Industrial machinery for resource recovery

Recovered cardboard bales stored for material characterisation

Knowledge Center

Material Atlas

Describe the material before evaluating what should process it.

Use a repeatable characterisation method to document composition, bulk density, moisture, contamination, physical form and variability. This atlas defines the input evidence; machinery and application selection are addressed separately.

Review Characterisation Fields

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Core topics

Core observations

Build a traceable description of the material stream

Each field answers a different engineering question. Keep measured observations, classification rules and downstream requirements distinct in the record.

  • Mixed recoverable material on an industrial processing line

    Composition

    Define fractions using a stated classification rule

    Classification basis

    Identify the principal material fractions, fines, attached components and mixed objects. State whether results are based on mass, count or another basis, and retain an “unclassified” category rather than forcing uncertain observations into a preferred group.

    Review the Sampling Method
  • Loose cardboard moving through a material-processing facility

    Physical property

    Measure bulk density with the handling state declared

    Mass, volume and method

    Report material mass and occupied volume together with container geometry, fill method, settling or compaction applied and moisture condition. A density value without this context cannot reliably represent storage, conveying or chamber-filling behaviour.

    Record Project Inputs
  • Variable organic material moving through an industrial handling process

    Material condition

    Distinguish moisture result from visible condition

    As-received evidence

    Record whether material is dry, damp, saturated, frozen, warm or otherwise altered at receipt. For a measured moisture result, identify the sampling location, preparation, analytical method, reporting basis and elapsed time between collection and testing.

    Review Reporting Controls
  • Mixed electronic material requiring controlled identification and handling

    Contamination

    Define unwanted inclusions and the inspection limit

    Inclusion and exclusion rules

    List prohibited, process-disrupting and quality-limiting inclusions separately. Describe the inspection or separation method and its detection limit. Suspected hazardous material requires the site’s approved response and competent assessment, not routine characterisation.

    Open the Safety Center
  • Plastic containers showing varied shapes in a controlled process stream

    Geometry and flow

    Describe how individual pieces behave as a bulk stream

    Form and preparation state

    Record characteristic dimensions, size distribution, shape, flexibility, nesting, spring-back, entanglement and bridging observations. Note any preparation already applied because shredding, flattening, draining or sorting changes the material presented to the process.

    Review Plastic Baling Criteria
  • Textile material with varied colour and form prepared for recovery

    Variability

    Represent the operating envelope, not a convenient snapshot

    Range and coverage

    Compare normal, start-up, changeover and known seasonal or supplier-related conditions where they apply. Report observed ranges, sample count and missing coverage so design reviewers can distinguish representative evidence from assumptions requiring later verification.

    Plan Engineering Review

Sampling workflow

Preserve representativeness from collection to reporting

The appropriate method depends on the stream and decision being supported. Record the following controls so the evidence can be interpreted and repeated.

  • 01

    Define the population

    State the source, time window, process state and material boundary that the samples are intended to represent.

  • 02

    Plan collection

    Select locations and times that address known variation while documenting inaccessible or excluded portions of the stream.

  • 03

    Preserve condition

    Control handling, storage and identification so moisture, composition and physical form are not unintentionally changed.

  • 04

    Apply the method

    Use stated units, calibrated instruments where required, repeat observations and an explicit calculation basis.

  • 05

    Review the evidence

    Check completeness, anomalous results, uncertainty and whether the dataset supports the decision for which it was collected.