INGEDE | Press Release 3/2007: Award for INGEDE Project

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Press Release 3/2007

European Recycling Award for INGEDE Project:

Automated Incoming Inspection
with NIR Sensors wins in Brussels

Concept to allow separation of flexo newspapers

Sensors that support the automated separation of recyclables by means of near infrared light (NIR) have been available for some time to classify polymers. Within a recent INGEDE Project, an international cooperation has developed a system equipped with NIR sensors to be used for the automated incoming inspection of recovered paper. The jury of the “European Paper Recycling Award 2007” now in Brussels awarded this concept with the 1^st price in the industry category. For the group, Dr. Peter Engert (UPM-Kymmene, Augsburg) gladly accepted the decoration.

In order to produce the white paper for newspapers and magazines, copying paper or hygiene papers, the printing ink has to be removed – this process is called deinking. Publishers in the UK and Italy for some years print newspapers with waterbased flexographic inks. Unlike the common offset printed newspapers, these flexo prints currently are not deinkable and have to be sorted out. But the naked eye cannot see any difference here.

In 2005, the UPM Research team had initiated the first successful tests with PTS Heidenau to separate unwanted materials. In 2007, together with the Austrian research institute CTR and PTS there prototype of an inspection belt was developed (see INGEDE Press Release 1/2007). Next year, the complex separation algorithms are to be optimised during a field trial.

Left to right: Anders Hildeman, ERPC Chairman; Dr. Peter Engert and Susanne Rosskopf, UPM-Kymmene Research, Augsburg; Jori Ringman and Sophy Ashmead, CEPI, Brussels

INGEDE is an association of leading European paper manufacturers founded in 1989. INGEDE aims at promoting utilisation of recovered graphic paper (newsprint, magazines and office paper) and improving the conditions for an extended use of recovered paper for the production of graphic and hygiene papers.

21 December 2007

Links:

This press release for download
ERPC's website about the award: www.paperrecovery.org
ERPC's press release about the award for download
UPM's presentation at the award ceremony in Brussels for download
Picture "Award Ceremony" (top) 300 dpi (please quote source: INGEDE/ERPC)
Picture "Dr. Peter Engert" (bottom) 300 dpi (please quote source: INGEDE/ERPC)
For pictures of the equipment see INGEDE Press Release 1/2007.
Website of the CTR Research Center: www.ctr.at