AMP Robotics has installed its first AI-guided robotics systems in the UK and Ireland, with Recyco a recycling and waste management business in Northern Ireland.
The project includes two robots—a single AMP Cortex unit along with a tandem unit—installed on Recyco’s fibre lines. The solution is designed for quality control to improve pick rates and bale purity.
Recyco is the first deal closed with Rep-Tec Advanced Technologies, AMP’s recently appointed official reseller and integrator for customers in the UK and Ireland. The partnership added there are several other projects in negotiation.
“We’re delighted to bring our first robots to the UK and Ireland as we continue to see strong demand for our AI and automation solutions and build our pipeline in Europe,” said Gary Ashburner, European general manager for AMP.
“Recyco has been a superb partner in this process, and recognises our technology addresses chronic staffing challenges it and many recyclers face, while aligning with its goals of maximising recovery, increasing landfill diversion, and advancing sustainability.”
AMP’s proprietary technology applies computer vision and deep learning to guide high-speed robotics systems to precisely identify, differentiate, and recover recyclables found in the waste stream by colour, size, shape, opacity, and more, storing data about each item it perceives.
AMP’s sorting technology can pick upwards of 80 items per minute, about twice the pace of a human sorter, and the company has recorded up to 150 picks per minute with its tandem units.
Furthermore, the company’s AI platform can quickly adapt to packaging introduced into the recycling stream with recognition capabilities to the brand level. The system is designed to assist with increasing demand for sufficient quantities of high-quality recycled material grow, and to meet consumer packaged goods companies’ commitment to use of post-consumer recycled content.
“AMP’s robots have quickly doubled the pick rates we were accustomed to, maintaining and even improving the purity of our bales, which we depend on to maximise prices with our end-market buyers,” said Michael Cunningham, CEO, Recyco.
“We’re proud to be leading the way for AI-powered recycling in these islands, and look forward to continued gains in productivity and efficiency.”
