TOMRA Recycling has launched Finder Color, a new high-throughput solution designed to meet the evolving needs of the scrap metal recycling and e-scrap processing industries.
The next-generation color sorting system is engineered to deliver exceptional purity and recovery levels at high throughput across a broad spectrum of metals sorting tasks, according to TOMRA
Finder Color is particularly effective for recovering valuable materials such as copper and brass from mixed heavy metals, cleaning stainless steel fractions (including those from end-of-life vehicles) and achieving high-level purification of printed circuit boards (PCBs) from mixed e-scrap, according to TOMRA.
It is capable of processing grain sizes from 0.2 to 4.7 in. and delivering throughput of up to 22.4 tons per hour on Zorba material.
Building on TOMRA's legacy of innovation in metal sorting, the new Finder Color solution is a flexible system that combines proven hardware and software with AI algorithms to adapt to changing material streams and market demands. Its core features an ultra-precise RGB camera and an AI-powered object singulation technology, enabling accurate, object-level sorting down to a few millimeters, even when objects are overlapping, adjacent or the same color as the belt, according to TOMRA. This single-camera system sorts materials by color, size and shape, providing operators with full control and unmatched accuracy.
For enhanced purification, an optional electromagnetic (EM) sensor can be added. This is particularly useful for sorting materials with similar colors. The optional high-sensitivity EM sensor enhances metal recovery from mixed streams in batch mode, supporting PCB classification in e-scrap, or complementing the RGB sensor to add an extra purification layer against plastic contamination.
The system also offers easy configuration for both batch and continuous flow sorting, with fast switching between different fractions. This allows operators to quickly change which material they are sorting, such as switching from copper one day to brass the next.
Finder Color's compact and simple design ensures easy integration into existing sorting lines, while its maintenance platform and accessible valve block are engineered for simple and efficient servicing. The machine can be connected for optimized, data-driven sorting through TOMRA Insight, an optional cloud-based data platform.
"Feedback from our metals customers highlighted the need for a highly flexible sorting machine to cover a wide range of sorting tasks," said Tom Jansen, head of metal segments of TOMRA Recycling. "After 25 years of offering color sorters, we continue to see strong demand for versatile, highly accurate, reliable and cost-efficient solutions. Finder Color pushes the boundaries of what color sorting machines can achieve with applications like separating stainless steel from a mixed fraction of other grey metals, such as zinc and aluminum, and purifying e-scrap to help customers maximize their output and stay competitive."
"North American market feedback echoes this call for a flexible machine that delivers superior performance for a wide range of sorting tasks," said Giuseppe Granara, area manager, metals segments, of TOMRA Recycling. "Color sorting with the new Finder Color offers more competitive and cost-effective ways to sort valuable metals and materials than other technologies currently available on the market."
Developed by the same in-house engineering experts behind TOMRA's comprehensive portfolio of metal sorting machines, Finder Color can be used as a standalone machine, following magnetic separation or to extract value from heavy metals removed by XRT technology such as TOMRA's X-Tract. It also is the ideal last-step sorting solution for extracting value from PCBs in e-scrap and can be used to sort stainless steel and wire from material recovered using TOMRA's Finder unit. These integration options optimize the entire sorting process, helping customers refine performance, reduce operational complexity and drive greater business value.
Finder Color and other TOMRA Recycling metals recovery solutions are made available in North America through our exclusive metals partner, Wendt Corporation. Recyclers are encouraged to test their materials using Wendt Corporation's new cutting-edge Test Center for metals.
For more information, visit tomra.com/recycling
