Expert Tips | Auto Recycling Now

Four Things Your Converter Processor Should Be Doing for You

ARA — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 16:09:20 +0000

By Joseph Venturella

In today’s market, catalytic converter recycling isn’t just about selling units—

it’s about working with a processing partner whose services align with how your business operates. From cash flow and logistics to reporting and risk management, the right processor should adapt to you—not the other way around.

Below are four expert tips to help automotive recyclers evaluate whether their current processor is truly supporting their business model and financial requirements.

Look for Flexible Lot Sizes That Match Your Yard’s Reality

Every recycler operates differently. Some yards generate high volumes daily, while others ship smaller quantities more frequently. A strong processing partner should accommodate a range of lot sizes, allowing you to ship material when it makes sense for your operation—not only once a minimum threshold is met.

This flexibility helps recyclers manage inventory, reduce exposure to market volatility, and maintain consistent cash flow.

Prioritize Fast Turnaround Times and Advance Payment Options

Cash flow is critical. Long settlement timelines can slow reinvestment, limit purchasing power, and strain day-to-day operations.

Expert recyclers work with processors that offer:

Quick receiving and processing timelines
Advance payment options
Predictable payout schedules

Faster turnaround means steadier revenue, better planning, and the ability to reinvest in vehicles, labor, and equipment without delays.

Demand Separate Assay Reporting for Each Facility

For multi-yard operations, consolidated reporting can mask performance issues and prevent meaningful analysis. Processors should be able to provide separate assays for each facility without penalizing recyclers with small-lot fees or additional assay charges simply for gaining better visibility into their own operations.

Separate assay reports by facility allows you to:

Compare yields across locations.
Identify training or dismantling inconsistencies.
Rank operational performance.
Make data-driven improvements.

Granular reporting shouldn’t come at a premium. When processors charge extra fees for multiple assays or smaller lots, it discourages transparency and limits a recycler’s ability to manage performance effectively. Clear, facility-level reporting should be a standard service—not an added cost.

Work with a Partner That Understands Your Business—Not Just the Material

Beyond pricing, the best processors act as long-term partners. They understand that recyclers need transparency, adaptability, and consistent communication. Look for a processor that:

Aligns services with your operational workflow.
Provides clear, accessible reporting.
Supports informed decision-making.
Evolves as your business grows.

When your processor adapts to your needs, you gain more than a buyer—you gain a strategic advantage.

The right catalytic converter processing partner doesn’t force you into a rigid system.

For automotive recyclers looking to stay competitive, flexibility, transparency, and speed aren’t optional—they’re essential.

Joseph Venturella, Supplier Development Manager at PMR, brings a background in hospitality and operations management, offering a unique perspective within the industry. Since joining PMR in 2023, he has focused on building strong supplier relationships by understanding partners’ operations and identifying opportunities to support their growth. Joseph works closely with suppliers to develop practical solutions, improve processes, and drive consistent results, with a strong emphasis on trust, communication, and long-term partnerships.

Best Practices When Preparing Electric Vehicle Batteries for Transport

ARA — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 15:06:00 +0000

Electric vehicle car batteries average between 1,000 and 2,000 pounds, but some are even heavier based on the size of the vehicle. Compare that to your average lead-acid battery that weighs around 25 to 40 pounds. The safe handling and packaging of large-format EV batteries can be done, but it’s crucial to know how to do it safely and properly for transport.

To support safe logistical movement, there are three key areas of consideration:

Properly Packaging Materials

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has very specific labeling regulations in place when shipping lithium-ion batteries to ensure the shipment gets from point A to B in the safest way possible.

To further ensure safe transport, it’s critical to work with a certified recycling company to adhere to the following recommendations:

• Taping all exposed, non-recessed, terminals and/or exposed wires.

• How to properly stack batteries.

• The importance of strapping all layers together to prevent batteries from moving freely.

• Clear understanding that lithium-ion EV battery packs can transmit high voltage electricity and how to handle properly.

