EsKorte

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At present, the recycling rate of plastic waste in Austria is 28 % but has to rise, according to EU requirements, to 55 % by the year 2030. Currently, achieving  this aim is technically impossible, because variations in the amount and composition of collected lightweight packaging waste and the occurrence of problematic substances impairs the efficiency of sensor-based sorting technologies. Consequently in the EsKorte project, fundamental researches for the development and testing of a sensor-based material flow monitoring system in plastic recycling technologies are conducted. Aim of the project is to enable an intelligent interaction of sorting machinery in laboratory scale which provides fundamental knowledge to increase the recycling rate to a minimum of 55 % by the year 2030.

Within this project, the Department for Processing and Recycling analyses the volume flows of lightweight packaging waste (LP) by means of 3D laser triangulation. This includes determination of achievable detection rates and quantitative investigation of the relationship between throughput and sorting efficiency. One of the main aims is to influence the material feed of an LP plant by developing a control strategy for belt speeds.

EsKorte is funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). Project partners are the University of Leoben and the companies EVK DI Kerschhaggl GmbH, Siemens AG Österreich, Brantner Environment Group GmbH and OMNETRIC GmbH.