Located at IMRO’s headquarters in Uffenheim, Germany, the facility will combine ZenRobotics robotic and sensor-based sorting technologies with IMRO’s processing lines to efficiently recover valuable materials from complex waste streams. A key focus will be the treatment of incinerator bottom ash. IBA typically contains a diverse mix of ash, glass, ceramics, and metals, including ferrous and non-ferrous fractions. Through fully automated identification and recovery processes, the facility will extract high-value metals such as aluminium, copper, and stainless steel from IBA and other hard-to-process waste, enhancing both material purity and operational efficiency.
A key player in the facility will be a ZenRobotics Heavy Picker to separate multiple waste fractions with the help of various sensors, heavy-duty robot arms and artificial intelligence. It provides a simple, unmanned sorting process and makes waste sorting safer, more accurate and profitable. Capable of performing up to 2,300 picks per hour per arm, the system can handle objects weighing up to 40kg and measuring up to 1.5 meters in size. With the flexibility to deploy as many robotic arms as needed, it delivers up to 99% purity in recovered materials, making it a powerful solution for high-throughput, high-precision sorting in demanding recycling environments.
The facility, which is scheduled to be fully operational before the end of 2025, will also function as a real-world testing environment for advanced metal separation and automation, enabling live demonstrations, customer trials, and collaborative development projects.
