Designed, built, and validated at Bühler’s facility in London, the SORTEX A GlowVision was unveiled at a digital launch event held on June 24 that attracted attendees from more than 40 countries. “The launch of the SORTEX A GlowVision is welcome news for PET recyclers around the world,” says Lawrence Kuhn, Bühler’s new Head of Segment for Plastics. “It’s a groundbreaking ‘4-in-1’ optical sorting solution that can be used for simultaneous color, polymer, foreign material and loose-label sorting. It’s the first Bühler optical sorter to feature integrated digital solutions from day one. Exceptional efficiency and accuracy are assured.”
Outstanding results
In response to growing demand, the SORTEX A GlowVision also offers a simultaneous re-sort function, which delivers the highest ever reject concentration (up to 40% when the re-sort channel is deployed). The SORTEX A GlowVision is available in three to five chute models on a five-module frame and features a custom-built inspection system designed specifically for PET sorting.
Kuhn explains: “As a 4-in-1 sorting solution for bottle-to-bottle and food applications, the SORTEX A GlowVision has been designed with the increasing industry requirements in mind. In this respect the SORTEX A GlowVision will be of great interest to PET processors looking to reduce contamination levels on key color and polymer defects, providing one of the most comprehensive solutions on the market today. Thanks to its unique double-sided camera viewing technology, the SORTEX A GlowVision provides outstanding results, performing impressively on a broad range of defects typically found in PET streams.” The SORTEX A GlowVision deals effectively with opaque, white, and transparent colored flakes, as well as on polymer defects including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS) and polyamide (PA), not to mention a superior performance on metals and significant reduction of loose labels.
SORTEX monitoring system
The SORTEX A GlowVision also comes with Bühler’s built-in SORTEX monitoring system subscription. The cloud-based system continuously analyzes data straight from the SORTEX A GlowVision and provides operators with real-time monitoring of key performance indicators such as yield and throughput. This helps to improve productivity and keep yield consistently high.
The at-a-glance dashboard of the SORTEX monitoring system, which can be viewed on a mobile phone, laptop, or tablet, provides a simple yet comprehensive overview of each sorter, with alarms able to notify the customer when their key parameters are out of specs. Kuhn continues: “Our experts can help operators to configure their own thresholds and alarm settings according to their specific needs and enables benchmarking with comparable equipment or plants in different locations.”
Performance reports
The SORTEX monitoring system, which tracks the sorter’s performance in real-time, sends operators instant mobile alerts should any unusual sorter performance occur. Operators can then make adjustments to avoid any wastage, while minimizing downtime. Processors can use the generated sorter data to track key performance indicators (KPIs) in weekly or monthly performance reports.
“The SORTEX monitoring system measures input contamination and defect trends, which are useful performance parameters,” Kuhn says. “Warnings for over and under ejections of certain defect types is also a key feature of the monitoring system. It allows operators to immediately adapt their operations and ensure the quality output level. Analyzing such data requires expert knowledge which can otherwise be time-consuming. But our digital services automate the process, saving operators time and effort, while providing the metrics and KPIs that matter most.”
Control and support
The SORTEX A GlowVision also comes with SortControl – as optional – which helps to integrate the sorter with a local automation system via a compatible programmable logic controller (PLC), enabling central data collection. An interface between the optical sorter and the automation system will be achieved using a proprietary gateway. Through the integration of automation protocols, SortControl enables the implementation of requirements for Industry 4.0 compatibility.
Kuhn says: “SortControl provides management information about the solution’s status, recipes, etc. With our digital solutions, processors can maximize uptime, maintain optimal performance, avoid constantly monitoring technologies and maximize their return on investment.”
Those who invest in a SORTEX A GlowVision or indeed any of Bühler’s solutions can also rely upon a highly experienced global support network, says Kuhn. “With 100 service stations and application and training centers in 24 locations around the world, our customers have access to qualified engineers and original spare part warehouses as and when they need them,” he says.
