
Photo courtesy of Tomra Recycling
The Tomra Recycling business unit of Norway-based Tomra ASA says the latest generation of its X-Tract sorting device has harnessed the power of X-ray transmission (XRT) technology based on identifying atomic density to detect and separate recyclable wood from impurities, including inert materials (rocks and concrete), metals, rigid plastic and glass.
Tomra says its new sorting device is capable of processing up to 33.6 tons (30 metric tons) of wood chips per hour, depending on material conditions like moisture content and grain size.
The device delivers “exceptional speed and accuracy in removing contaminants,” says Tomra, with a desired outcome of producing high-purity recycled wood content to meet buyer specifications.
The new X-Tract comes with a 16,000-hour warranty on components including the X-Ray source and sensor, which Tomra says demonstrates its confidence in the robustness and longevity of the X-Tract.
“Tomra’s continuous investment in the global wood segment, combined with the expertise of its skilled in-house engineers and wood processing specialists, has resulted in the latest generation X-Tract boasting numerous value-add features and capabilities,” states the company.
Features of the new X-Tract model include a new standard ejection module the firm says delivers greater precision and reduces the amount of compressed air needed by up to 25 percent, depending on application and infeed material. “As a result, customers can benefit from significant energy cost savings without compromising throughput rates,” says Tomra.
Regarding sorting accuracy, Tomra says the new model delivers high ejection rates, consistently exceeding 98 percent for metals (excluding foil), 98 percent for inert contaminants and 97 percent for rigid plastics.
On the environmental and safety front, a dust-resistant design prevents blockages and dust build-up, says the technology vendor, and the unit’s sensor comes with a reinforced design that enables Tomra to offer its extended component warranty.
“A redesigned catcher hood enables safer and faster maintenance, minimizing disruptions and maximizing uptime,” adds Tomra.
The firm says X-Tract can work in coordination with its GAINnext deep learning-based technology designed to sort wood by material type. Combined the two devices can take recyclable wood sorting “to the next level by identifying objects by their shape, size and visual characteristics, enabling the differentiation between various types of wood or wood composites,” says Tomra.
GAINnext can be deployed in a range of wood recycling applications, says Tomra, with an ability to distinguish between non-processed wood (Wood A) and processed wood (Wood B) such as oriented strandboard (OSB), chipboard and coated materials.
It also can recover high-purity medium-density fiberboard (MDF) for MDF-to-MDF processing, adds the firm.
“The combination of X-Tract and GAINnext delivers an unprecedented level of purity, resulting in recycled waste wood of near-virgin quality and, ultimately, opening new profitable revenue streams for our valued customers,” says Jose Matas, head of waste emerging segments at Tomra Recycling,
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