Suffolk-based scrap metal recycling specialist, Sackers, has invested in one of TOMRA’s advanced sensor-based metals sorting solutions for its 40 tonnes per hour (tph) metal recycling site in Great Blakenham, near Ipswich. The site is one of two owned and operated by the company.
Having installed a FINDER™ unit from TOMRA, Sackers is now able to recover and recycle >99% mixed non-ferrous metals from the site’s complex infeed material stream of automotive shredder residue (ASR).
TOMRA’s FINDER™ offers extremely high throughput and recovery levels. The FINDER™ at Sackers’ site is currently processing 3.5tph. Integrating the unit at the end of the site’s metal shredding operation has enabled Sackers to achieve >99% recovery of non-ferrous metals for onward sale. The recovered non-ferrous metals are further processed in Sackers’ downstream post shredder residue plant.
Using patented technologies, the FINDER™ detects metal objects with ultra-precision, resulting in exceptionally high yields and purity levels. It is the ideal sorting solution for the recovery of non-ferrous metals which would have been previously lost without a recovery process. By harnessing the power of electromagnetic sensors and built-in machine intelligence, it can instantly detect metals regardless of material complexity or particle size. With belt speeds of up to 3m/s and reduced air consumption, FINDER™ delivers high yield results in a variety of metals and waste sorting tasks.
David Dodds, Chief Commercial Officer at Sackers, comments:
“As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainable waste recovery, we are always looking to improve our processes and reduce waste. Using the FINDER™ unit enables us to recover as much valuable resource as possible and recycle higher volumes of material in a much more efficient and effective manner. We have created an additional, valuable waste stream as the 99% recovered material is further processed into mono metals.”
Alex Hall, Engineering Manager at Sackers, adds:
“Trials were conducted using our material at TOMRA’s Mülheim-Kärlich test centre in Germany to identify the best solution for our site and sorting tasks. We were also able to visit the test facility and find out more about the features and capabilities of the FINDER™. We have been very impressed with the technology and the results we are achieving.”
Terry Keyworth, TOMRA’s Segment Manager Metal North/East Europe, concludes:
“FINDER™ has been at the forefront of the metals recycling industry for many years, but the latest generation unit incorporates even more advanced technologies to detect metal objects with ultra-precision, delivering exceptionally high yield and recovery levels for greater saleability of the recovered end fractions. We are delighted that Sackers is reaping the benefits of this great piece of equipment.”
Established in 1929, today, Sackers has a turnover of £60 million and employs around 100 staff. In 2023, Sackers was awarded a King’s Award for International Trade (formerly known as the Queen’s Award for Enterprise).
TOMRA Recycling Sorting
TOMRA Recycling Sorting designs and manufactures sensor-based sorting technologies for the global recycling and waste management industry to transform resource recovery and create value in waste.
The company was the first to develop advanced waste and metals sorting applications use high capacity near infrared (NIR) technology to extract the most value from resources and keep materials in a loop of use and reuse. To date, more than 9,000 systems have been installed in 100 countries worldwide.
TOMRA Recycling is a division of TOMRA Group. TOMRA was founded on an innovation in 1972 that began with the design, manufacturing and sale of reverse vending machines (RVMs) for automated collection of used beverage containers. Today, TOMRA is leading the resource revolution to transform how the planet’s resources are obtained, used and reused to enable a world without waste. The company’s other business divisions are TOMRA Food and TOMRA Collection.
TOMRA has approximately 105,000 installations in over 100 markets worldwide and had total revenues of about 12 billion NOK in 2022. The Group employs 5,000 globally and is publicly listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The company headquarters are in Asker, Norway.
For further information about TOMRA, visit www.tomra.com