Pick-Up Details

It is necessary to communicate what is on-site when you schedule a pick-up service for your EV battery. Communicating such things as:

• The type of dock and loading area available at your facility.

• Equipment on-site to move the EV pack for transport.

• Is the material palletized and wrapped for transit.

Shipping a Damaged, Defective, or Recalled (DDR) EV Battery

Damaged or defective lithium-ion batteries have a significant thermal risk and deteriorated mechanical integrity. The battery may be swollen, bloated with cracks, leaking, have corrosion, burn marks, or simply subject to recall. There are correct ways to package this kind of EV battery to mitigate the risks of a thermal incident. In these instances, it’s important that you contact a certified battery recycling company (such as Cirba Solutions) to determine the best way to safely transport the batteries to a recycling facility that can handle damaged, defective, and recalled batteries.

To add on to the complexities of EV batteries, many are created in different formats, making it necessary to understand the size and shape of any electric or hybrid electric vehicle battery before shipping to ensure the process is appropriate for the battery’s size and shape. It’s imperative that batteries are packaged in a manner to prevent short circuit that prevents movement, shifting, or damage.

By fully understanding the best practices when shipping EV batteries, you are greatly mitigating risks during the transportation process. Not only of the product, but for the safety of those involved in the movement of lithium-ion batteries, which is first-and-foremost the most important component.

With more than 30 years of experience and the largest operational battery recycling footprint in North America, Cirba Solutions is a premier battery recycling materials and management company extracting critical materials from scrap and used batteries, and then supplying those battery-grade metals back into the supply chain. As the only vertically integrated team with an operational, differentiated platform and a full suite of capabilities, Cirba Solutions is leading the creation of a circular battery supply chain.

Views expressed in a Sponsored Content section are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or position of the Automotive Recyclers Association.

Finding Organizational Balance is a Key to Success

ARA — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 16:13:00 +0000

By Mathieu Godon

Through my 25 years of experience working with recyclers and helping them reach their potential, I have observed a recurring pattern. In many recycling yards, one key individual – the salesperson, typically – gets involved in all operations. Often feeling a lack of control over the process, this person puts everything on their back: making the sale, checking inventory, making sure the item is shipped to the customer, and double checking that payment has been made. Meanwhile, the other employees end up feeling less involved, less valuable, and less motivated. In this context, employee retention and lack of profitability can quickly become issues.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be that way. Balance is the ideal we should strive for. In a balanced organizational model, each employee has a clearly defined role: the salesperson contacts customers and guides them through their purchases, the inventory technician identifies the parts and keeps track of what’s in stock, the shipping team prepares and ships the parts, accounting sends invoices and processes payments, and so on. In this model, each employee feels like they matter and bring value to the organization; and because everyone can fully focus on their role, customers are better served, the business becomes more efficient, more productive and more profitable.

Reaching that balance may seem like a daunting task, especially as organizations become larger. Two of the main challenges are clearly defining operational roles within the organization and finding a way to communicate and share information efficiently.

Of course, change must first come from within, but fortunately, there are tools out there that can really help you achieve organizational balance, raise the value of each member of your team and power up your business.

For instance, you could put a standardized process in place, along with an easy-to-use yard management system, such as ProgiPac, that tracks sales, from the moment the order is placed until it arrives at the customer’s doorstep. While the standardized process gives everyone in the organization clear guidelines to carry out their respective tasks, the management system keeps everyone in the loop, since they are all part of the same framework. Being able to keep an eye on the order status at all times puts everyone at ease and helps them make decisions with confidence. What’s more, a web-based solution that’s accessible from anywhere can enable employees to work remotely on days when the plumber has to drop by or the kids are sick. Finally, an intuitive and easy-to-learn system helps onboarding new employees, who quickly feel confident and efficient.

If we think back to that salesperson who worried about every detail, it’s easy to see how a standardized process and a good yard management system can put their mind at ease and help them focus on what they do best: make sales, keep their customers happy, make their business profitable and successful.

