Extrusion International 6-2021

39 Extrusion International 6/2021 the PURITY SCANNER ADVANCED to sort primarily transparent, natural- colored and, to a lesser extent, col- ored pellets. The focus is on unrein- forced materials which, after sorting, fi nd their use in high-quality optical applications. Each system is equipped with 3 optical cameras, which detect even the smallest optical impurities from 50 μ m in size and automati- cally sort them out by compressed air pulse. If required, the PURITY SCANNER ADVANCED can also be extended by an X-ray camera for the detection of metal particles in the raw material. “Black specks are the focus of our sorting work. In addition, we remove all discolorations that have a dif- ferent color than the polymer to be sorted,” explains Groß and contin- ues: “As a service provider, SORTCO is confronted with new materials and new and old contamination every day. This means that we also have to adjust the PURITY SCANNER ADVANCED to constantly chang- ing products and customer require- ments. We therefore create a spe- cial recipe for each product that can also be used and adapted for future jobs.” During sorting, the PURITY SCANNER ADVANCED automatically records the number of all defects, the smallest edge length of the op- tical defect, the contamination area and, for example, the size class of the defect, which can be freely adjusted and speci fi ed according to customer requirements. In addition, the system detects the intensity with which the color deviation was detected. “All key data is checked again at the end of the job, stored and a test report is generated for the customer. Logging of the results is also possible but must be decided due to the large volume of data,” sums up Lars Ruttmann, Managing Director at SORTCO. “Our customers appreciate that we understand their problem about the cause and effect of the defect, i.e. we dispose of plastics know-how, offer the appropriate solution and take over all the work necessary to pro- duce the optimal quality,” summariz- es Groß, adding, “By commissioning optical sorting, our customers con- tribute to a very signi fi cant extent to protecting our environment and avoiding waste.” He advises interest- ed customers for whom sorting is an option to take a closer look at prod- ucts that have recently shown higher reclamation costs. “It is compara- tively easy to calculate a comparison between sorting costs and potential savings. However, if the customer also takes into account his lost sales, his loss of image and all the costs for unnecessarily consumed resources such as energy, machines, personnel, materials, freight, etc., many people get very wide-eyed. The advantages of sorting always outweigh the dis- advantages,” concludes Groß. Ruttmann also sees an increasing de- mand for optically sorted raw mate- rials in the future. “Sorting is in de- mand because manufacturers have recognized that special requirements also necessitate special measures. We are pleased to have found such a reliable partner in SIKORA and its sorting system, with whom we suc- cessfully cooperate in our core busi- ness.” Plastic pellets are optically inspected and sorted by the PURITY SCANNER ADVANCED SIKORA AG Bruchweide 2, 28307 Bremen, Germany www.sikora.net Surface. Geometry. All-In-One. www.pixargus.com Optical Inline Inspection of extruded products Small- budget solutions