Swiss company Bühler has introduced a new one-machine solution, dubbed SORTEX A GlowVision, for bottle-to-bottle and food-packaging applications.
The new sorting solution, which is designed, built and validated at the firm’s London facility, features a custom-built inspection system, double-sided cameras and flexible chute configuration.
Designed for PET recyclers, the new four-in-one optical sorting solution is suitable for simultaneous colour, polymer, foreign material and loose-label sorting.
The company is offering the SORTEX A GlowVision in three to five chute models on a five-module frame. Its custom-built inspection system is designed for PET sorting.
Bühler’s new solution holds the potential to deal with opaque, white, and transparent coloured flakes, as well as polymer defects such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS) and polyamide (PA).
The SORTEX A GlowVision is also available with the company’s built-in SORTEX monitoring system subscription, which allows to continuously analyse data straight from the new one-machine solution.
Bühler’s SORTEX monitoring system, which offers real-time monitoring on performance indicators such as yield and throughput, delivers mobile alerts to operators on unusual sorter performance. It will help operators to make adjustments to avoid any wastage and minimise downtime.
The generated sorter data can be used by processors to track key performance indicators (KPIs) in weekly or monthly performance reports.
In addition, the SORTEX A GlowVision is available with SortControl, which will help integrate the sorter with a local automation system through a compatible programmable logic controller (PLC) for central data collection.
Via the integration of automation protocols, SortControl facilitates the implementation of requirements for Industry 4.0 compatibility.
Bühler plastics segment head Lawrence Kuhn said: “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 colour and polymer defects, providing one of the most comprehensive solutions on the market today.”