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Liebherr at IFAT 2026 in Munich

At IFAT 2026, the world’s leading exhibition for water, wastewater, waste and raw materials management, which takes place in Munich from 4 to 7 May 2026, Liebherr will…

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Frequently asked about material handling technology

Introduction material handlers

Material handlers in the waste management industry take over the often complex, heavy, and hazardous repetitive actions.

Recycling material handlers are used for various tasks to improve efficiency and increase the output of materials in the recycling and waste management sector.

Crawler material handlers, bulldozers and crawler loaders, mobile material handling machines, wheel loaders, and telescopic handlers all separate, sort, and load recyclables and solid waste quickly and reliably. These recyclable materials range from glass, metal, wood, paper, agricultural waste, and many more.

Waste handlers

There is a wide variety of waste handers available for stacking and handling recyclable materials, sorting and separating recyclable materials, and safe loading of screening machines, shredders, or crushers.

Waste handlers are purpose-built material handlers for the waste handling and recycling industry to perform high-volume material handling duties in indoor or open terrain settings.

These high-volume material handling duties may consist of unloading, sorting, size reduction, and reloading materials in the recycling industry.

Scrap-material-handler-waste-recycling-demolition-construction-waste

Material handler attachments

The recycling industry requires a wide range of material handler attachments for various handling needs. The ease of changing out extensions on material handlers has increased, allowing for more time- and cost-efficient usage.

There are four primary material handler attachment categories to consider: magnets, crushers, shears, and grapples. Of course, combinations of attachments are also available, such as crusher magnets or magnet grapples.

Magnetic attachments
Magnetic attachments lift ferrous scrap by electromagnetic force to sweep an area clean of scrap. Magnetic attachments also enable the material handler to move the small scrap particles around, which is significantly more challenging for other scrap handler attachments.

Crusher attachments
Crushers are often attached to material handlers to break down scrap into sizes that are easier to move around. Crusher attachments are excellent in heavy-duty material handling applications, especially when dealing with construction and demolition waste.

Shear attachments
Shear attachments in material handling applications are an efficient tool for cutting scrap waste. Shear attachments are much required when dealing with metal or steel materials that must be reduced in size and are primarily applied in scrapyards.

Grapple attachments
Scrap handling often requires the transportation of oddly shaped items; for this, a grapple attachment is ideal. A grapple attachment is a hook or claw used to catch or hold something. Because of their versatility, grapple attachments can pick up almost any material, depending on the type of grapple used.

Why are material handlers the right choice for recycling applications?

Material handlers are the right choice for recycling applications because they efficiently perform complex and precise tasks in demanding environments.

As varied as the different applications and the related requirements on the machine are in the recycling industry, so reliable and versatile, and these material handlers present themselves to these challenges.

Whether it be highly dusty indoor operations or materials sorting and loading operations as part of the recycling process, material handlers impress wherever speed, precision, and robustness are called for.

This Technology Zone offers an insight into the latest innovations in material handler technology for recycling and waste management.

What is the difference between this Technology Zone and the Equipment Guide?

The zone is the editorial side: news, case studies, videos, newsletter editions and field experts. The Equipment Guide is the directory side: equipment types and the manufacturers that build them. This page links to its Equipment Guide category and back.

How do I find a manufacturer of material handling technology equipment?

Open the Equipment Guide category for this zone, pick an equipment type and open a manufacturer profile. Partner profiles carry direct contact details; other listings link to the company website.

Can I ask a technical question before I buy?

Yes. Ask the Expert puts your question to a field expert in this zone. The answer comes back to you by e-mail; when we publish it, other readers benefit too.

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