TOMRA expands aluminium alloy sorting system AUTOSORT PULSE to heavy metals, IBA and magnesium

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TOMRA Recycling has successfully applied its range of its AUTOSORT™ PULSE sorting system used in aluminium alloy separation, extending the Dynamic LIBS-based technology to other metals as well like stainless steel, heavy metals, magnesium and incinerator bottom ash (IBA) streams.

Launched in 2023 for industrial-scale aluminium alloy separation, AUTOSORT™ PULSE uses Dynamic LIBS, or Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, to identify materials based on their elemental composition. The technology can separate aluminium into different alloy classes, including the 5xxx and 6xxx series.

The expanded application range allows recycling operators to deploy the same sorting system across multiple material streams without investing in separate hardware for each application.

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Dynamic LIBS targets complex scrap conditions

At the centre of AUTOSORT™ PULSE is a dynamic laser setup designed to analyse the elemental composition of individual objects under varying scrap conditions.

The laser repeatedly targets the same point on a material, allowing it to penetrate coatings, paint, oxidation and dust before identifying the underlying composition. According to TOMRA, this capability is particularly relevant when processing heavy metals and IBA-derived material streams, where surface conditions can complicate separation.

For mixed heavy metal streams, the system can identify and separate copper, brass, zinc, stainless steel and other fractions. It can also distinguish between specific material characteristics, including zinc sheets and Zamak, as well as coated and non-coated materials.

Türkiye-based brass smelter Kaplan Pirinç Çubuk A.Ş. has deployed AUTOSORT™ PULSE to sort brass into different grades for its European and non-European customers.

"Most of our brass input is coated and we need to identify specific elemental compositions,” says Safa Tayyip Topçuoğlu, Owner of Kaplan Pirinç Çubuk A.Ş. “After seeing the great test results we achieved with TOMRA, we knew the AUTOSORT™ PULSE was exactly what we needed. With its Dynamic LIBS technology, we can look deeper into the material and precisely target the elements that we want. This helps us get more value out of our scrap and reduce the amount of expensive alloying material we would otherwise need to add. The result is high-value brass at a lower cost, which gives us a real competitive advantage.”

Stainless steel sorting added to application range

For stainless steel recycling, AUTOSORT™ PULSE can separate grades including 316, 304 and 201 from mixed stainless steel streams. The process enables recyclers to produce more specific output fractions from materials already passing through their operations.

The expanded system can also process incinerator bottom ash, the mineral residue remaining after municipal waste incineration. Following initial processing, IBA can generate complex metal streams containing mixed aluminium and heavy metals.

AUTOSORT™ PULSE can further separate these fractions, including low- and high-silicon 6xxx series aluminium alloys. It can also separate copper and brass from mixed heavy metal streams, enabling additional recovery from challenging input materials.

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Magnesium separation opens another recycling application

The expanded application portfolio also covers magnesium separation from floated super-light fractions. By distinguishing magnesium from other light metals, the system is designed to produce cleaner output fractions and improve material quality.

The wider range of applications is intended to allow recycling operators to switch between material streams as availability, demand, prices and margins change.

TOMRA also trains customers' operational teams to adjust and fine-tune sorting programmes. This allows operators to respond to changes in incoming material streams, test new inputs before making larger purchasing commitments and maintain production when market conditions change.

"AUTOSORT™ PULSE has proven itself in aluminium alloy separation, and we have continued to develop what the technology can enable," said Tom Jansen, VP, Head of Segments at TOMRA Recycling. "Today, our customers can use one system across several material streams, from stainless steel to IBA, heavy metals and more. What changes is the application, not the technology. That flexibility turns a single investment into real operational and economic value."