The recycling industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation — and Eldan Sorting is at the centre of it. Through a landmark technology partnership with PICVISA, Eldan has integrated AI-powered optical sorting into its world-class mechanical recycling systems, creating solutions that set a new standard for purity, efficiency and sustainability in metal and cable processing.
PICVISA is a technology company specialising in robotics, artificial intelligence and machine vision for material sorting. With over 20 years of experience developing optical sorting equipment — originally for glass, plastics and textiles — PICVISA has now brought that expertise to the metals recycling sector through its collaboration with Eldan Sorting.
The key technology enabling this leap forward is broadband infrared sensing (NIR/MWIR), combined with PICVISA’s deep learning AI engine. This system identifies materials not just by colour, but by their molecular composition and physical shape — enabling sorting decisions that go far beyond what any conventional sensor-based sorter can achieve.
The Eldan–PICVISA partnership has resulted in two new optical sorter product lines that directly address the most demanding challenges in the metals recycling industry:
The SPS is designed for the precise sorting of cable granulate in the 3–20 mm fraction range. After cables are shredded and granulated, the SPS uses PICVISA’s optical intelligence to separate:
The result is significantly higher metal purity, which directly increases the value of the recovered material and reduces downstream processing costs.
The MPS is engineered for high-volume, mixed material streams. It is particularly effective in operations handling:
The MPS can be integrated into existing Eldan processing lines, making it a practical upgrade path for recyclers who want to improve their output quality without completely replacing their infrastructure.
One of the standout capabilities that PICVISA brings to the partnership is the APT Learner — an adaptive deep learning module that continuously improves sorting accuracy over time. Unlike conventional optical sorters that operate on fixed rules, the APT Learner builds material recognition models that evolve with real operational data.
This is particularly valuable for complex materials like printed circuit boards (PCBs) in e-waste streams, where material signatures can be highly variable. The APT Learner identifies patterns that fixed algorithms would miss, delivering measurably better separation results.
For recycling operators, the Eldan–PICVISA partnership means access to a fully integrated solution that combines:
This integration removes the complexity of managing separate mechanical and optical systems from different suppliers — and ensures the two technologies are optimised to work together.
Both Eldan Sorting and PICVISA share a vision of recycling as critical infrastructure for the circular economy. By recovering metals at higher purity and with greater efficiency, their joint systems help ensure that valuable secondary raw materials re-enter the manufacturing supply chain — reducing dependence on primary resource extraction.
PICVISA‘s B Corp certification underlines this commitment. For Eldan, it reflects a long-standing belief that high-quality recycling technology is not just a commercial product — it is a contribution to a more sustainable world.
Ready to explore what AI-powered optical sorting can do for your operation? Get in touch with the Eldan Sorting team today to discuss how the SPS or MPS can be configured for your specific material streams.
