TECHNOLOGY | SORTING
Above: Canon Global’s development combines Raman spectroscopy with its own measurement and control equipment
the sorting of plastics, the company says. However, due to the small amount of scattered light emitted by the black plastic pieces, the measurement time is usually too long relative to the speed and throughput required for practical use in a high- speed sorting application. Canon Global’s development combines Raman
spectroscopy with its own measurement and control equipment in a system that utilises tracking type Raman spectroscopy technology to ensure there is enough measurement time for each piece of plastic, while allowing pieces containing black portions to be sorted in a single process at high speed and with high accuracy. Canon Global states that a key advantage of
Below: The new SpydIR-HS optical sorter from NRT
tracking Raman spectroscopy technology with its measurement and control devices is that the exact position of plastic pieces on high-speed conveyor belts can be detected by scanning laser light accordingly towards the pieces, that laser light can be continuously emitted for the required duration of time to determine the material’s molecular information. Canon Global’s system is comprised of its PD-704 contactless measurement device, released in 2021, which enables accurate and fast measure-
ment of objects on rapidly moving conveyor belts. Also incorporated is Canon’s GM-2020 Galvano Scanner Motor, released in January 2022, which allows laser beams to accurately track the objects transported on a conveyor belt, thus securing the necessary exposure times based on the colour of the plastic pieces. A dedicated mirror attached to the Galvano scanner motor controls the direction of laser light to track and illuminate each plastic piece. Canon Glob- al’s development also incorporates its proprietary receiving system that receives the returned light, a proprietary light spectrum unit that performs Raman spectroscopy, and proprietary recognition software that performs analysis and can be adjusted and configured to sort a wide variety of plastics. Before measuring begins, its image recognition system determines the position, colour, brightness, size and other characteristics of the plastic part. By controlling the scanning time of the laser
beam, the effects of the different amounts of scattered light emitted by plastics pieces can be negated, even when the pieces are being con- veyed at high speeds, the company says. Canon Global says development with Raman spectros- copy achieves both high productivity and high accuracy sorting. National Recovery Technologies (NRT), a wholly owned unit of Bulk Handling Systems, launched a new optical sorter designed with multiple techno- logical advancements to boost recovery and reduce contamination, and features an easy access design for improved maintenance and safety. The new SpydIR-HS optical sorter extends NRT’s
NIR product platform and is the culmination of years of research and development undertaken to improve detection while retaining NRT’s unique sorting technology, says Thomas Brooks, Chief Technology Officer for Bulk Handling Systems. The SpydIR sorter incorporates the company’s propri- etary In-Flight Sorting technology which uses precisely targeted air to separate the selected fraction from other materials. The new SpydIR-HS
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PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | September 2023
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
IMAGE: NRT
IMAGE: CANON GLOBAL
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