The result is an ultra-modern sorting facility has been built to process plastics from mixed post-consumer packaging. Around two thirds of the input is polypropylene (PP) film; with the rest comprising polyethylene (PE) and a mix of polyolefins (PO), predominantly from pre-sorted material from post-consumer packaging facilities across Europe – from Austria to Norway.
At the heart of the facility are two Steinert UniSort Film EVO 5.0 machines, which use a special airflow system, synchronised precisely to the belt speed. “We were particularly impressed with the directional and stabilised airflow”, explains Kuhlenbeck. “This means that even lightweight and flexible films remain firmly on the conveyor belt. And the airflow works right into the discharge hood so that the material hardly swirls at all after shooting out. The UniSort Film is the most fully developed solution currently available on the market for our requirements.”
This precise flow of material permits a belt speed of 4.5 m/s, which is essential to high throughput and cost-effective sorting, especially with awkward 2D materials. With plastic films in particular, they are thereby prevented from overlapping or twisting and only then can the combination of sensors from the near-infrared sensor (NIR) and colour camera be fully effective. This accurate form of data capture is required to reliably achieve the desired purity rate of 98 percent from PP film.
After sorting, further processing steps follow, and finally the agglomeration of the films and the crushing of the hard plastics into flakes. These intermediate products are then run through the Steinert MOH magnet combination separator with EddyC FINES to remove tiny ferrous and non-ferrous particles. The plastic agglomerate then goes straight to GRAF, where it is used to manufacture durable products for rainwater utilisation. Customers thereby benefit from products that are not just sustainable but also display the same quality as new ones, without having to make any trade-offs.
Klaus Kuhlenbeck stresses how important it was to him that his investment was future-proofed: “We have consciously designed our facility such that we can flexibly respond to changing requirements. We are aware that packaging materials are changing all the time. With the NIR and colour sensor combination, we can adapt to future trends.”
Kuhlenbeck clearly believes that: “A facility is never really ever complete. We are continually coming up against new challenges, such as composite materials, that are still hard to sort, or aluminised films, which can impact on the end product if not detected and removed.” And this is exactly why he stresses the importance of dialogue along the value-added chain: “For decades, companies worked alone. Only now are we really starting to talk to one another. So together we are improving recycling, creating better packaging and driving the circular economy forwards.”
