Overview and core upgrades
STEINERT will present a lineup of upgraded sorting systems at IFAT 2026 in Munich, May 4–7. The company emphasizes enhanced capability across aluminum separation, food-grade PET sorting, construction and demolition (C&D) waste processing, and heat-resistant glass detection.
Core equipment upgrades
The centerpiece is the PLASMAX LIBS system for aluminum sorting, now refined to enable finer alloy-specific fractions. After thousands of hours in operation, this upgrade improves the precision of aluminum separation while maintaining throughput. The SteelMaster Compact is optimized for challenging metal streams with small particle sizes, supporting refined cleaning of iron-containing concentrates and iron removal from copper concentrates, as well as other metal-processing tasks. The MSort AK chute sorter provides reliable color discrimination for metals from 0.5 to 60 mm and can also help clean mixed material streams to recover high-quality metal fractions.
Food-grade PET sorting
The UniSort PR EVO 5.0 demonstrates precise sorting of PET trays according to food-grade quality criteria using sensor fusion and the IOI system. Cirrec is cited as a real-world example of continuous operation of this technology, illustrating its applicability in industrial lines.
Food packaging and C&D waste: challenges and solutions
Separating food-contact packaging from non-food packaging is essential but difficult because the two types can share identical polymers. The new approach uses multi-sensor sensing and a robust object-identification routine to achieve clear separation. In C&D waste streams, magnet-based and sensor-driven sorting can improve the recovery of mineral fractions, and MSort color sorting broadens the range of separations for materials such as concrete, bricks, and asphalt. The option to retrofit heat-resistant glass detection into existing lines further enhances material recovery.
Heat-resistant glass detection and retrofit readiness
STEINERT’s approach uses wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum to identify heat-resistant glass, ceramics, stones, porcelain, and metal, along with color sorting in a single step. This technology can be installed on existing sorting equipment, offering a retrofit path to upgrade current lines and improve CSP and mixed cullet recovery.
Company leadership views IFAT as a venue to present solutions and references that address real sorting challenges and advance customers’ operations. Peter Funke, STEINERT managing director, underscored the event’s focus on outcomes-driven sorting tasks and reliable implementations.
Key highlights at a glance
- PLASMAX LIBS upgraded for finer aluminum fractionation by alloy.
- SteelMaster Compact optimized for small-particle metal flows and higher-purity recovery.
- MSort AK chute sorter for color sorting in 0.5–60 mm range and mixed-stream cleaning.
- UniSort PR EVO 5.0 with sensor fusion and demonstrated Cirrec deployment for food-grade PET.
