Specialized Imaging System for Light Metal Sorting
Technology Description:
BlazeTech is developing advanced sorting software that uses a specialized camera to distinguish multiple grades of light metal scrap by examining how they reflect different wavelengths of light. Existing identification technologies rely on manual sorting of light metals, which can be inaccurate and slow. BlazeTech’s sorting technology would identify scrap metal content based on the way that each light metal appears under BlazeTech’s sorting camera, automating the sorting process and enabling more comprehensive metal recycling. The software developed under this program will be used to dramatically improve existing metal sorting systems. This technology offers great potential to improve the efficiency of light metals recycling, as similar techniques have proven successful in other industries, including vegetation surveying and plastics identification.
Potential Impact:
If successful, BlazeTech’s recycling technology will reduce energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and costs associated with manufacturing light metal components.
Security:
Light-weighting vehicles to improve fuel efficiency could reduce U.S. dependence on foreign fossil fuel resources used in the transportation industry.
Environment:
Recycling scrap metal enables the offsetting of 0.3 Quad of production energy, which would result in substantial reductions in CO2 emissions throughout the industry.
Economy:
Scrap metal recycling could generate over $1 billion in annual revenue in the U.S.
Contact
ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. James Klausner
Project Contact:
Dr. Malima Wolf
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
mwolf@blazetech.com
Related Projects
Release Date:
03/20/2013