ISRI forum draws record crowd.

More than 340 attendees gathered in San Antonio in late January for an Operations Forum held by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI).

Organizers say the 2005 event drew 120 more attendees than the 2004 event--an attendance record.

Attendees could choose sessions from a number of topics, including metals identification, yard management and operating safety and environmental considerations, but the most heavily attended sessions focused on running metals shredding plants.

Two hundred or more people attended ISRI's Shredder Operations track sessions during the event, which was Jan. 20-23.

Shredding-related topics covered included rotors and wear parts, inspection and infeed methods and downstream sorting and separating.

More than 20 equipment and service suppliers exhibited at the event. Several equipment companies also provided expert panelists and speakers for the forum's sessions.

Some of the vendors indicated that new equipment advances were on the way. William Close of Wendt Corp., Tonawanda, N.Y., announced that Wendt Corp. will begin marketing a piece of sorting equipment that uses X-ray technology to identify shredded metal pieces by an elemental sort, allowing for narrower chemistry for post-shredder nonferrous grades.

Also, ISRI Director of Safety John Gilstrap announced an initiative to offer an ISRI Safety Consulting Service that will allow scrap company members to tap into professionals from the insurance industry who will help "identify and solve safety issues before they become accidents."