An inspection system is configured for use with a conveyer apparatus including carrier bars. Each carrier bar conveys pellet-shaped articles along a predetermined path. The inspection system includes at least one camera unit for sensing a predetermined characteristic of the pellet-shaped articles, a removal unit, and a controller. The removal unit, downstream from the at least one camera unit, removes selected pellet-shaped article(s) from the carrier bar(s) depending on whether the characteristic is sensed by the at least one camera unit. The controller is in communication with the at least one camera unit and the removal unit. The controller provides a signal to the removal unit in accordance with the sensed characteristic. The removal unit includes a rotatable ejection drum having extended vacuum nozzles along its length, equal to the number of articles conveyed in each carrier bar. Each vacuum nozzle selectively removes article(s) from the carrier bar(s) by suction.

Methods and systems for sorting mixed metal scrap may first determine a sorting attribute of each article of metal scrap, and subsequently mark each article with a machine-readable or visually identifiable mark according to the sorting attribute. The articles of mixed metal scrap can be sorted along a high throughput conveyance using a series of sensors to scan the articles for the machine-readable marks, and rapidly sorting marked articles to appropriate sorting destinations based on detecting the machine-readable marks, and without requiring repeat identification by metal analyzers at the sorting step.

Provided is a method for processing electronic and electrical device component scrap, which can increase an amount of electronic and electrical device component scrap processed in a smelting step and efficiently recover valuable metals. The method for processing electronic and electrical device component scrap includes: a step 1 of removing powdery materials and film-shaped component scrap from the electronic and electrical device component scrap; a step 2 of concentrating synthetic resins and substrates from the electronic and electrical device component scrap from which the powdery materials and film-shaped component scrap have been removed; and a step 3 of concentrating the substrates containing valuable metals from a concentrate obtained in the step 2.

A screw detection device is configured to detect screws and has a device base with a controlling module, a carrying mechanism, a top visual-detection mechanism and a lateral visual-detection mechanism mounted inside. A screw is fed into the device base and is carried on two guide-rail assemblies of a carrying rail of the carrying mechanism. A top visual-detection camera of the top visual-detection mechanism and a lateral visual-detection camera of the lateral visual-detection mechanism take photographs of the screw on the carrying rail. The controlling module determines whether the screw is defective based on the photographs and controls a classifying assembly to discard a defective screw. The controlling module automatically controls the carrying rail, the top visual-detection camera and the lateral visual-detection camera, letting the screw detection device meet different-size screws' detection needs. Therefore, manual adjustments are unnecessary, reducing adjusting time and reducing errors from adjusting the device.

Described is an object sorting system and an object distribution and conveying arrangement for distributing and conveying a plurality of objects. The object sorting system includes a plurality of sorting units. The plurality of sorting units includes a sorting system that includes an object measurement unit for conducting measurement associated with at least one property of an object of the plurality of objects and at least one ejector unit arranged to eject the object conveyed based on the at least one measured property of the object.

Separation of materials using sorting devices is disclosed, including: receiving image data from sensors, wherein the image data corresponds to a set of objects being transported through a base sorting line; determining a subset of objects from the set of objects that are associated with a designated category based on the image data; sending a first set of data to a first sorting device to perform a diverting action on the subset of objects, wherein the first sorting device and a second sorting device are located along the base sorting line, wherein each of the first and second sorting devices is configured to perform diverting actions to separate materials associated with the designated category off from the base sorting line; and sending a second set of data to the second sorting device to perform a second action, wherein the second action is determined based on the image data.

The invention relates to a system for analyzing and sorting a material part, in particular a scrap part made of aluminum, comprising: a feed means (110) for transporting the material part (120), a sorting unit (160) which is designed to feed the material part (120) to one of two fractions (F1, F2), a laser device (140) which is designed to generate a plasma (3) on a surface 7A of the material part (120) using a laser beam (5) which propagates along a beam axis (5A), a spectrometer system (1) which is designed to carry out a spectral analysis of a plasma light (3A) emitted from the laser-induced plasma (3) and to generate an output signal in accordance with the result of the spectral analysis that is carried out, anda controller (150) which is designed to receive the output signal and operate the sorting unit (160) on the basis of the output signal and a sorting criterion, whereinthe spectrometer system (1) has a spectrometer (13) and a detection unit (21) which is optically connected to the spectrometer (13), andthe detection unit (21) has an objective (25A, 25B, 25C, 25D) which is paired with a detection cone (35) that forms a plasma detection region (39) in a region (37) overlapping with the laser beam (5). The invention is characterized in that the detection unit (21) has an additional objective (25A, 25B, 25C, 25D) which is paired with an additional detection cone (35) that forms an additional plasma detection region (39) in an additional region (37) overlapping with the laser beam (5). The objectives (25A, 25B, 25C, 25D) are arranged and/or aligned in relation to one another such that the plasma detection region (39) and the additional plasma detection region (39) are arranged in an offset manner along the beam axis (5A) of the laser beam (5) and together form a viewing region (41) of the detection unit (21)

An inspection system is configured for use with a conveyer apparatus including carrier bars. Each carrier bar conveys pellet-shaped articles along a predetermined path. The inspection system includes at least one camera unit for sensing a predetermined characteristic of the pellet-shaped articles, a removal unit, and a controller. The removal unit, downstream from the at least one camera unit, removes selected pellet-shaped article(s) from the carrier bar(s) depending on whether the characteristic is sensed by the at least one camera unit. The controller is in communication with the at least one camera unit and the removal unit. The controller provides a signal to the removal unit in accordance with the sensed characteristic. The removal unit includes a rotatable ejection drum having extended vacuum nozzles along its length, equal to the number of articles conveyed in each carrier bar. Each vacuum nozzle selectively removes article(s) from the carrier bar(s) by suction.