Arburg Showcases Partnership Aimed at Simplifying End-of-Life Recycling

At the PIAE Europe congress this September, Arburg will discuss its collaboration with Reifenhäuser on the R-Cycle project, specifically efforts to add a “digital product passport” to molded components to simplify their sorting at end of life. Organized by the Association of German Engineers (VDI), the PIAE Europe congress will be held in Mannheim, Germany from Sept. 8-9.

Extrusion equipment supplier Reifenhäuser announced the multi-company R-Cycle effort last November, describing it as a data-driven approach to allow high-quality recycling derived from improved waste sorting. In addition to Arburg, the initiative also includes fellow extrusion equipment supplier Brückner and blow molding machine maker Kautex, as well as the IKV, Germany’s plastics research institute, at RWTH Aachen University.

Arburg, which said it is the only mechanical engineering partner on the project, will discuss the creation of a “smart” turnkey system based around an electric Allrounder 370 A molding inline-printed cups that are 100% traceable and can be separated by type.

Arburg’s Bettina Keck told Plastics Technology that for the cup application, the DM code is printed together with the picture motif on the injection molded part. This code can be read by a camera system at the recycling plant, with all the information transferred to a global database during the production process. Each part receives an individual ID giving it a unique “passport” that is stored in the cloud, making real-time data acquisition possible during its whole life cycle.

This code would give recyclers all the information they need about the part to properly sort it for reclaim, including the resin and additives used, and detailed data about those aspects, including the resin’s melt flow index, for example. The recycling plant can then correctly separate the plastic waste by reading this code.