Multichannel scanning system from Comex (LSX and MSX series) provides a wide range of test possibilities to characterise and separate different materials. The main function is to characterise analysed particles in terms of their properties like colour, size, shape, texture, density, etc. The scanning results can easily be used to find differences between the particles and define measurement methods as well as sensor types to identify the particles of interests. Furthermore, the defined identification methods can be used to separate such particles into two separate fractions. This information can further be used for industrial scale sorting systems.
Operating principle
The laboratory scanning system consists of different sensor types installed in the compact scanning unit box, where the particles are scaning. All laboratory scanning units can be equipped in the same sensors:
- Magnetic sensor consisting of an array of induction sensors measuring magnetic susceptibility of the passing material thus building a “magnetic “ image of the analysed particles
- UV light source and camera analysing the reflectance index of the material surface in the light wave length range of less than 400 nm
- IR light source and camera analysing the reflectance index of the material surface in the light wave length range of more than 700 nm. Here different infrared ranges can be applied like NIR, SWIR, MWIR, LWIR
- Visible light source and camera analysing the reflectance index of the material surface in the light wave length range of 400-700 nm. Here different individual light bands can be used by applying various filters in addition to the regular RGB frequencies.
- X-ray source and detector array analysing the beam passing through the analysed material. This allows identifying the attenuation coefficient of the analysed material and its internal structure
- 3D camera identifying the vertical dimension of the analysed particles. This can provide additional information about the analysed material in combination with the other sensing techniques.
Main specification of units are presented below:
LSX series:
- Unit for analyse
- The particles are supplied at the inlet window manually by placing them in the special container
- The particles are transported in the special container inside scanning unit analysed by different sensors, operator chose sensors from local unit desktop
- In the end of scanning operator has to manually remove samples from container
MSX series:
- Unit for analyse and laboratory sorting
- The particles are supplied at the inlet window manually by placing them on the slowly moving belt.
- The particles are transported on the belt and analysed by different sensors, operator chose sensors from local unit desktop
- At the end of the transport belt a simple rejecting flap is installed to divert the analysed particles to two separate containers, when the system is operating in the sorting mode. The containers are equipped with scales, thus both fractions can be weighted online under sorting mode, or each individual particle can be weighted in the scanning mode.