AI boosts battery fire safety at EUR 65 million recycling plant    

A handshake at the IFAT trade show in Munich marks the launch of smart safety technology to help prevent battery fires at Austrian plastics recycler TriPlast.

TriPlast, a joint venture between Altstoff Recycling Austria, Bernegger and Der Grüne Punkt, is equipping its state-of-the-art sorting plant for light packaging in Enns, Upper Austria, with AI-supported X-ray technology.  

From September, WeSort.AI’s X.Sort system will be in operation, safeguarding material flows weighing several tonnes and ‘thus setting new standards in plant safety.’

Reducing the risk

According to the tech solutions provider, the move is a response to what is currently the recycling industry’s worst-case scenario: fires caused by lithium-ion batteries that have been disposed of incorrectly.  

To better protect its overall investment of EUR 65 million, and above all its on-site staff, TriPlast is expanding its comprehensive safety measures and implementing an additional step at the start of the sorting process.

Highlight: pre-screening

A key technical feature of the new installation lies in its early placement. The X.Sort is positioned directly behind the input module.  ‘We intercept the risk before it becomes a hazard further down the line,’ explains Daniel Hayn, head of marketing and sales at WeSort.AI. ‘Immediately after the containers are opened, our system scans the material flow using X-ray transmission and AI. Individual batteries or e-waste hidden in the rubbish are immediately ejected using compressed air, even before they reach the actual sorting plant.’ 

From experience, WeSort.AI has learned that, on average, 12.5 kg of hazardous contaminants are safely removed from the process per hour. For Enns, WeSort.AI is also integrating a new AI model that detects high-density contaminants to prevent mechanical damage to the machinery.

Security of supply

At the plant in Enns, some 100 000 tonnes of lightweight packaging from Germany and Austria are sorted into 24 high-purity fractions every year. Any plant shutdown would have immediate and major impact on downstream recyclers. ‘As operators of one of the most modern facilities in Europe, we bear an enormous responsibility towards our employees and for ensuring the supply of secondary raw materials to the economy,’ says TriPlast md Jürgen Secklehner. ‘WeSort.AI’s technology has thoroughly impressed us in live operation. The X.Sort helps to effectively address rising battery risks and maintain sorting quality at a high level.’