Hyperspectral Imaging Application

The efficient recovery of recyclable materials from various waste streams from commercial, industrial or household collection is one of the greatest challenges in the recycling industry in order to ensure a sustainable circular economy. The material spectrum of the waste composition is diverse and mainly consists of various plastics, composites, organic materials such as wood, paper and compost, mineral components as well as ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

Depending on the application, the cameras can be used to sort PET flakes, for example, by type or colour. Off-colours and foreign plastics are precisely removed from the PET stream by means of the sorting technology. In this way, a particularly high purity of the sorted material is achieved.

As the sorted material flies through the detection area, the corresponding sensor detects the type, if applicable the colour and the position on the conveyor belt. The control system then activates the correct nozzles of the discharge nozzle bar with time and position accuracy. The nozzle bar is arranged above the material flow and shoots from top to bottom. Detected foreign particles are then discharged precisely and with minimal material loss with a targeted blast of compressed air. The sorted fractions can be transported to the next processing stage with material discharge belts.