Electronic sorting machines are industrial systems used to automate the process of separating products or materials according to predefined criteria, with the aim of improving the quality or uniformity of the processed product.
The most common application sectors are:
- agri-food industry (seeds, fruit or vegetables)
- mining industry
- plastic recycling industry
Modern optical sorting machines operate with very high performance levels, expressed in tons/hour of screened product. For this reason, it is essential that such performance is not compromised by poor electrical power supply quality.
To ensure reliable operating conditions, a dedicated Power Quality solution is used: the IREM Ministatic TS electronic line conditioners.
Why is power supply quality essential for optical sorting machines?
Electronic sorting machines use advanced technologies such as:
- high-resolution cameras
- artificial intelligence algorithms for identifying defective elements
- electro-pneumatic actuators for rejecting non-compliant products
These systems require extremely precise synchronization between image acquisition and the activation of the rejection system.
An unstable power supply can cause synchronization errors between:
- image acquisition
- activation of the product rejection system
This can compromise the efficiency of the sorting process and the final quality of the product.
Which POWER QUALITY solutions protect electronic sorting machines?
To ensure a stable and protected power supply, IREM Ministatic TS electronic line conditioners are used, designed to protect sensitive electronic equipment.
These devices are designed to operate in electrical networks subject to various disturbance phenomena, including:
- internal overvoltages
- voltage amplitude variations
- high electromagnetic interference (EMC)
Electronic line conditioners represent a specific solution to improve the Power Quality of power supply lines and ensure the correct operation of sensitive industrial electronic equipment.
How do IREM Ministatic TS line conditioners operate?
IREM Ministatic TS line conditioners are used to protect the most sensitive electronic loads and reduce malfunctions or damage caused by electrical disturbances present in the power supply network.
Their function is to improve the quality of electrical energy supplied to process control systems, in industrial contexts where the following coexist:
- sensitive electronic equipment
- power loads capable of introducing high levels of disturbance into the network
In these contexts, disturbance phenomena can be generated both by external factors and by interaction with other loads connected to the same electrical distribution system.
Which technical characteristics distinguish this application?
The described application has been developed as an OEM supply for a leading manufacturer of sorting systems.
The main technical data of the configuration are:
Installation
Indoor IP54 protection degree
Electrical parameters
Input voltage: 1P+N – 208-230-480 V ±15%
Output voltage: 1P+N – 230 V ±1.5%
Power: from 0.5 kVA to 24 kVA
Main equipment
- input circuit breaker
- combined surge arresters
- high-attenuation isolation transformer with multi-voltage windings
- static AVR system
- double-stage EMI filters
- filter capacitor
- TVP – Transient Voltage Protection with encapsulated MOV for fine protection
- output circuit breaker or residual current device
- overtemperature protections
- voltage drift protection
- optical-acoustic panel for functional status signalling
Versions compliant with IEC, UL and CSA standards are also available.
What role will POWER QUALITY play in AI-based sorting machines?
The evolution of industrial sorting systems foresees an increasing use of Artificial Intelligence and advanced automation systems.
In the future, a greater integration of technologies capable of learning from human movements is expected, in order to perform increasingly sophisticated sorting and packaging operations.
IREM Ministatic TS electronic line conditioners are already designed to support these technologies by guaranteeing a high level of Power Quality, a fundamental condition to ensure reliability and operational continuity in automated industrial processes.
