Initiatives and Case Studies
Votechnik – ALR4000
The ALR4000 is the latest development of technology by Votechnik for the recycling of LCD displays. The technology is cutting edge and leading in the field of recycling where a Robot within the ALR4000 lifts up waste LCD displays and bring them through a choreographed sequence of steps to depollute the LCD of its hazardous materials. The components containing the hazardous materials including mercury in fluorescent tubes and liquid crystal in the glass panel are separated from the display allowing the remainder of the display to be recycled using traditional techniques to recover metals, plastics and precious metal in PCB boards. The ALR4000 stands 5 meters tall and 12 meters wide in white armour and is proudly deployed with Ireland's leading recycler, KMK Metals Recycling, in their Kilbeggan Facility.
Partner Initiative / WEEE Ireland & Partners / Screens & Monitors / Recover / Recycle
Key Findings
- KMK processes over 32 tonnes of FPDs per week through the ALR4000. The ALR4000 processes 60 units per hour making it one of the fastest depollution technologies for LCDs.
- The machine is designed to achieve a ≥90% success rate for incoming materials and process TVs and Monitors from 12” up to 90” sizes.
- KMK Metals Recycling recycle approx. 80% of Ireland’s waste LCDs which are processed through the ALR4000.
- The adoption of the ALR4000 technology in KMK Metals Recycling gave them the ability to stop exporting waste LCDs to be recycled abroad and instead process these LCDs in house in an environmentally friendly manner. As KMK process 80% of the entire country’s waste LCDs, this was a big win for Ireland to significantly reduce its export of waste regarding LCDs.
- The ALR4000 technology was developed under an EC funded project by the European Innovation Council.
Summary
LCDs contain hazardous substances and are largely disassembled manually, making the process slow and expensive and resulting in the stockpiling or exporting of waste LCD screens. As explained by KMK Metals Recycling, “LCDs and fluorescent tubes in flat-screen devices contain chemicals that could leach into the environment if the discarded TVs are not properly treated. Manual disassembly and removal of mercury- containing fluorescent tubes is laborious, time-consuming process and inefficient.”
The ALR4000 technology can process these displays at a rate of 60 LCDs per hour (this is 20 times the capacity of manual labour) and safely separate the liquid crystal glass panel and mercury containing lamps from the LCD display. A video case study of the ALR4000 technology as deployed at KMK Metals Recycling is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkSt8k7341E&t=227s where the technology can be seen in operation.
WEEE Ireland’s AER for 2023, also highlights the environmental benefits of the ALR4000 at the KMK Metals Recycling facility.
For More Information
Find out more about Votechnik at https://votechnik.com/.
Read WEEE Ireland’s Annual Environmental Report for 2023 at this link.