Sorting materials and removing contaminants in the plastics recycling industry

More and more plastics processors are turning towards recycling. Not only does this save energy, but used plastics are often cheaper than their new counterparts as well. However, recycling used plastics is only a profitable venture if the material has previously been separated into homogeneous fractions by colour and type in order to live up to high quality standards. Our sorting systems are there to handle this job – with precision, reliability and efficiency.

Zhongke Optic-electronic is one of the leading specialists for industrial plastics-sorting machines and systems. Our systems reliably differentiate materials using various types of sensor technology and efficiently separate material flows into homogeneous fractions by colour and type.

Details

Why is plastic recycled?

Plastic is produced mainly from petroleum, which is a finite resource. Plastics that are not recycled end up in landfills or in nature, where they serve as long-term sources of pollution, since they do not decompose or do so only very slowly. It is therefore necessary to recycle plastic waste in an eco-friendly way or to recover thermal energy at least through incineration.

Recycling saves energy, is good for the environment and is economical too, as recycled materials are frequently cheaper than new ones. What is more, it helps businesses that process plastics become more independent from fossil feedstock and cushion rising costs of raw materials. Recycled plastics can serve as an equal substitute for new, crude-oil-based materials in many applications. In addition, they can be recycled in many ways. For example, PET bottles can be turned into PET bottles (bottle-to-bottle principle) or textile fibres, polystyrene can be turned into pens, and CDs can transform into computer casing.

 

What are the challenges?

Plastics collected for recycling must have a high degree of purity. Only then can they be economically recycled and introduced as high-quality materials back into the production cycle. However, sorting certain plastics can place complex demands on the sorting system. Our separation and sorting systems remove contaminants, such as metals, wood or extraneous plastics, from the material and separate mixed material flows into homogeneous fractions by colour and type. To ensure safe detection, the systems are equipped with infrared sensors and high-resolution CCD cameras, for example.

What are the advantages of our systems?

Zhongke Optic-electronic has been one of the market leaders in the field of contaminant removal and sorting technology since 2002. We develop standard solutions as well as complete custom solutions for plastics-recycling companies in particular and cover the entire range of contaminant removal and sorting. This extends from a sorting system designed to handle plastic flake and pellet.

Our sorting systems work with precision, speed and efficiency. Better material quality, greater throughput levels and less loss of material increase added value. As a result, the purchase of equipment amortises rapidly. The machines can also reliably handle complex sorting tasks. They are used to pre-sort materials, perform quality checks, as well as sort or separate the following:

• Colours
• Metals
• Plastics, such as PET, HDPE, PVS and many more
• Contaminants, such as wood, paper and bioplastics

All Zhongke Optic-electronic systems have a modular design. Depending on the application, the components that are necessary for a specific sorting task can be combined in one machine.

 

What products or materials are sorted?

Zhongke Optic-electronic systems select granulate, plastic regrind or “flakes” − plastic pieces that are created during the process of recycling PET bottles. A granulator shreds the bottles at the recycling plant. After this step, the sorting system separates the pieces by colour and removes contaminants. This results in homogeneous granulate based on colour and type, which can be turned into new, high-quality products. Recycling rates of up to 100 per cent are possible with the use of Zhongke Optic-electronic systems for recycling plastic.

 

 

Recycled Plastic Optical Sorting Machine-Through substantial investment in research and development, Zhongke has developed state-of-the-art technology that allows recyclers to maximize the recovery and purity of their recycled plastics and reduce the amount of reusable material that ends up in landfill every year.

Zhongke is active in many areas of plastic recycling from the packaging, construction, electronic/electrical (WEEE), End-of-Life vehicle (ELV) to the petrochemical industries, providing solutions to the most difficult and challenging applications.

Recycled Plastic Optical Sorting Machine-PET Sorting

Solutions tailored to suit your needs

Zhongke is renowned worldwide for supplying industry leading optical sorting solutions that maximize not only your processing capacities but also the recovery and purity of your recycled PET (rPET) flakes. Through the removal of unwanted colors, polymer contaminants, metals and foreign materials, recyclers can be confident of the highest grade rPET flake with near-pure resin streams.The comprehensive PET sorting portfolio from Zhongke brings together industry leading sorting technologies providing recyclers with dedicated and precise detection systems targeting all major recycling concerns. Using a combination of transmissive and reflective sorting technologies, our flake sorters are equipped to target anything from the removal unwanted colors, metals and foreign materials to the removal of same-in-colour polymer contaminants such as PVC, PP and PE.

The flake sorters can also be tailored into a full turnkey solution including not only the optical sorting equipment but also all auxiliary equipment in addition to valuable automation, engineering and service expertise. Turn to the first choice supplier of PET sorting technology to maximize your processing capacities, recovery and purity today.

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Recycled Plastic Optical Sorting Machine-HDPE Sorting

Solutions tailored to suit your needs

HDPE is sourced from packaging materials; milk bottles, bottle caps, detergent and shampoo bottles. To obtain a finished sort of quality and purity, a processor needs to obtain near-pure resin streams. This is achieved through the removal of defects and foreign materials.The range of optical sorters meet this requirement. Equipped with the latest in technological advances, typical defects such as coloured PE and PP, packaging labels, aluminium and wood is effectively detected and removed.

 

Pellet Sorting

Solutions tailored to suit your needs

During the manufacturing of plastic resin, the product often develops various defects. To obtain a finish sort of quality and purity, a processor needs to remove these challenging defects and foreign materials.The range meet this requirement. It is equipped with the latest in technology; custom-built, high definition cameras, shape detection and high-speed ejectors. Typical and challenging defects such as minute spot defects, discoloration, misshapen pellets and clumps can be effectively removed.

 

uPVC Sorting

Solutions tailored to suit your needs

uPVC window off-cuts are sourced from double-glazing window fabricators, whereas post-consumer product comes from demolition of properties. This presents many challenges in sorting, including the isolation of black rubber seal fragments and, more importantly, the removal of white silicon, nylon and rubber from white uPVC regrind.The Zhongke optical sorters is the ideal sorting equipment for plastic processors and recyclers of white, brown and coloured. Equipped with the latest in technological advances, the range effectively detects these as defects and foreign materials, and efficiently removes them.

 

With the core sorting technology ,Our plastic color sorter can sort anything.Our plastic color sorting machine can be widely used in sorting PET bottle flakes,HDPE/LDPE bottle flakes,PE/PP bottle caps and ABS/PS/PC engineering plastic and so on.

 

Recycled Plastic Optical Sorting Machine Specification

Model	RC-4	RC-5	RC-6	RC-8
Channels	256	320	384	512
Capacity(t/h)	1.0-2.0	1.3-2..3	1.6-2.6	2.2-3.3
Power(kw)	2.2	2.6	3	4
Voltage(V)	110-250V/50-60Hz	110-250V/50-60Hz	110-250V/50-60Hz	110-250V/50-60Hz
Sorting accuracy	99.99%	99.99%	99.99%	99.99%
Rejection rate(bad:good)	≧10:1	≧10:1	≧10:1	≧10:1
Dimension(mm)	1965*1630*2050	2225*1290*1710	2595*1630*2050	3350*1630*2050
Air consumption(L/M)	1000-1800	1300-2200	1500-3000	2000-4000
Weight(kg)	750	880	1050	1400

Remark:we have 12 models for optical sorting plastic,here we just list 4 models for reference.

 

Optical sorting for recycled plastic samples       

 

Recycled Plastic Optical Sorting Machine Videos on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYxgvmvoHadW_A8df653tIBlLmNokVoU5