Machinex : Driving Innovation in MRF Automation: Sherbourne Resource Park
Sherbourne Recycling Ltd, an innovative waste management company, selected Machinex to design, manufacture and install a highly automated system to effectively process residential single stream recyclate at purity levels unparalleled in the United Kingdom. The aim was to deliver a state-of-the-art facility that would remain efficient and responsive to changes in legislation, product design, and consumer habits for the next 20 years, integrating advanced technologies and reducing reliance on manual labor. The result was Sherbourne Resource Park, the most advanced MRF in the UK. The facility highlights the successful collaboration between Sherbourne Recycling and Machinex that enabled the vision of the two companies to become a reality.
CLIENT BACKGROUND
Sherbourne Recycling Ltd was established by eight local authorities in the West Midlands, UK, in 2021. The facility was designed to process an average of 47.5 metric tons per hour (TPH) of mixed recyclate collected from 1.5 million households. Materials include news and pams, mixed paper, cardboard, metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), plastics, glass residue, and more.
OBJECTIVES & CHALLENGES:
- The goal was to minimize manual sorting and maximize automation, while offering skilled jobs for the community to build a career in the recycling industry.
- The objective was to implement a SMART sorting system that would set new standards in waste management, reaching 99% purity on all targeted commodities.
- The primary challenge was to develop a future proof MRF that integrated advanced technologies and adhered to the principles of interconnectivity which is breaking new ground in the industry.
THE MRF DESIGN APPROACH
The client chose Machinex based on their unique MRF design solution, which allowed for close interaction and a partnership-like relationship. This approach ensured that Machinex fully understood the client’s needs, resulting in the design and delivery of a customized facility. Moreover, Machinex demonstrated that their cutting-edge technology and equipment quality would allow more flexibility, the ability to plan ahead for change in legislation or economic drivers as well as changes in consumer habits. The MRF design had to align in order to provide a lower total cost of ownership over the 20 years+ lifespan of the facility.
Working with Machinex enabled us to succeed in developing the most advanced MRF in the UK. Furthermore, we were able to source all technologies, equipment, and installation requirements from a single supplier which made our job much easier.Layla Shannon, Business Manager, Sherbourne Recycling Ltd.
DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS
Machinex proposed a comprehensive solution that combined advanced sorting equipment and artificial intelligence, enabling adherence to the principles of interconnectivity. Their proven technologies provide data that allows Sherbourne Recycling Ltd the ability grow as a company and make decisions about the future of their operations.
| TECHNOLOGY | # units in MRF | PURPOSE | POWERED BY |
|---|---|---|---|
| SamurAI® Sorting Robot | 14 | Single arm & double arm cells to positively sort and quality control designated material. Up to 70 picks/min. | Artificial Intelligence |
| Mach Hyspec® optical sorter | 13 | High performance sorting to reach maximum purity on fiber and container line. Up to 3000 ejections/minute | High-speed, short wave infra-red (SWIR) hyperspectral detection system & can be combined with Mach Vision™ (AI) |
| Mach Vision ™ | 2 | Real-time stream composition breakdown & sorting system data collection. | Artificial Intelligence |
| Mach Intell™ Business Intelligence Platform | Deployed across the facility | Dashboard providing real-time data: material composition, volume per material, KPIs, trends, etc. | n/a |
| Semi-Automated sampling line | 1 | Relies on automation to provide sampling reports within the facility. | Artificial Intelligence |
The sorting system includes hundreds of equipment, the list above includes key smart equipment. For the full list please visit: Case Studies - Machinex (machinexrecycling.com).
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The successful collaboration between Sherbourne Recycling and Machinex resulted in the implementation of a groundbreaking automated MRF. By leveraging advanced technologies and optimizing sorting processes, the facility achieves significant reductions in labor requirements while maintaining extremely high material recovery rates.
This deep dive into the Sherbourne Resource Park has revealed how Machinex built a MRF processing 50 TPH of single stream recycling, reaching up to 99% purity on all targeted commodities, with only 5 manual sorters.