Lesson 1Glass handling and cullet separation: breakers, screens, and glass-specific conveyorsThis part covers handling glass from when it comes in to separating the cullet. It explains breakers, screens, and special glass conveyors, looking at sizing bits, getting rid of small bits and dirt, and cutting down on wear, dust, and noise.
Glass breaker types and impact on fragment sizeScreens for cullet sizing and fines removalGlass-only conveyors and chute designManaging ceramics, stones, and residual metalsWear protection, dust, and noise controlLesson 2Screening and classification: trommels, vibrating screens, ballistic separatorsThis part looks at screening and classifying gear that sorts stuff by size and shape. It goes over trommels, vibrating screens, and ballistic separators, with how they run, usual cut sizes, and what maintenance they need.
Trommel design, speed, and aperture selectionVibrating screens and stroke adjustmentsBallistic separators for 2D and 3D splitsManaging fines, wrapping, and blindingInspection, cleaning, and wear monitoringLesson 3Optical sorting and near-infrared (NIR) systems: capabilities, limitations, and typical placementsThis part checks out optical and NIR sorting for plastics, paper, and other recyclables. It covers how they spot things, the ejection bits, setting them up, problems with dirt or wet stuff, and where they usually go in the line.
NIR detection of polymers and paper gradesColor cameras and combined sensor platformsAir jets, valves, and ejection timingEffects of moisture, dirt, and overlappingTypical placements after screening or sizingLesson 4Magnetic and eddy-current separation: ferrous and non-ferrous removal principles and placementThis part explains how magnetic and eddy-current separators pull out iron and non-iron metals. It covers how they work, design choices, where to put them, and main settings that affect how much you recover and how clean it is.
Ferrous capture with overband and drum magnetsEddy-current rotor design and operating principleSeparator placement relative to shredders and screensKey settings: belt speed, splitter, and burden depthMaintenance, wear points, and safety precautionsLesson 5Truck unloading and tipping floor operationsThis part describes unloading trucks and working the tipping floor at dry recycling spots. It talks about traffic flow, safe areas, how loaders move, checking for bad stuff, and how storing and feeding affects things downstream.
Traffic flow, signage, and safety proceduresTipping floor layout and storage strategiesLoader operation, stockpiling, and mixingIncoming load inspection and contaminationHousekeeping, fire risk, and incident responseLesson 6Size reduction equipment: shredders, hammer mills, crushers, granulators — working principles and settingsThis part explains machines that break things down smaller before sorting or baling. It compares shredders, hammer mills, crushers, and granulators, focusing on how they cut, picking screens, power use, and controlling the final bits.
Single-shaft and twin-shaft shredder functionsHammer mill impact action and grate selectionCrushers for rigid containers and bulky itemsGranulators for plastics and uniform particlesEnergy, wear parts, and oversize controlLesson 7Conveying and material flow: conveyor types, transfer points, speed controlThis part looks at conveyor types and handling material flow in dry recycling plants. It covers belt, chain, and roller ones, designing transfer spots, controlling speed, less spillage, and how paths affect running time and safety.
Belt, chain, and roller conveyor selectionTransfer chutes, skirting, and spillage controlSpeed control, VFDs, and throughput tuningInclines, declines, and material rollbackGuarding, walkways, and lockout pointsLesson 8Ancillary systems: dust extraction, air knives, water sprays (if any), control panels and SCADA basicsThis part reviews support systems for safe and steady running. It includes pulling dust, air knives, water sprays if used, and control panels with simple SCADA for watching, alarms, and logging data.
Dust extraction hoods, ducts, and filtersAir knives for label and light fraction removalWater sprays for dust and fire risk controlLocal control panels and emergency stopsSCADA screens, alarms, and trend loggingLesson 9Primary feeding systems: hoppers, apron feeders, vibratory feedersThis part introduces main feeding systems that move stuff from storage to processing. It compares hoppers, apron feeders, and vibratory ones, pointing out flow control, bridging dangers, wear, and linking with controls.
Hopper design, live capacity, and bridging risksApron feeders for heavy and abrasive loadsVibratory feeders for metering and spreadingLevel sensors and interlocks for safe feedingWear liners and maintenance access designLesson 10Baling and densification: balers, compactors, and bale quality considerationsThis part details balers and compactors for packing sorted recyclables tight. It talks bale making, tying, quality checks, and how steady feed, wet, and settings affect density, safety, and selling well.
Horizontal versus vertical balers in MRFsCompactors and pre-compaction strategiesBale density, dimensions, and weight targetsContamination limits and bale quality specsWire tying, safety, and bale handling
