TOMRA Recycling unveils new X-TRACT unit powered by X-Ray technology for precise separation of wood waste. Innovative features include reduced air consumption by up to 25 percent, enhanced sorting accuracy, improved machine reliability and advanced GAINnext technology for superior wood type sorting. This technology aims to deliver near-virgin quality recycled wood for profitable revenue streams.
TOMRA Recycling has launched its latest generation X-TRACT unit.
The new X-TRACT harnesses the power of X-Ray Transmission (XRT) technology to detect and separate wood waste from impurities like inert materials, metals, heavy plastic and glass based on atomic density.
Advanced XRT Technology For Unrivalled Wood Waste Separation
The sorting system is capable of processing up to 33.6 tons of wood chips per hour, depending on material conditions like moisture content and grain size. It delivers speed and accuracy in removing contaminants, thereby producing high purity recycled wood content to meet industrial production standards, according to TOMRA. The unit comes with a 16,000-hour warranty on critical components like the X-Ray source and sensor, demonstrating TOMRA's confidence in the robustness and longevity of the X-TRACT.
TOMRA's continuous investment in the global wood segment, combined with the expertise of its skilled in-house engineers and wood processing specialists, has resulted in the latest generation X-TRACT boasting numerous value-add features and capabilities. Many of these are as a direct result of the field-proven and unrivalled success of the X-TRACT in the global mining and metals recycling markets, according to TOMRA.
Innovative features of the new X-TRACT include:
• Up to 25 percent reduction in air consumption: X-TRACT now comes with a new standard ejection module which not only delivers greater precision but also reduces the amount of compressed air needed by up to 25 percent, depending on application and infeed material, according to TOMRA. As a result, customers can benefit from significant energy cost savings without compromising throughput rates.
• Sorting accuracy: TOMRA's latest innovation delivers high ejection rates, consistently exceeding 98 percent for metals (excluding foil), 98 percent for inert contaminants and 97 percent for heavy plastics. This superior performance is the result of robust mechanical hardware, the new standard ejection module, carefully selected X-Ray components and TOMRA's core technologies, ensuring consistently high throughput and exceptional sorting results, according to TOMRA.
• Enhanced reliability and stability: Engineered for high sorting accuracy and minimal downtime, the new X-TRACT delivers long-term sorting stability, improved machine reliability and lower operational costs, according to TOMRA. For improved safety, a dust-resistant design prevents blockages and dust build-up. The unit's sensor also comes with a reinforced design that enables the extended component warranty of 16,000 hours. A redesigned catcher hood enables safer and faster maintenance, minimizing disruptions and maximizing uptime.
Achieving nNext-Level Purity With GAINnext
While X-TRACT effectively separates contaminants from waste wood, GAINnext — TOMRA's deep learning-based technology for sorting wood by material type — takes sorting granularity to the next level by identifying objects by their shape, size and visual characteristics, enabling the differentiation between various types of wood or wood composites, according to TOMRA.
TOMRA introduced deep learning sorting technology for waste wood recycling in 2021, initially with a high-throughput application for sorting woodchips by type. Since then, its GAINnext technology, trained by TOMRA's experts using thousands of photos, has evolved to meet the market's growing demand for advanced wood sorting solutions. GAINnext now enables a wide range of wood recycling applications, including the precision sorting of different wood types and composites. It can distinguish between non-processed wood (Wood A) and processed wood (Wood B) such as OSB, chipboard and coated materials, according to TOMRA. It also can recover high purity MDF for MDF-to-MDF processing. The purity of recycled wood from complex construction and demolition waste also can be enhanced by identifying and removing large objects of up to 15.7 in.
Jose Matas, head of waste emerging segments at TOMRA Recycling, said: "We understand the critical importance of uninterrupted 24/7 operations for our customers, and with the latest advancements in our X-TRACT, we are now even better equipped to support the industry. Furthermore, the combination of X-TRACT and GAINnext delivers an unprecedented level of purity, resulting in recycled waste wood of near-virgin quality and, ultimately, opening new profitable revenue streams for our valued customers."
For more information, visit https://www.tomra.com/waste-metal-recycling/applications/waste-recycling/wood.
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