Visual defects on plastic pellets, like black specks or discolorations, do not affect the functionality of the final product itself but its optic. Ultimately, the size of a contamination determines if it is still visible after the melting of the material. Metallic contamination, however, always poses a risk for plastic manufacturers and processors because it threatens the functionality and the safe application of the final product. Whether breakdowns in high voltage cables or damages and blockages in the hot channel system in injection molding machines – SIKORA’s PURITY CONCEPT X is an effective measure to prevent product failure and expensive production downtime.

The PURITY CONCEPT X is an offline inspection and analysis system based on X-ray technology. It detects metallic contamination from 50 µm in plastic pellets and evaluates them automatically within a few seconds. The material to be inspected is placed onto a sample tray by the operator and then moved through the inspection area automatically. By means of the specifically developed analysis software, metallic contamination is detected and marked in color as well as evaluated on the monitor and on the sample tray. This facilitates the removal, for example, for further tests in the laboratory. In addition to an image gallery of detected contamination, the software provides statistics about size, area and number. Single as well as serial inspections can be realized with the system and are included in an overall evaluation.

The PURITY CONCEPT X detects metallic contamination in plastic pellets and evaluates them automatically

The PURITY CONCEPT X is used for sample inspection in the laboratory or, alternatively, directly next to the production line. Since the material is X-rayed, the system covers the complete spectrum of plastics and colors. Due to the fast analysis process, it is also predestined for incoming goods inspection and quality control. It provides a test certificate with all information regarding the quality of the inspected pellets and a summary of the test results, creating the prerequisite for material release and delivery to the customer.

Furthermore, SIKORA offers with the PURITY SCANNER ADVANCED a system for 100 % online inspection and sorting of plastic pellets, which is based on X-ray and optical technologies. It detects contamination in the pellet as well as on its surface and sorts these out automatically and reliably.