Installed in-line at a German recycling yard, it is capable of processing high volumes of up steel scrap directly out of the shredder.

The XSS-F utilizes high speed X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology provided by Olympus Innov-X, allowing the separation of scrap based on the chemical composition. Olympus Innov-X has been pioneering automated XRF for years; but after the partnership with STEINERT began almost a year ago, things developed rapidly. Dr. Uwe Habich, CTO of STEINERT, says: “This installation in Germany is now the first one worldwide that is installed in-line and operating continuously. This is a huge step and STEINERT is excited about the opportunities for the industry and particularly for our customers.”

The new sorting system features Olympus Innov-X’s unique and proven X-Stream technology – a high speed X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) sensor unit capable of elemental analysis in milli-second time scales, engineered into an industrial grade system that has been the hallmark of other Steinert sorting systems. Capable of a throughput of more than 100 tons per hour, the XSS®-F features a 2m belt width and an average end product containing <0.20% Cu.

The standard system model is composed of a conveyor-mounted spectrometer module, typically containing multiple tubes and detectors to provide the ability to detect and analyze every single piece of scrap material. In only a few milliseconds customer-defined sorting parameters will determine whether or not to divert that piece out of the main stream. Diverted material is ejected using STEINERT’s high-powered compressed air valves.

Source: Steinert