Mathieu Godon is an Operational Manager for ProgiPac. He has been working with recyclers for over 25 years and has successfully implemented ProgiPac in many of their businesses. In his spare time, he is also involved in minor league baseball. If you wish to power up your business, you can reach him at 1-877-GO-PROGI or at sales@progipac.com.

EV Drive Motor and Hybrid Transmission Rare Earth Recycling: How Cyclic Materials is Creating New Value Streams for Auto Recyclers

ARA — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 14:12:00 +0000

In recent years, the automotive recycling industry has faced a paradigm shift with the emergence of electric vehicles (EVs). This transformation has brought forth fresh challenges and introduced new recycling streams, altering the way end-of-life vehicles are managed.

Adapting to Change: The Evolving Landscape of Auto Recycling

For many years, catalytic converters have been one of the valuable parts of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles due to the valuable platinum group metals they contain. Although not as highly profitable as catalytic converters, the value of starters, alternators and other components of ICE vehicles is well understood by auto recyclers for their copper value.

But the global transition to EVs is reshaping this landscape – changing which vehicle parts the auto recycling community covets most. While EVs don’t have catalytic converters, their batteries contain even more valuable metals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt. Auto recyclers are learning how to handle and assess these batteries, and in time, EV battery components will likely surpass ICE vehicles’ catalytic converters in value and profitability.

Rare Earth Elements: A New Treasure Mine Beyond Batteries

Beyond their battery materials, EVs and hybrid vehicles introduce another set of valuable and recyclable metals: Rare earth elements (REEs). REEs are a group of 15 metals, notably neodymium and praseodymium, which make up the permanent magnets in electric motors.

REEs play a crucial role in enhancing the performance and efficiency of vehicles, particularly in the electric motors of hybrid transmissions and the drive motors of EVs. Their presence contributes to making these motors both powerful and lightweight, thereby elevating the overall performance and efficiency of the vehicles. By recycling EV motors and hybrid transmissions, auto recyclers unlock new value streams and can benefit from the growing demand for REEs.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 15 metals, notably neodymium and praseodymium, which make up the permanent magnets in electric motors.

Overcoming Supply Chain Challenges to Enhance Value and Sustainability

The increasing popularity of EVs is leading to a higher demand for magnets made from REEs. Yet there are operational and environmental challenges with opening and operating mines for these elements, and production is projected to fall short of demand in 2024.

Adding to this problem, over 90% of these magnets are made in China. Depending on a single source for these crucial parts worries North American companies, business leaders and governments. These materials are crucial to the growing EV industry, and any supply chain disruptions or geopolitical events could derail automotive production.

To move away from this reliance, recycling components such as hybrid transmissions and drive motors – which contain REEs – is increasingly vital. When auto recyclers focus on picking these specific parts for processing, they unlock valuable opportunities within the auto recycling industry and help build an independent sourcing network for critical components.

How Cyclic Materials Is Addressing these Challenges?

Cyclic Materials, a cleantech startup based in USA and Canada, is helping build a domestic and sustainable supply chain for these materials, addressing both the production shortages as well as the supply chain risk facing REEs. With its proprietary process to recover REEs from end-of-life EV drive motors and hybrid transmissions, the company is contributing to the sustainable management of resources and creating new economic opportunities in the automotive recycling sector.

Cyclic Materials is currently acquiring these electric motors from automobile recyclers on an ongoing basis and processing them in its first-of-a-kind facility in Canada and has delivered rare earth raw materials to downstream suppliers in the magnet production industry.

How Auto Recyclers Benefit from Picking EV Drive Motors and Hybrid Transmissions:

• Create new value streams: Beyond traditional materials like copper, aluminum, and steel, recycling EV motors and hybrid transmissions introduces new value streams to the auto recycling industry.

• Help develop local supply chains: Processing REE-containing components promotes the development of domestic supply chains, fostering sustainability and self-reliance in the automotive sector.

