It has been 10 years since the official announcement of the success of Austin AI and Hydro joint research work that resulted in the installation of a pilot scale LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) sensor sorter at Hydro´s R&D center in Bonn, Germany.

Short after the pilot system, the first production unit was finally installed in 2019 in Sweden.

Thanks to our presence at many international Shows like ISRI, IFAT, IARC, Global Aluminium Exhibition ), our sales records have boosted over the years. Another lesson that we learned when meeting with aluminium experts at the shows is that although the value of our LIBS Sensor Sorters are known, these experts are reluctant to add costs. This, in spite of our advertising claiming a fully loaded cost of under €3 per ton processed.

It is known that chemical composition is a key characteristic of aluminium products. Spark optical emission spectrometry (EN14726) is the dedicated standard method for the accurate determination of the chemical composition of aluminium alloys within the laboratory routine. LIBS is an analogous analytical chemistry method having better precision and accuracy toward light elements. Also, due to its laser based generated signal, easier to implement into industrial process design.

Austin AI’s LIBS sensor sorter allows to achieve such a low detection limit as being able to extract  a specific alloy, such as 6063. Depending on the input material and the target alloy, one or more elements can be used as criteria for the sorting. Below is an example of the set of criteria used to extract the 6063 alloy,

• 0.4% < Mg <0.9%,
• 0.2% < Si <0.6%,
• <0.1% Mn,
• <0.1% Zn,
• <0.35% Fe
• <0.1% Cu,

With the help of such a unique feature users can be confident about >95% purity of the extracted fraction that can even direct to smelters with no additional blending. This offers a sustainable solution to minimize primary aluminum usage by optimizing scrap composition before it enters the smelter.

Recyclers frequently question whether an X-ray sensor sorter (XRF or XRT) is required before LIBS. The optimal process configuration depends on the type of material fed at the beginning of the line.

If the input material is Zorba, installing an XRT (X-Ray Transmission) upstream makes sense to split the stream into heavy and light fractions. An XRF sorter could then be positioned after the XRT to upgrade and individually separate the heavy metals.

LIBS, on the other hand, is used to process the light fraction (coming out of the XRT or already available at the beginning of the line), separating it into high-value commercial fractions—such as specific target alloys or alloy families. 

A key strength of Austin AI’s LIBS sorter is its ability to detect low concentrations (0.1%–0.2%) of main alloying elements in each processed piece, reaching as low as 0.06% for copper and zinc (detectable values are matrix-dependent)."

Austin AI LIBS sorter also excels at identifying and separating magnesium alloys—a critical capability given their growing prevalence in aerospace and automotive applications. 

Below an overview of Austin AI patented LIBS sensor sorter 

1. Outstanding analytical performance

‍With our high performance, newly developed Gen#2 LIBS modules we can sort the key alloying elements with as low as 0.06%.(Matrix dependent)

2. Patented free-fall design

No belts, no moving or wear parts. The scrap pieces are “guided” into 6 channels in the last stage of the vibrating feeder and fall down a chute (also with 6 channels), the heart of the patent, which brings each piece in front of the 6 fixed lasers (one per channel).

3. Modular design

Austin AI LIBS sorter adopts a modular concept. For each of the 6 channels there is an independent LIBS module. If one of the modules stops working, the machine can continue to work with the other 5 channels (with a flow reduction of only 1/6, about 16%).

4. Powerful laser

Fully solid state laser (of a class used for metal cutting purposes). At a rep rate of 50,000 Hz, the system is capable of “burning” through most painted, oxidized, and otherwise contaminated scrap material. 

5. Precise analysis - "Ready to melt” products

Thanks to the real-chemistry analysis, Austin AI LIBS sorter achieves the most accurate separation of the target material, allowing extraction of virtually any alloy of interest with Ready-to-Melt purity (>95 %).

6. Small footprint

Compact and space-saving design that easily fits into tight production lines. It maximizes floor space efficiency without compromising on sorting capacity or performance.

7. Low Cost of Operation → Rapid ROI

With an operational cost of only around € 3/t of material processed, the ROI confirmed by our customers is less than 3 years for a 2 shift/day working line.

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Decarbonizing aluminum production starts with precise furnace input. Austin AI’s LIBS sorting technology enables secondary smelters to melt strictly the exact alloys needed for casting, saving fuel, cutting emissions, reducing melt times and increasing furnace productivity.

With operational cost around € 3/t, it is the most cost-effective path to scalable green aluminum production.

Available models 

From R&D to full-scale industrial operations, Austin AI offers a LIBS solution for every requirement:

• 6-Lane/6-Sensor sorter: The flagship solution for maximum-efficiency alloy-specific scrap sorting.
• Single-Lane Model: A compact unit designed for low-capacity processing, testing, and R&D operations.
• WheelSorter: Engineered for whole aluminum car wheels and large scrap pieces, enabling direct processing without prior shredding at rates above 10 tph."