Lukas Armatys, Managing Director of STEINERT MSort in Wedel, is proud of his team. The product development team has solved a problem for which other manufacturers require a much more expensive technology to solve. "In addition to the usual impurities such as CSP and metal, we can now detect and remove heat-resistant glass and plastics in a single step, in combination with colour sorting. As this new product is available as an upgrade for all existing sorting systems, purchasing this sorting solution is much more cost-effective than the options of competitors. And there's no need for complex modification work either," says Armatys. This is very good news for all glass recyclers, no matter whether they work with flat glass or container glass. This is because there is no need for complicated and costly work involved in removing the old and installing the new sorting systems; the new sorting solutions are simply added to the existing machine via an upgrade.
Why HR (heat-resistant) glass is an impurity and how to remove it
As recyclers in the waste glass recycling sector aim to create the cleanest possible closed loop to produce new bottles and glasses, glass melters require a cullet flow that is suitable for remelting packaging glass. Whilst the thermal stability of glass is important for functional usage, it is a problem during the melting process. HR glass therefore differs from standard container glass used for bottles and glasses in terms of its chemical composition and melting behaviour, and therefore has to be removed. However, if an impurity has similar characteristics that are used for detection of the target product (such as flint glass), then solving this sorting problem becomes a challenge. Nevertheless, the developers have managed to detect both plastics and HR glass (both of which can resemble flint glass) using simple, and therefore cost-effective, sensor technology. The engineers made use of wavelengths outside the visible spectrum to find the difference. To do this, they tested and analysed countless pieces of glass. This is because there are many different types of HR glass that do not belong in the standard packaging glass stream. These include, in particular, microwave, oven and cookware glass, or similar specialist glass such as ceramic hobs, as well as protective screens for fireplaces.
MSort AX has been operating reliably for months
This new development has already proven its worth over a considerable period of time with a long-standing glass recycling customer. The 14-year-old sorting system is now operating with the new development in this case. The latest tests show that the MSort AX detects and removes HR glass with 99% accuracy. This is efficient for the customer, as the system did not have to be modified – just a few days were needed for the upgrade and the results are excellent.
Test your materials at the Test Center in Wedel
For anyone interested in taking advantage of these new opportunities, sorting tests are available at the Test Center in Wedel. Book an appointment with your glass recycling expert now.