Tomra's new Autosort model.

Tomra’s upgraded Autosort includes a broad range of sensors to detect small but important differences between materials.

Equipment supplier Tomra rolled out the latest generation of its Autosort optical sorter, which is geared to provide greater accuracy and speed while performing complex sorting tasks.

The new Autosort uses a broad range of sensors and collects data to classify objects, according to Tomra. The system incorporates the company’s Sharp Eye technology, which improves the equipment’s ability to detect small but important differences between materials.

The upgraded sort tool also includes as standard the latest version of Tomra’s Flying Beam sensing technology, a near-infrared scanning system that uses point-scanning.

The Autosort “consistently delivers high performance in terms of sorting accuracy across all target fractions – even in the most complex of applications,” Tomra stated in a release.

Meanwhile, the updated system also supports add-on technologies such as the Deep Laiser. This object recognition tool includes “deep learning” artificial intelligence capabilities and “enables a deeper sorting sharpness to significantly improve the performance of the sorting process,” according to the manufacturer.

Fabrizio Radice, vice president and head of global sales and marketing for Tomra, said the upgraded system “is an incredibly exciting development as its use of versatile sensors and intelligent software will enable it to meet the demands of a whole host of current and future sorting applications.”

The upgraded Autosort was initially scheduled for release at the IFAT 2020 show in Munich, but the trade show was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, Tomra launched the new equipment in June on a digital platform event, which the company titled “Symphony of all Sorts.”

To receive the latest news and analysis about plastics recycling technologies, sign up now for our free monthly Plastics Recycling Update: Technology Edition e-newsletter.

More stories about technology

2021 Plastics Recycling Conference and Trade Show