Machinex delivers high-speed optical sorter

United States – Machinex Group claims its new Mach Hyspec optical sorting machine ensures efficiency thanks to its high-speed short-wave infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral detection system.

‘This machine exceeds some industry standards by using a detection system that takes less than 1 millisecond to analyse the belt, allowing for the processing of a high volume of material in a short time,’ Machinex notes. The higher depth field detection of 430 mm on the belt is said to have an ‘unsurpassed’ efficiency on ejection of rolling objects.

The optical sorter features a colour recognition option and a metal detector. The various models in the range can detect different material types, such as plastics, including PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP and PS, and fibre products including paper and carton containers. This makes the machine suitable for use in different material recovery roles, for example construction, demolition and municipal solid waste facilities as well as single-stream plants. ‘The risk of fire is reduced to a minimum by unique, patent-pending light system technology, creating diffused light that generates low heat on the material passing through the sorter,’ the manufacturer adds. It claims maintenance managers will value a machine that has no moving parts used in its optical and detection system.

Brendon Pantano, district manager at Progressive Waste Solutions in Miami, USA, comments: ‘The Mach Hyspec optical sorter that we are using to sort PET at our Miami facility has not only surpassed other machines in efficiency and purity, but has also changed our mindset about the expectations we should anticipate from any optical sorter we purchase going forward.’