small – we bought the EcoMini, grew our business, then upgraded to their mid-sized system two years later. They even bought back our old machine at a fair price. You don’t get that kind of loyalty from big suppliers." For new entrants to the PCB recycling game, EcoShred is the friendliest starting point.

Based in Dortmund, MetalMelt is a bit of a wildcard – they’re best known for metal melting furnaces, but their dry process PCB line has quietly become a hit. Why? Because they understand metals. Their dry separator is designed by metallurgists, not just engineers, so it’s optimized to recover even the trickiest metals (like palladium and silver, which are often overshadowed by copper and gold).

Their system, the MM-DryPro, combines a high-speed shredder with a "density separator" – think of it as a supercharged air classifier that uses gravity and air flow to separate metals by density. This is a game-changer for recyclers who want to recover multiple metals at once. A client in Essen, who sells metal concentrates to refineries, said, "MetalMelt’s separator gives us cleaner fractions – our copper concentrate is 97% pure, silver is even better. Refineries pay top dollar for that quality."

They also offer training on metal marketing – how to sell your concentrates for maximum profit. It’s this extra support that makes MetalMelt more than a supplier; they’re a partner in your success.

Rounding out our list is SmartCycle Systems, a Berlin startup that’s shaking up the industry with AI-driven dry process equipment. Founded in 2018 by tech graduates, they’ve built a system that "learns" from every batch of PCBs it processes. Their dry process equipment uses machine learning to recognize patterns in PCB composition (e.g., "this batch has more fiberglass, so we need more air flow") and adjusts settings automatically.

The result? Recovery rates that improve over time. One client in Cologne saw their gold recovery jump from 90% to 96% in six months as the AI "adapted" to their typical PCB mix. "It’s like having a recycling expert who never sleeps," they said. "The system gets smarter every day."

SmartCycle’s systems are also modular, so you can start with a base unit (shredder + separator) and add features (like magnetic separation or dust filtration) later. And they offer remote monitoring – check your system’s performance from your phone, anywhere in the world. For tech-savvy recyclers who want to future-proof their operations, SmartCycle is the way to go.