New Technology in Metal Recycling

In 2011, the Finnish company ZenRobotics introduced the first fully automated robotĀ for waste sorting. By using metal detectors, 3D laser technology and spectroscopicĀ imaging, the precision of sorting parts was significantly improved, paving the way forĀ the entire recycling industry.

In 2014 the “Heavy Picker” was introduced –a dedicatedproduct for metal recycling.Ā Since then the system has been continuously improved and optimized using AI. WithĀ the use of three robot arms, the system can now perform up to 6.000 sorting processesĀ per hour. In comparison an experienced manual sorter onlyĀ manages 200Ā picksperĀ hour. Another advantage is that the ā€œHeavy Pickerā€ can be seamlessly integrated intoĀ existing systems or used as a stand-alone sorting line.

Scandinavia is amongst the leading players in the innovation of new technologies inĀ metal recycling. The Norwegian company TOMRA, for example, has specialized in theĀ recycling of aluminum scrap. The importance of this raw material was emphasized byĀ the Covid-pandemic, when aluminum became a scarce resource all over the world. AsĀ a result, aluminum producers are becoming increasingly reliant on high-qualityĀ recycled material. And that’s where TOMRA promises to deliver with its X-TRACTĀ series.

The system uses an electrical X-ray source that generates broadband radiation. ThisĀ radiation penetrates the material and strikes an X-ray camera that uses twoĀ independent sensor lines with different spectral sensitivities. In this way, the atomicĀ densityĀ of the materials can be identified. This technology contributes to a reduction inĀ the purchase costs of the raw material, since, on the one hand, the materials no longerĀ have to have an overly strict composition and, on the other hand, less material thanĀ usual is processed. As a result, scrap can be purchased at a lower price with a lowerĀ quality and then cleaned.Ā 

Its German-based daughter company TOMRA-SortingĀ in 2018Ā introduced a new laserĀ object detection (LOD) system for its ā€œAutoSortā€ and ā€œFinderā€ product line, increasingĀ the detection accuracy of existing equipment by an additional four percent. AmongĀ other applications LOD also has been designed to separate black rubber, glass andĀ plastic material from nonferrous zorba and zurik products, allowing to turn theseĀ commodities into more valuable revenue streams while reducing the number ofĀ manual pickers.

The Austrian-based company Redwave has been using XRF technology for yearsĀ toĀ determine the chemistry of a sample.Ā Initially, the technology was primarily used inĀ glass sorting –with the introduction of Redwave XRF/C, a standalone solution forĀ metal sorting was developed.

Compared to other technologies, moisture, coloration as well as surface impuritiesĀ haveĀ no negative influence on the metal detection. The sorting processes, with the aidĀ of advanced software algorithms, produce high-purity metal fractions, which can beĀ sold directly and profitably. This innovative sorting solution has already beenĀ successfully implemented in various sorting lines and plants worldwide.

Since the beginning of the millennium, portable and flexible handheld devices basedĀ on XRF technology have been widely used as a flexible and cost-saving solution inĀ metal recycling. Over the years, the technology has improved significantly and is nowĀ theĀ leading portable instrumentwhen it comes to stainless, high temps and red metals.Ā However, since the introduction of handheld LIBS devices in 2015 –they use a fastĀ chemical analysis technique with a short laser pulse –an alternative has beenĀ established, especially for the analysis of light metals such as aluminum orĀ magnesium.Ā Thermo Scientific introduced the “NitonApollo” in 2019, which is leading the way forĀ individual and flexible applications. Especially recyclers dealing with heavy loads orĀ space constraints are relying on the laser guns to analyze metals on their compositionĀ within a few seconds. Another majoradvantage of this technology is that no samplingĀ is necessary and the measurement can be carried out without contact.

According to studies, the demand for metal raw materials will rise rapidly in the comingĀ years. Aluminum on its own will require an additional 360 million metric tons of rawĀ material over the next 20 years to meet demand from the industry. Above all, keyĀ industries of the future, such as the electric automotive sector, are dependent on theĀ supply of light metals.Ā In the new age of climateĀ change, recycling metals is becoming increasingly important,Ā but it also holds great economic opportunities. For example, recyclingĀ rare metals fromĀ electronic wasteis thirteen times cheaper than extracting them from mines, accordingĀ to the American Chemical Society. By using new methods as well as artificialĀ intelligence, metal recycling is becoming a key player in the fight against globalĀ warming.

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