TECHNOLOGY | SORTING
Right: Illustration of Autonomous Processing System from Bulk Handling Systems
improve productivity, enhance product quality, reduce waste and trim energy consumption, and they can also transmit sorter data to a plant or factory PLC through its SortControl device. Materials handling equipment supplier Bulk Handling Systems (BHS) developed a fully automated materials recovery system designed to prioritise different materials in a waste stream then sort each desired fraction from the stream in sequence in a closed-loop setting. The new BHS Autono- mous Processing System enlists optical, AI, robotic and advanced controls technology in a way that removes each targeted commodity at high recovery rates with each pass of the waste stream through the system. The Autonomous Processing System is designed with two Max-AI AQC-2 robots where the Max-AI (visual identification system) is linked to two compact Autonomous Quality Control (AQC) robot sorters. It also includes its SpydIR near infrared optical sorter tied to a Max-AI, a new development. All equipment in the system, including the material storage bunkers, conveyor belt systems and metal detectors is controlled by the BHS Total Intelligence Platform in real-time using data and information from the equipment and a variety of strategically placed sensors to provide awareness of material flows and material composition. The waste stream passes under a Max-AI AQC-2
Below: New combination of SpydIR and Max-AI technologies from Bulk Handling Systems
robotic sorter as it enters the system, during which larger residue materials are removed from the waste stream as a presort step. This first Max-AI also determines the composition of the material stream, and that data is utilised by the system to determine the priority of material sorting for each subsequent processing loop cycle. The material stream passes under a magnet to remove any ferrous metals and the material is conveyed to a
primary material storage bunker. The material in the primary bunker (1) is con- veyed to the Max-AI SpydIR optical sorter and MetalDirector brand metal detector, where the prioritized material is ejected to another conveyor where it passes under a second Max-AI AQC-2 robotic sorter for a final quality check of the fraction and is sent to a commodity bunker to be baled. Material that is not ejected to the second Max-AI AQC-2 is conveyed to a second material storage bunker.
When the second bunker (2) is full the system closes the gate to bunker 1 that feeds material to the conveyor, opening the gate to bunker 2 so that material moves from it onto the conveyor and to the Max-AI SpydIR optical sorter. The Autonomous Process System sorts each targeted commodity from the bunker 2 stream into its own commodity bin until the desired recovery values have been reached, purging any remaining residue once all targeted commodities have been depleted. Material coming into the system continuously
diverts the primary commodity to bunker 1 and the remaining material stream to bunker 2, even while bunker 1 is closed and bunker 2 is open. When the material in bunker 2 is depleted, the system closes it and reopens bunker 1. BHS’ Autonomous Processing System is con-
trolled holistically by the company’s Total Intelli- gence Platform which monitors and captures data from each connected motor and piece of intelli- gent equipment in the system in real-time, provid- ing insight into KPIs, system analytics, trend reports and alarms.
BHS developed a more intelligent sorting device with higher detection abilities by combining two existing technologies, its patented SpydIR optical sorter from its business unit National Recovery Technologies with its Max-AI technology. The new
26 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | September 2022
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
IMAGE: BHS
IMAGE: BHS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
