Real-time performance solutions

Knowing the real-time composition of material throughout a recycling facility has been impossible—until now.

Instead of expensive, time-consuming audits that provide a limited snapshot of material composition, Max-AI^® Total VIS (Visual Identification System) is a customizable, plantwide network that identifies material composition in real time at various points in a system, giving operators extraordinary insight into material quality and system performance for quick, targeted adjustments and verifiable end-product purity. The system is robust while also being flexible and cost-effective for material recovery facility (MRF) owners and operators to deploy.

“The system can provide a plantwide view into material composition, recovery rates for individual materials, machine and process performance and residue characterization,” says Andy Luna, product line manager for Max-AI^®. “It transforms MRF processing into a quantifiable manufacturing process.”

Modular design and robust reporting

Total VIS is a self-contained system. It includes all computational hardware, software and the artificial intelligence (AI) neural network. As a result, it can be deployed easily at any operating facility, and the vision canopies are lightweight and simply bolt onto a conveyor. There is a single, centrally located control enclosure with integrated touchscreen, and the interface is exceptionally user-friendly and allows for real-time data visualization as well as highly flexible, customized reporting for any time period.

“The fact that this solution provides real-time data allows operators to identify problem points across the plant,” says Chris Ulum, managing director of NRT, a subsidiary of BHS. “If a screen, optical sorter or other mechanism is operating outside its efficiency rating, operators can see that and also receive alerts.”

Complete visibility

The system gives plant operators total visibility into material compositions. It can identify problematic material that enters the line and even provides alerts for system stoppages to prevent damage. Additionally, the system can trend inbound material to provide detailed material- characterization reports.

Importantly, the system allows operators to identify and quantify material streams they might wish to recover, the purity levels of recovered materials as well as materials remaining in residue streams. This data allows ROI modeling for plant upgrades and capex projects to enhance recovery and quality.

“The Total VIS system allows operators to know a lot more about the material they are processing—both inbound and outbound—than they know today. It also provides incredible insight into processing line efficiency,” BHS Director of Sales Paul Holman says.

“The insights provided by Total VIS and the data it collects allow operators to provide valuable, meaningful reporting inside their organization but also to outside parties who need to understand material characterization, recovery and purity levels,” Ulum says. “And the real-time nature of the data also allows operators to know immediately about any changes in these vital metrics.”

The way forward

“Virtually every other complex manufacturing process has elegant measuring mechanisms to understand quality and performance,” Holman says. “Recycling has lagged in large part due to the complex nature of our material streams. The industry produces products to a specification for downstream manufacturing processes, therefore, the more we can control systems through data-driven analysis, the better overall performance.”

Manufacturers that consume raw materials supplied by recyclers increasingly have stringent quality standards. Consumer brands want to understand recovery rates and recyclability for the materials they produce, and community stakeholders want better visibility into recycling effectiveness.

Total VIS offers a technologically proven solution, with real-life operating examples and a track record of producing consistently accurate and reliable data. Contact BHS to learn more.