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Preventing fires in sorting centers with artificial intelligence

Preventing fires in sorting centers with artificial intelligence

Spot lithium batteries and gas cylinders on the conveyors, before they reach the baling presses.

The problem

Why sorting centers catch fire

Dangerous objects cause nearly €100 million in damage every year in France to sorting centers and incinerators. Among them are the lithium-ion batteries of phones, e-cigarettes, cordless tools and scooters, thrown away by mistake with recyclable packaging.

Crushed by a machine or a baling press, a battery can heat up suddenly and set fire to the materials around it. Gas cylinders and nitrous oxide cartridges add a risk of explosion.

The safest way to limit these fires is to intercept these objects upstream, while they are still travelling on the conveyors. That is the role of Wasoria gantries: early detection on the line, rather than a response once the fire has started.

Bin full of cordless tool batteries, one of the causes of fires in sorting centers

How Wasoria AI reduces the fire risk

Sensors above the conveyors, an AI trained on real waste, and alerts that trigger action.

Detecting lithium batteries

The Wasoria Box analyzes every object passing under the gantry and detects up to 80% of the lithium batteries present in the flows.

Detecting hot spots early

Early detection: the Wasoria Box thermal sensor flags an object that is heating up or a fire outbreak before it spreads.

Alerting the teams

Indicator lights on the line, mobile notification and alert in Wasoria Pilot: your operators know immediately where to step in.

Acting on the sorting line

Wasoria Pilot sends the information to the line PLC to trigger the planned response for the situation.

Protecting baling presses

Intercepting dangerous objects upstream keeps them from being crushed in the presses, where a fire or explosion is most likely.

Keeping a record

Every detection is recorded: figures for your safety audits and your discussions with your insurer.

Key figures

≃ 5

batteries detected per day by our systems

Statistics based on real data from the Tricéa sorting center (SMET 71) in Torcy.
up to 80 %

of lithium batteries detected

Over 99 %

of gas cylinders and nitrous oxide cartridges detected

Detection rate certified by Elcimaï.
≃ € 100 M

in damage every year in France to sorting centers and incinerators, caused by dangerous objects

Frequently asked questions about fires in sorting centers

Why do lithium batteries cause fires in sorting centers?
A damaged lithium-ion battery (crushed, punctured or bent) can short-circuit and heat up very quickly. Surrounded by paper, cardboard and plastics, that heat is enough to start a fire.

Why are baling presses particularly exposed?
The press compacts materials under very high pressure: a battery or gas cylinder that reaches it gets crushed. It is a point particularly exposed to the risk of fire or explosion, which is why these objects should be detected earlier on the line.

How does Wasoria detect a battery on a conveyor?
The Wasoria Box, mounted on a gantry above the conveyor, combines a high-resolution color camera and a thermal sensor. Its artificial intelligence, trained on millions of images of real waste, recognizes batteries and other dangerous objects in real time.

What happens when a dangerous object is detected?
An alert is triggered immediately: indicator lights on the line, mobile notification and alert in Wasoria Pilot. Depending on your center's configuration, the information is also sent to the PLC and the object is removed from the flow. See dangerous object extraction.

How can I show my insurer that the fire risk is under control?
Every detection is recorded in Wasoria Pilot: batteries, gas cylinders, hot spots, each with its color and thermal images and an alert sheet that can be exported to PDF. You have a history and reports with figures to present during your safety audits and your discussions with your insurer.

Does production have to stop to install the gantries?
No. Installation is designed to be non-intrusive: it is usually done during maintenance periods or outside production hours, with no impact on your operations.

Explore more

Assess the fire risk of your sorting center

Request a demonstration on your own flows: we show you which dangerous objects travel on your conveyors.

Request a demo Discover dangerous objects management