Scrap metal recycling : Revolutionary technology transforms metal recovery

The recycling industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, driven by increasing demand for efficient material recovery and stringent purity requirements. TOMRA Recycling's latest innovation, FINDER™ COLOR, represents a significant leap forward in addressing these challenges, offering a next-generation color sorting solution specifically engineered for high-throughput metal recovery applications.

The new FINDER™ COLOR system demonstrates particular effectiveness in recovering valuable materials such as copper and brass from mixed heavy metals, while also excelling in cleaning stainless steel fractions, including those sourced from end-of-life vehicles. The technology's versatility extends to achieving high-level purification of printed circuit boards (PCBs) from mixed electronic waste streams.

Operating across grain sizes from 6-120mm, the system delivers impressive throughputs of up to 20 tons per hour on Zorba material, making it suitable for large-scale industrial operations. This processing capacity positions the technology as a viable solution for facilities handling substantial volumes of mixed metallic materials

At the core of FINDER™ COLOR lies an ultra-precise RGB camera system coupled with advanced AI-powered object singulation technology. This combination enables accurate, object-level sorting down to millimeter precision, even when materials are overlapping, adjacent, or share similar coloration with the conveyor belt surface.

The single-camera system categorizes materials based on multiple parameters including color, size, and shape, providing operators with comprehensive control and exceptional accuracy levels. For applications requiring enhanced purification capabilities, an optional electromagnetic (EM) sensor can be integrated into the system configuration.

The optional high-sensitivity EM sensor proves particularly valuable when processing materials with similar color profiles, enhancing metal extraction from mixed streams in batch processing mode. This functionality supports PCB classification in electronic scrap applications and complements the RGB sensor by providing an additional purification layer against plastic contamination.

System operators benefit from easy configuration options supporting both batch and continuous flow sorting methodologies, with rapid switching capabilities between different material fractions. This operational flexibility allows facilities to adapt quickly to varying material streams, such as transitioning from copper processing one day to brass separation the next.

FINDER™ COLOR's compact and simplified design facilitates seamless integration into existing sorting infrastructures. The system features an accessible maintenance platform and valve block engineered for efficient servicing requirements, minimizing downtime and operational disruptions.

Connectivity options include integration with TOMRA Insight, an optional cloud-based data platform that enables optimized, data-driven sorting operations through real-time monitoring and analytics capabilities.

"Feedback from our metals customers highlighted the need for a highly flexible sorting machine to cover a wide range of sorting tasks," explains Tom Jansen, Head of Metal Segments at TOMRA Recycling. "After 25 years of offering color sorters, we continue to see strong demand for versatile, highly accurate, reliable and cost-efficient solutions. FINDER™ COLOR pushes the boundaries of what color sorting machines can achieve with applications like separating stainless steel from a mixed fraction of other grey metals, such as zinc and aluminum, and purifying e-scrap to help customers maximize their output and stay competitive."

The new system can function as a standalone unit or integrate with existing processing lines following magnetic separation procedures. It also serves as an effective solution for extracting value from heavy metals removed by XRT technology, including TOMRA's X-TRACT™ systems.

FINDER™ COLOR proves particularly effective as a final-stage sorting solution for extracting value from PCBs in electronic scrap applications and can process stainless steel and wire materials recovered using TOMRA's existing FINDER™ units. These integration possibilities optimize complete sorting processes, enabling customers to refine performance while reducing operational complexity and driving enhanced business value

Developed by TOMRA's in-house engineering team, the same experts responsible for the company's comprehensive portfolio of metal sorting machines, FINDER™ COLOR represents the culmination of over two decades of color sorting innovation. The technology builds upon TOMRA's established legacy in sensor-based sorting solutions while incorporating cutting-edge AI algorithms to adapt to evolving material streams and market demands.

With over 11,000 sorting systems installed across more than 100 countries, TOMRA Recycling maintains its position as a global leader in sensor-based sorting solutions for the recycling and waste management industry. The company's mission focuses on harnessing advanced AI technologies to help customers transform waste materials into valuable resources.

This latest innovation reinforces TOMRA's commitment to pushing technological boundaries in the recycling sector, offering solutions that address the industry's growing need for flexible, accurate, and cost-effective material processing capabilities.