Short bar separation and recovery system and method

A system and method are disclosed for separating and recovering short bars (16) from full length bars (14) in a rolling mill. The bars (14,16) are initially conveyed on a run-out roller table (12) from a shear (10) to a transfer station (TS) where they are accumulated in a layer. The layer is transferred laterally from the transfer station (TS) onto a separation roller table (18) at a separation station (SS). An elevator (26) lifts the tail ends of the full length bars (14) off of the separation roller table (18), and the separation roller table (18) then conveys the short bars (16) to a recovery station (RS). The remaining full length bars (14) are then returned to the transfer station (TS), from where they are sent on to a bundling station.