Sensor-based sorting and identification is widely used by different industries. Lately, the importance of material recycling has created new requirements and needs for separation generally. The need to use all type of materials in a better way has led to a stronger focus on efficient mining and re-use and recycling of materials. Recycling of metals, plastics, glass, building materials and sorting mined mineral particles is growing particularly rapidly.
For this market Comex has developed a new optical sorting system based on a complex image analysis including X-ray analysis. The same system can be used for both material sorting and identification or material characterisation without necessary separation.
The CXR separation systems are characterised by the following features:
- Extending the optical properties to other frequencies than in the visible light: MIR, NIR, UV and X-ray in the same equipment
- Applying different frequencies for lighting (LED, lasers) and selective camera filters – interacting between the lighting and analysed frequency
- Digital filtration: by geometrical parameters, morphology analysis, FFT filtration, shape matching, colour matching, colour pattern matching
- Intelligent system for decision making: some procedures can be executed faster than others on three levels:
- "unconditioned response" principle
- Accurate analysis using the primary feature (colour, size)
- Complex analysis using all available information
- Advanced Rejection Control – separate FPGA based system
- Optimal programming platform – flexibility and acceptable system price
