TOMRA Recycling, a global leader in sensor-based sorting solutions, has officially opened a new era of customer support with the inauguration of its state-of-the-art Americas Test & Training Center. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, the new 425-square-meter facility features a dedicated testing circuit equipped with the company’s most advanced sorting technologies, alongside a specialized warehouse for critical parts storage and extensive, modern training facilities. This strategic investment integrates deep learning artificial intelligence directly into the everyday operations of the modern recycling industry, aiming to optimize waste and plastic sorting processes across the Americas.
Strategic Investment to Serve Growing Markets
The latest physical and technological expansion of TOMRA Recycling’s Americas headquarters reflects a profound, long-term commitment to continuously investing in dynamic, growing markets and getting physically closer to its regional customers. Lars Enge, Executive Vice President and Head of TOMRA Recycling, stated that the new Charlotte facility provides far more than just increased material testing capabilities. From pre-sale consultation and initial machinery installation to comprehensive after-sales support and ongoing technical training, the company intends to partner with its customers throughout the full lifecycle of the equipment. This approach ensures long-term, uninterrupted, and optimal plant performance.
Consequently, recycling operations in the region gain immediate, tangible benefits. Michelle Landon, Senior Vice President and Head of Americas at TOMRA Recycling, highlighted that customers can now enjoy expanded testing capacities, significantly shorter lead times, and much greater flexibility when scheduling on-site tests. She emphasized that the company’s Research and Development (R&D) teams are continuously innovating with new optical sorting and deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) applications to thoroughly meet the ever-evolving needs of the industry.
Cutting-Edge Technology in Practice: AI and Optical Sorting
The new 425-square-meter technological hub is equipped with the company’s most advanced optical and digital arsenal. The centerpiece of the testing circuit is the latest generation AUTOSORT™ machine, which is fully equipped with TOMRA’s proprietary deep learning AI technology, known as GAINnext™. The AUTOSORT™ system combines a variety of sorting features in a single machine. Thanks to its flexible sensor configuration, it effectively meets the challenges of a highly dynamic market landscape—whether processing municipal solid waste, paper, plastics, or mixed packaging. The integrated GAINnext™ module leverages AI-based visual classification to identify hard-to-classify objects, thereby drastically maximizing both the recovery volume and the purity levels of recyclates.
For the advanced, industrial-scale testing of plastic flake materials, the facility also deploys AUTOSORT™ FLAKE and INNOSORT™ FLAKE technologies. The highly flexible INNOSORT™ FLAKE system delivers simultaneous detection of polymer types and colors, utilizing an advanced near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer and dual-sided imaging with high-resolution cameras. This machine is exceptionally efficient at sorting high-purity flakes from heavily contaminated mixed waste streams. Complementing this, the AUTOSORT™ FLAKE offers a powerful combination of an NIR spectrometer, a full-color camera, and an integrated metal sensor, delivering exceptional performance to achieve premium-quality end products.
Real-Time Data Analysis with PolyPerception
To provide comprehensive, end-to-end material tracking, the testing circuit also incorporates the “Waste Analyzer” technology developed by PolyPerception. This advanced system harnesses the power of deep learning AI to bring complete transparency to sorting operations. Color cameras installed at strategic points in the processing line capture real-time images of the continuous material flow. These images are used to visually analyze key performance metrics, such as hourly throughput, precise waste composition, and the exact rate of yield loss. By providing highly actionable data, this real-time monitoring significantly increases operational transparency, improves overall plant performance, and effectively lowers running costs.
Quantitative Focus: New One-Day Training Programs
The new Charlotte facility has significantly expanded not only its mechanical testing capacities but also its human resources and training capabilities. In addition to the continuous training of TOMRA’s internal service technicians, the company has launched two brand-new, intensive, one-day training programs specifically designed for customer operators:
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Operational Maintenance Training: This foundational module teaches customers basic, day-to-day machine operation and essential safety protocols. Participants learn how to perform performance data back-ups, system restoration after faults, preventative maintenance measures, and precise, independent fault code diagnostics.
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Maximizing Performance Training: This advanced-level program provides a comprehensive overview of advanced machine settings. It focuses on understanding in-depth machine performance metrics, stabilizing and improving fluctuating performance, and diagnosing complex machine conditioning issues.
A Key Americas Hub in a Global Network of Seven Centers
During the official opening event, Ralph Uepping, Head of Technology for TOMRA Recycling, highlighted the global strategic importance of the new investment. In his statement, he confirmed that the Charlotte facility is a highly significant addition to the company’s international infrastructure network, serving as one of seven official TOMRA Test & Training Centers located worldwide.
The technology executive emphasized that the Americas facility perfectly mirrors the high-quality standards already established and implemented at sites across Europe and Asia. In practice, this ensures that recyclers in the Americas have direct, localized access to the exact same level of top-tier technical expertise and machine innovation found anywhere else in the world. During the launch event, TOMRA’s leadership issued an open invitation to all market participants: recyclers are encouraged to bring their most problematic materials and sorting challenges to the new center. There, they can collaborate directly with engineers to develop flexible, customized solutions that simultaneously maximize facility throughput, yield, purity, and ultimately, profitability.
Reference and Official Source:
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Original Press Release: TOMRA Recycling opens new Americas Test and Training Center