Tomra’s Recycling division celebrates 20th anniversary

The 50^th anniversary of IFAT in Munich also marks the 20^th anniversary for Tomra’s Recycling division. Launched originally as Norwegian company TITECH Autosort in 1996, the firm emerged from an R&D project starting in 1993.

Tomra Sorting Recycling designs and manufactures sensor-based sorting technologies for the global recycling and waste management industry.

Responsible for the introduction of the world’s first high-capacity near-infrared (NIR) sensor deployed for waste sorting, Tomra Sorting Recycling says it remains committed to sophisticated methods for extracting high-purity fractions from waste streams, maximizing yield and profit.

The companies’ sensor portfolio has expanded via corporate acquisitions such as RealVisionsort, CommodasUltrasort, Odenberg and Best, whilst the use of single and multisensor combinations further has extended the range of sensor-based sorting applications. This strategy continues to create new opportunities for companies to recover recyclables, allowing them to respond more flexibly to current and future market demands, the company says.

Likewise, the number of collaborative applications Tomra Sorting Recycling has developed with customers over the years has grown and assumed an international profile: More than 4,400 of these systems have been installed in 50 countries worldwide.

Continuous innovation in the field of optical sorting has led to the use of advanced light sources that facilitate material sorting to degrees of accuracy and efficiency once unimaginable while also reducing energy demands, according to the company. Such technological advancements now permit the detection of ultrafine objects as small as 0.5 millimetres with some materials and technologies, while larger objects can be scanned with greater accuracy.

“In a marketplace where commodity prices are low, profit margins are tight and access to financing remains challenging, reliability and a consistently high product quality become even more important from the beginning of the planning process,” the company states in a news release. “Tomra’s customers rely on expert advice in regards to improving waste management in every aspect. In addition to selecting the most effective equipment, this partnership role encompasses ideas and suggestions on how to recycle products and packaging, and recommendations about viable product modifications to make them easier to sort and recycle.”

As Tom Eng, head of Tomra Sorting Recycling, explains: “A whole company’s future is on the line when you invest in equipment, it can be within the context of a multimillion-euro plant. So we appreciate how important it is to get it right the first time.”

He adds, “Twenty years is a real milestone in the sensor-based sorting industry. Twenty years means that a customer can put their trust in our products. It´s all about bringing customers that feeling of security.”

The reason why customers can feel reassured, Eng says, is simple: “Right from the start, it’s been about people. We have quality people from day one who are still with the company today. That’s a wealth and depth of knowledge which goes way beyond the product that you sell.”

The company has undergone an intensive rebranding program since February 2012 to become more clearly aligned with its Norwegian parent company, Tomra Systems ASA. The company acquired TITECH in 2004.

The final step in Tomra Sorting Recycling’s rebranding process was to rationalize its product portfolio by removing the word TITECH from the catalog model names associated with its sorting systems last year. For example, the company’s bestselling product, once known as the TITECH Autosort, is now simply designated Autosort.

Commenting on the rebrand, Tomra Sorting Recycling’s Commercial Director Jonathan Clarke says, “By completing the rebrand within our business, we are significantly increasing the visibility of Tomra worldwide. Synergies in technologies across business streams have greatly enhanced Tomra Sorting’s ability to bring sensor-based sorting to new segments, markets and applications. We are now better positioned than ever to respond to customer and industry challenges faster than before while still offering the best value products.”