• Secure the future of the auto recycling industry: As the number of EV and hybrid vehicles continues to grow, the auto recycling sector must embrace new practices to recycle these critical components and recover these valuable metals.

• Contribute to sustainability: Recycling REEs reduces the need for new mines, lessening the environmental impact associated with mining and preserving natural resources.

The future of the automotive recycling industry relies on its ability to adapt to the energy transition and capitalize on the valuable materials within EVs and hybrid vehicles. Through innovative processes and strategic partners, key players within the sector will contribute to the sustainable management of resources and create new economic opportunities.

To find out more about Cyclic Materials, please visit cyclicmaterials.earth.

No Forced Throttle Downshifts

ARA — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 13:55:00 +0000

By Wayne Colonna

Twenty-five years ago, Chrysler introduced a 0.187” (4.77mm) steel, #10 check ball (Figure 1) in the 42RE valve body and it continued to be used throughout the entire RE series of transmissions (42, 44, 46, 47 and 48RE) as they were launched.

This small check ball is quite active, having several functions during the course of one complete drive cycle.

Function #1: When the converter clutch is off, it sends Overdrive Clutch Prefill (OCP) pressure (0-5psi) to the 3-4 Timing Valve while simultaneously blocking it from entering the converter clutch apply circuit (Figure 2).

Figure 2

Function #2: When the converter clutch is commanded on before 4th gear, this ball will then block OCP pressure to the 3-4 Timing Valve allowing pressure from the converter clutch apply valve to stroke the 3-4 Timing Valve (Figure 3).

Figure 3

Function #3: When a shift into 4th gear takes place, Lock-up turns off and the Overdrive Solenoid turns on stroking the 3-4 Shift Valve. Once the 3-4 Shift Valve strokes, it fills the OCP circuit with pressure applying the Overdrive Clutch. This same pressure is routed to the 3-4 Quick Valve, the Accumulator and the #10 check ball where it is then sent to stroke the 3-4 Timing Valve (Figure 4).

Figure 4

These are the three basic functions of the #10 check ball, which was implemented to ensure smooth sequential downshifts. There is an additional hydraulic function that took place when this ball was added. It occurs when the converter clutch is commanded on in 4th gear. When the computer turns the lock-up solenoid on, it strokes the converter clutch apply valve. This charges a circuit that causes the converter clutch timing valve to stroke. The converter clutch timing valve then sends line pressure to the rear spool of the 3-4 shift valve (Figure 5). This is added insurance to keep the shift valve stroked. And again, all this is done to assist in providing a smooth sequential release of the converter clutch, followed by a downshift. By doing this, it prevents the converter clutch from releasing on top of a downshift which would be felt as a harsh downshift.

Figure 5

Let’s now talk about one of the failures that can be experienced with this hydraulic system. The complaint that typically accompanies this failure is no forced throttle downshifts when the transmission is hot. This complaint only occurs once the transmission has shifted into overdrive followed by the converter clutch being commanded on. The scan tool data reveals that at wide open throttle the lock up solenoid and the overdrive solenoid are being command off, yet the transmission remains in overdrive with the TCC applied. If you pull the shift lever from the “drive to the number 2 position” it will downshift to 2nd gear. A careful road test may also reveal that once the transmission is hot the lock up clutch may engage after the 1-2 up shift.

Figure 6

The cause is the lock up solenoid has mechanically failed, preventing it from exhausting when it has been commanded off by the computer (Figure 6). This keeps both the converter clutch apply valve and 3-4 shift valve stroked in the upshifted position. The converter clutch switch valve is also kept stroked keeping the converter clutch applied. By installing a new TCC/OD solenoid assembly these malfunctions are resolved.

Wayne Colonna has been with the Automatic Service Group for over 30 years. As President of ATSG and Director of Quality at ETE REMAN, Wayne is helping to usher the transmission industry to the highest of standards. When he’s not at ETE in Milwaukee, he can be found with his wife in Miami taking her out to eat, playing Spanish guitar, or maybe enjoying a bottle of fine wine.