Overview

Sensor solutions for the waste and recycling industry
Waste collection, waste sorting, recycling and energy generation
The objective of the recycling economy is limiting the dumping of waste in landfills to a minimum as well as a strong push for recycling. In this context, the sorting and recycling of waste as well as the recovery of energy from waste are growing in importance. To increase the efficiency of these processes, they are increasingly being automated and monitored. SICK offers ideal automation and safety solutions for the collection, sorting and recycling of waste. Emissions are also subject to strict requirements. For instance, these include the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) 2010/75 / EU for waste incineration plants and the newly-revised BREF for waste incineration. Analyzer systems from SICK are used for incineration optimization, flue gas purification and the continuous monitoring of emissions, to name a few examples. SICK offers complete measurement technology and data evaluation from a single source.
Trends & news

Waste to energy and data transparency: Detecting raw gas peaks early on
SICK offers operating entities of waste incineration plants certainty with rugged measurement technology and rapid measurement results. The MCS300P HW analyzer solution measures sulfur dioxide and hydrochloric acid while the MERCEM300Z is specially designed to measure mercury. Both systems are ideal for optimizing processes in waste incineration plants.
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Time for hydrogen
Efficient and cost-effective production of green hydrogen is essential for accelerating the shift from fossil to renewable energy. SICK supports this effort with customized sensor technology at many points of measurement and is continuously working on the development of technologies for the future of hydrogen.
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Mobile connectivity: intelligent networking and digitalization
The TDC (Telematic Data Collector) gateway system collects and saves data from several sensors, even different ones, using various interfaces. The mobile communication feature – WLAN or Ethernet – included with the system transmits the data to a customer server or the SICK cloud. Analyses can also be performed in the TDC system based on the incoming data to provide real-time outputs (reactions) via I/Os or SMS messages (alarms). The incoming and outgoing data can be used for downstream process optimization and to improve transparency, thereby increasing productivity. SICK offers optional customer-specific cloud solutions (SaaS) for this purpose.
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Challenges

Emission monitoring
In most countries, increasingly stringent emission monitoring and reporting requirements apply. SICK analyzers and analyzer solutions monitor and check emission limit values, contaminant emissions and the release of other pollutants into the environment.

Flue gas cleaning
Flue gas scrubbers, catalytic reactors and particle filters remove gaseous pollutants from the exhaust gas. Process gas analyzers run real-time measurements to optimize cleaning efficiency. This leads to significants savings in consumable items and the extension of maintenance intervals for the system operator.

Safety and driver assistance systems
Gas analyzers, dust measuring devices and level sensors monitor systems such as biomass bunkers and landfills for function and safety. In addition, safety solutions maximize operator safety, optimize production and minimize downtimes, for examples in presses. Driver assistance systems support drivers of various industrial vehicles in critical situations with acoustic and optical signals, thereby protecting them while maneuvering.

Material handling
Measurement and sensor technology from SICK monitors, controls and optimizes material transport and handling in industrial conveyor systems, for example sorting and recycling systems. With sensors for conveyor belt monitoring and volume determination, downtime can be prevented and recycling sorting processes can be reliably and efficiently monitored.