TITECH solutions for quality fractions in organics, metals and wire recovery at EcoCity 2009

Published: 27/05/2009
Category: Events

TITECH solutions for quality fractions in organics, metals and wire recovery at EcoCity 2009

The recovery of high quality end fractions from a range of waste streams is showcased by TITECH at this year’s EcoCity exhibition.  TITECH, widely recognised as the industry leader in sensor-based sorting solutions, is unveiling new configurations of its systems that have been designed to provide effective solutions to common problems encountered in a number of market applications.

These applications include the separation of a cleaner organic fraction from household waste, of particular interest to producers of methane from organic waste; higher quality metal fractions for recyclers of WEEE and ELV; and, more specifically, the recovery of valuable metals in cables in the ELV and WEEE waste streams, such as copper.

An organic process

A new application for 2009 is TITECH’s offering for the separation of organic and inorganic waste in household waste.

Methane is produced during the anaerobic digestion process, and is subsequently burned to generate electricity using turbines. In general, a substantial amount of inorganic material will still remain after initial treatment.  Due to its abrasive properties, this material can destroy pipes and pumps in the digestor. Remaining inorganic material can also cause sediment to settle on bottom of digestor, meaning that it has to be emptied and cleaned more frequently. Both factors result in lost time on methane production and higher maintenance costs.

Using a combination of the TITECH autosort and TITECH x-tract systems, it is possible to recover a much cleaner organic fraction, recovering more than 90% of impurities.

The introduction of TITECH technology into the process provides a solution to both problems. First, the TITECH autosort is used to recover the plastic impurities using near infrared (NIR) and visual spectrometry (VIS) sensors, with the option of adding a metals sensor if required. This is followed by passing the input stream through the TITECH x-tract, using high-resolution X-ray transmission image processing, to recognise and separate the rest of the inorganic material, for example glass, stones, concrete, ceramics and metals.

A cleaner organic fraction is produced using this method, thereby vastly reducing the problems of digestor maintenance and down-time.

Top quality metals

With EU wide legislation on WEEE and ELV driving the reuse, recycling and recovery of many valuable materials, it is vital that recovered metal fractions have a high market value. Quality is key, but conventional sorting methods often cannot deliver to the detailed standard required.

Combining a metal sensor and a colour line scan camera, the TITECH combisense (on TITECH’s stand, B202, at Ecocity), enables the sorting of complex material streams of used electrical devices and the recovery of non-ferrous metals.  One of TITECH’s most popular systems, TITECH combisense offers metals recovery rates of more than 95% and material purities also in excess of 95% on grain size as small as 2 mm. 

Valuable recovered end fractions include stainless steel, aluminium, precious metals from PCBs (gold, silver, indium, zinc, palladium and platinum), copper, iron, brass, cables, and plastic fractions. The high purity levels guaranteed by TITECH technology ensure that quality is in line with rigorous market demand.

Recovering cable wire and copper from post shredder waste

A brand new two sensor combination by TITECH is set to revolutionise the recovery of cables and the valuable metals within them.

Cable materials are often lost in treatment and sorting processes, which can have a negative impact on potential profits, particularly when valuable metals such as copper are not recovered.

Sorting cables was previously a very difficult task, with many conventional treatment plants unable to supply the required quality. Hand sorting is often used as a method of recovery, which is both labour intensive and expensive.

The TITECH finder [poly] simplifies this process. Combining a metal sensor with an NIR sensor to recognise the plastic coating around it, this configuration has the ability to detect the target materials in a wide range of input streams, including heavy and light fractions from automotive shredder processes; WEEE; and residual materials and metal products from swim-sink plants. 

In addition to boasting the ability to recover more valuable end fractions with up to 90% purity, the latest technology in this system allows precise recognition of the smallest particles down to 2 millimetres. With the ability to sort the metal products from the cables one step further, and the latest technology allowing precise recognition of the smallest particles down to 2 millimetres, the TITECH finder [poly] offers a means of recovering metals of outstanding purity.

Carlos Manchado, Director of TITECH Spain, comments: “Automated sorting technology is finding applications in commercial and industrial waste sorting, as well as the more traditional municipal and domestic applications. There is a real drive now for optimising efficiency in materials sorting while achieving better quality and purity. TITECH’s commitment to technological innovation not only addresses the needs of the market but continues to make significant new breakthroughs that surpass expectations.“

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