The ZenRobotics Recycler unit is expected to be operational at V8 Environmental’s MRF by mid-2018.
Helsinki-based ZenRobotics Ltd. has announced a ZenRobotics Recycler unit will be installed in a new material recovery facility (MRF) at Singapore-based V8 Environmental Pte. Ltd.
The three-armed, robotic waste separation system is expected to be operational by mid-2018.
With more than three decades of waste business experience, V8 Environmental will become the first company in Southeast Asia to use the robotic system at a MRF. With the investment of the robotic arms, V8 Environmental says it aims to revolutionize and bring the waste industry to greater heights in Singapore.
Derrick Yu, V8 sales and operations director, says, “We want to be the perceptive partner who offers solutions of the best value for our customers. We believe that ZenRobotics’ technology supports our vision that is to be Singapore’s leading professional partner in waste management. By incorporating best available technology, we add value to our processes and communicate our commitment to being forerunners in the industry. As the first MRF plant in Singapore adopting the robotics technology, we position ourselves with a forward-looking approach and constantly exploring new initiatives to upgrade efficiently.”
The ZenRobotics Recycler is the world’s first robotic waste sorting system, according to the company. The system reclaims multiple fractions simultaneously with the help of industrial robots and smart machine learning technology. The three-armed ZenRobotics Recycler unit can make up to 6,000 picks per hour and throws the sorted objects in several waste chutes, the manufacturer says. A wide working area of 2 metres by 2 metres (6.5 feet by 6.5 feet) ensures the system’s high sorting performance, according to the manufacturer. The ZenRobotics Smart Gripper is specifically designed to meet the demands of solid waste.
The robotics system delivery to Singapore will be ZenRobotics’ first installation in Southeast Asia, following deliveries to other Asian markets such as Japan and China.
“Currently we’re feeling a strong pull from Asia as well as the U.S. where the interest toward new solutions and eagerness to invest in innovative technologies has been great,” says Rainer Rehn, ZenRobotics chief commercial officer.