Bühler system yields returns for Swiss plastics recycler
An integrated optical sorting station designed by Bühler installed at the Poly Recycling GmbH plant in Switzerland has yielded a full return on investment (ROI) in six months, according to the two companies.
The installation includes three Sortex optical sorters for the separation and sorting of recycled plastic flakes at the plant in Weinfelden, Switzerland. Also included in the installation were “plant engineering, sorting technology, mechanical separation machinery, pneumatic conveyors, pre-conditioners and auxiliary equipment,” according to Bühler.
The installation has provided Poly Recycling with a processing line capable of sorting a wide range of polymers, colors and PET products “to create plastic flakes of a higher quality standard than previously possible for its customers,” according to a press release issued by Bühler.
“This is a significant development for plastic recycling processors who are increasingly required to remove unwanted polymers together with unwanted colors and foreign materials, including flakes coated with glue or adhesives, loose paper labels, aluminum and ferrous metals,” says the company. “It also enables multinational food and beverage companies to meet the demands of the food industry for high quality food grade recycled rPET products [to increase] the use of recycled materials in plastic packaging.”
Poly Recycling sought Bühler’s help to increase the capacity and quality of its rPET flake sorting at its Swiss facility, which is now sorting more than 3 metric tons per hour. Buhler also helped the firm overcome an issue of PVC contamination from labels on rPET bottles, using newly developed PVC Label Reduction Kits from Bühler.
Previously supplying the food industry (where recycled plastic flakes are used to produce food packaging and beverage bottles), cosmetics products packagers and makers of films, containers and strapping, the use of Poly Recycling’s plastic flakes has now been extended to the clothing and automotive industries, where the product is used in the production of airbags, seat belts, insulation mats and air filters.
“Since the installation, there have been no issues with our Bühler optical sorting line,” says Casper van de Dungen, managing director of Poly Recycling GmbH. “The equipment has been running 24 hours a day and seven days a week with no breakdowns. We’ve not only been able to improve the quality of our plastic flakes but have reduced the wastage of good product during processing, resulting in a return on our investment in just six months.”
Bernhard Gabauer, segment development manager for plastics at Bühler, comments, “By choosing Bühler for its fully integrated optical sorting solution, Poly Recycling is well positioned to further expand its industrial processing of rPET beverage containers to high-quality Poly rPET flakes. Since the installation, we’ve been working closely with a number of leading plastic processors across Europe to install our optical sorting station and look forward to extending our solutions further to the wider plastics recycling sector.”
Bühler, based in Uzwil, Switzerland, provides industrial process technologies, including flour mills and other food processing systems as well as die casting, wet grinding, surface coating, optics, electronics, and printing and packaging inks. Bühler acquired London-based Sortex in 1993 and maintains its optical sorting headquarters and service center there.
Source: Recycling Today
Bühler system yields returns for Swiss plastics recycler
An integrated optical sorting station designed by Bühler installed at the Poly Recycling GmbH plant in Switzerland has yielded a full return on investment (ROI) in six months, according to the two companies. The installation includes three Sortex optical sorters for the separation and sorting of recycled plastic flakes at the plant in Weinfelden, Switzerland. Also included in the installation were “plant engineering, sorting technology, mechanical separation machinery, pneumatic conveyors, pre-conditioners and auxiliary equipment,” according to Bühler. The installation has provided Poly Recycling with a processing line capable of sorting a wide range of polymers, colors and PET products “to create plastic flakes of a higher quality standard than previously possible for its customers,” according to a press release issued by Bühler. “This is a significant development for plastic recycling processors who are increasingly required to remove unwanted polymers together with unwanted colors and foreign materials, including flakes coated with glue or adhesives, loose paper labels, aluminum and ferrous metals,” says the company. “It also enables multinational food and beverage companies to meet the demands of the food industry for high quality food grade recycled rPET products [to increase] the use of recycled materials in plastic packaging.” Poly Recycling sought…