With the reality of diminishing natural resources, mounting landfill, electronic scrap and energy security issues, there are ongoing efforts to source alternatives to raw materials, develop new approaches to utilise end-of-life products as well as the creation of alternative energy sources. New ideas are conceived every day to utilise, recycle or reuse plastics and other materials contained within the products we don’t think twice about replacing. And so the cycle continues…

STEINERT’s UniSort Analyser is used for efficient quality management in the production of substitute fuels (SF), recording and storage of data such as calorific value, PVC content and material composition.

Individuals, businesses and communities in Australia, for example, the Australian Industrial Ecology Network’s Waste to Energy Forum, are leading the charge to showcase the variety of creative and innovative approaches from globally proven examples. STEINERT Australia supports these efforts by providing resource recovery processing operations with efficient solutions to produce clean, market-ready or usable end-products (e.g. Refuse Derived Fuel).

STEINERT Australia continues to develop new sorting and separation technologies and enhance existing technology in response to the demands of the global resource recovery sector, offering a wide portfolio of equipment for a range of industries throughout this sector.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), for example, provides an accessible source of valuable materials, mostly in forms ready for processing, including iron, copper, aluminium, glass, paper and plastics. In the event that recovery is not feasible from an economic or technical point of view, they can still be used as a feedstock to produce Process Engineered Fuel (PEF) which can then be utilised as an alternative to fossil fuels.

PEF is produced by shredding and dehydrating MSW using separation technologies such as magnetic and sensor-based sorting equipment. The residual material can be sold in its processed form, depending on the process treatment, or it may be compressed into pellets, bricks or logs and used for other purposes.

The resulting PEF consists largely of the high-calorific, combustible components of municipal waste such as plastics and biodegradable waste, which can be used in Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facilities to produce clean, renewable energy.

Smart sensor-based sorting

There are many links in a successful recycling chain and materials sorting is an increasingly important one.

STEINERT’s UniSort range is built specifically for resource recovery and identification. Utilising a range of detection and separation technologies, the UniSort line of machines automatically sorts waste at different points along the recovery and recycling path.  

The state-of-the-art UniSort Black recognises and sorts dark fragments from the spectrum in order to add them to the recycling cycle later on. As a result, the residual fraction to be disposed of is minimised, significantly reducing disposal costs.

The UniSort PR sorts large items, such as whole soft drink bottles, to achieve a high level of purity. Recycling facilities utilising the UniSort PR can increase their throughput and the purity of their recovered materials, assisting in the creation of higher value recycled products.

Increasingly, customers are demanding continuous real-time analysis of the materials being used in the production of substitute fuels (SF) for thermal recovery. The UniSort Analyser, in conjunction with the UniSort PR, provides a base for efficient quality management for substitute fuels. The UniSort Analyser’s real-time analysis offers a solution for continuous, real-time quality control using HSI technology.

Improved magnetic separation solutions

Continuous updates to proven magnetic separation equipment in response to market requirements is something STEINERT is renowned for.

The new STEINERT EddyC Fines (eddy current separator) which collects non-ferrous metals used when recycling aluminium, shredder material, and household waste, is an example. This machine has recently been further developed into a high frequency model especially suitable for use with fine-grained materials and slag.

Tradition + innovation

Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facilities are fast becoming an integrated approach to managing municipal solid waste around the world, and STEINERT sorting machines can help streamline the process.

From traditional and trusted magnetic separation equipment, right through to innovative sensor sorting technologies, STEINERT helps customers achieve their goals with sustainable solutions. This enables the delivery of ‘value-added’ solutions from design and consultation through to manufacturing, installation and commissioning services.

STEINERT service doesn’t end when your equipment is delivered - it marks the beginning of a reliable partnership for your long-term benefit.

Go to www.steinert.com.au for more information.