Stadler’s Test and Innovation Center is increasingly in demand for participating in research projects such as EsKorte. This project, in collaboration with Montanuniversität Leoben and RWTH Aachen, is looking into the development and testing of a sensor-based material flow monitoring system. Multiple tests were conducted at the Centre for the project: “It is great to have the possibility to simulate characteristics of real sorting plants without being restricted by the plant operation. The collaboration with
Stadler has thus been enriching for our research work in the field of improving the performance of plastic packaging waste sorting plants,” said Dipl.-Ing. Sabine Schlögl, Chair of Waste Processing Technology and Waste Management, Montanuniversität Leoben.
Stadler also participated in an award-winning research project aiming to recover waste paper from mixed waste streams. The members of the EnEWA project – Universität Siegen, RWTH Aachen University, Leipa Group, Propakma, Tomra and Stadler – set clear objectives: increase recycling rates in paper production and reduce primary energy requirements and CO2 emissions. Stadler is developing a concept for a sorting plant for processing paper fractions from lightweight packaging, residual and industrial waste, so they can be used as raw material to produce new paper. The validation process will be done through trials conducted at the Test Center. This ground-breaking project received the European Paper Recycling Council Award 2021/22 in the “Innovative Technologies and Research & Development” category.
Stadler’s participation in such projects can quickly bring benefits to its customers: “Test results can have a direct impact on process designs, as our machines are pushed to the limits repeatedly,” adds Bastian Küppers. “For example, the results of the tests we performed for the EsKorte project have already allowed for significantly improved sorting performance in one of our customers’ plants. More generally, I believe that through adaptive plant control we will be able to improve further the quality of a number of product fractions in our lightweight packaging plants. Also, our findings in the EnEWA project can help us streamline today’s processes and enhance sorting performance, achieving higher purity and yields.”
The Test and Innovation Center is a perfect example of Stadler’s continuous improvement approach. It is constantly striving for ways to optimize the efficiency of its sorting processes and searching for innovative solutions to push the boundaries of waste processing.
