The sorting challenge
Modern waste streams are increasingly complex, combining a wide range of materials with varying densities, compositions, and contamination levels. Recycling facilities must process high volumes at speed while meeting tightening regulatory and economic constraints.
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Key challenges include:
- Safety of staff and protection of equipment
- Mixed and inconsistent material streams
- Overlapping objects and variable thickness
- Pressure to increase recovery rates while reducing contamination
Why X-ray is effective for waste sorting
X-ray inspection enables discrimination based on material density and attenuation characteristics, allowing systems to classify waste items independently of colour, shape, or surface condition.
In waste sorting applications, X-ray enables:
- Separation of high-density and low-density materials
- Identification of contaminants within recyclable streams
- Sorting of overlapped or partially obscured items
Unlike controlled industrial feedstocks, waste sorting must cope with extreme variability, placing strong emphasis on detector robustness and consistent performance.
Detector and signal chain requirements
Waste sorting systems demand detectors that perform reliably despite challenging input conditions.
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Robust dynamic range
Waste streams often include thin packaging materials alongside dense objects. The detector must accommodate wide attenuation variation without compromising sensitivity.
Signal stability under variable conditions
Frequent changes in material composition, temperature, and duty cycle can stress the signal chain. Stability is critical to maintaining sorting accuracy without constant intervention.
Uniform detector response
Inconsistent detector behaviour across the imaging field can lead to misclassification, particularly when dealing with irregularly shaped or overlapping items.
Integration and operational considerations
Waste sorting facilities operate continuously with high mechanical and environmental stress.
Key considerations include:
- High belt speeds and large imaging areas
- Exposure to dust, vibration, and contamination
- Integration with automated ejection and downstream processing
For OEMs, detector reliability directly impacts system uptime, service costs, and customer confidence. Systems must be designed for long-term operation in real-world facilities, not controlled environments.
Advanced Detectors for Waste
Single Slice DE X-ray Line Scanners
LINX X-ray cameras are a customisable, modular system for wrapping around a conveyor belt.
TDI DE X-ray Line Scanners
LINX time delay integration dual energy X-ray cameras are our most advanced data acquisition systems for detecting harzardous objects in a waste stream.
Turnkey X-ray Systems
For a complete ‘black box’ solution to your waste sorting challenge please contact us for a confidential initial discovery phase.
Acquisition Electronics for Waste
XDAS Detector Electronics Kits
Single Slice or Multi Slice DE XDAS
XDAS X-ray data acquisition electronics provides the most flexible way of creating X-ray sensor arrays which are read out digitally at high speed.
Partnering with Sens-Tech
Sens-Tech designs X-ray detectors with a focus on robust performance, signal stability, and lifecycle reliability, supporting demanding waste sorting applications.
By prioritising:
- Stable signal chains under variable conditions
- Platform reuse across industrial sorting systems
- Long-term performance over short-term optimisation
Sens-Tech enables OEMs to deliver waste sorting solutions that maintain accuracy and throughput while reducing operational risk.
This platform-based approach supports consistent system architectures across scrap, mineral, and waste sorting applications.
Related industrial applications
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