ERSU inaugurates the separately collected waste treatment line of the Pioppogatto plant in Massarosa

15 December 2022

Once again PAL relies on innovative patented technology, to execute a plant for the sorting and treatment of separately collected waste.

New generation sorting plant, the drum screen is replaced with an innovative screening system that reduces space, maintenance costs, energy consumption by about 50% and breaks down the flow in four fractions: fine fraction, 3D flow fraction, 2D flow fraction and oversize fraction.

Furthermore, as requested by S.A., the space occupied by the plant were optimized so that also the unloading of collected waste and temporary storage of bales of sorted material can be carried out inside the shed set up for the plant. To this end, automatic bunkers were used that enable storage during the processing of the various recycled raw materials and manage the press activity without ever blocking its operation, which is automatic too.

The machines installed by PAL, always at the TOP for available technology

The plant consists of a bag breaker with a 30m³ hopper, which can be fed directly by a wheel loader or an excavator fitted with a crab bucket, which allows the loading of material correctly dosed in line. PAL production transport systems move the flow, fitted with special chutes and deflectors distribute the material on the belt to improve the efficiency of the sorting activities of all downstream machines. The screen, the "only" solution with patented technology of this type, occupies a space of just 2.9 m by a length of 5.8 m and a height of about 7 m, with a significant reduction in the space occupied (consider that a drum screen, for the same flow rate performance, would occupy an area of about 3.4 m by a length of 13.5 m and a height of about 8 m, moreover it would produce only three size fractions, without dividing the intermediate flow between 2D and 3D), thus reducing the efficiency of the optical sorter that subsequently processes this flow: the underscreen (fine fraction, managed as waste with skips) the 2D intermediate fraction sent to the sorting unit for quality control, the 3D intermediate fraction sent to the optical reader and the overscreen also sent to the sorting unit to be checked. The optical reader was fitted with a particular mechanical distribution system manufactured by PAL. An eddy-current separator was added to complete the line. All of the above has been engineered to ensure system efficiency, durability and easy maintenance. Particular attention was paid to the air treatment system of the sorting unit, in which a cooling and heating system was installed to make manual sorting more comfortable for operators, in compliance with health regulations.

What peculiarities were adopted for this solution?

The contracting authority requested the construction of a plant that achieved the desired performance using a reduced number of operators for the sorting and management activities, with high sorting efficiencies> 95%, reduced plant size and maintenance areas sufficiently accessible by means suitable for operations, to carry out the activity in comfort and therefore in the greatest possible safety.

PAL’s proposal to overcome and satisfy the requests focused on designing the system in 3D so as to have a real comparison with the technicians of S.A. and discuss every point and every space to be accessed in case of ordinary and extraordinary maintenance.

In addition, with the project it was possible to evaluate the use of adequate lifting equipment kept at the plant during all the installation period, also easily overcoming the difficulty linked to the limited height of the shed.

The movement space in the sorting unit was created by maintaining adequate distance between operators, as well as between machines.

Future objectives?

PAL’s continuous investment in research and development aims at proposing new technology that reduces man’s activities in sorting operations.

Today PAL is working on the prototype of a Robot capable of controlling the quality of sorted materials as well as carrying out the sorting itself, so as to reduce human staff at the plant and guarantee continued activities also 24h/day.