Multipick
The “Pick-it” axis, coordinated by Comet Traitements, concerns the sorting and separation of alloys. These alloys are produced by processing shredding residues from metal waste such as end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and scrap metal. If these alloys are to be recycled in regional and European high-value-added industries, it is essential to be able to characterise and sort them using high-performance, high-output tools. The option of manual sorting, which is labour-intensive and of limited effectiveness, is only conceivable in countries with little regard for environmental and social impacts. The development and stabilisation in our regions of chains of activities enabling the recycling of alloys therefore requires the development of an intelligent process for analysing the in-depth composition of each part and sorting it accordingly. 
To this end, the Pick-It consortium (ULiège-GeMMe, Citius Engineering, Comet Traitements) is developing a bench for characterising and sorting a series of alloy families identified during characterisation campaigns carried out in 2015 at Comet Traitements’ production sites. This experimental bench combines several sensor technologies (spectral, 3D, LIBS, etc.) to discriminate between the different alloys and separate them using ejectors or gripper robots. The economic benefits of the Pick-It project are threefold:
- Setting up a service offering for the characterisation and design of sorting systems, which will eventually employ around ten researchers specialising in industrial vision and the characterisation of raw materials,
- Citius Engineering, the manufacturer of end-user sorting systems,
- Comet Traitements’ specialisation in the recycling of high added-value non-ferrous metals, a specialisation that will give it a clear competitive edge over future competitors in this sector.
5 years