Lightweight packaging / LWP
Our lines precisely fractionate the high-volume LWP material stream into recyclable mono-fractions and recoverable material groups.
Typical outputs:
Turnkey waste sorting lines — Made in Germany
STF Group designs, manufactures and integrates complete sorting lines for post-consumer plastics and mixed waste streams. We combine robust German mechanical plant engineering with AI-supported optical sorting technology from UCY Technologies for stable qualities and maximum yield.
Made in Germany Mechanical plant engineering, steel construction and conveying technology manufactured in-house
Turnkey Turnkey overall concept from bale opener to sorted polymer grade
Recycler DNA Machine and process competence from decades of operating our own recycling plants
AI sorting Seamless integration of the UCY A-, Q- and F-series for intelligent detection
Material streams
Robust sorting for a wide range of waste streams.
Our systems are designed for the efficient fractionation of heterogeneous input materials and achieve high purity levels with minimal mis-sorting.
PET bottle streams
Color sorting, metal separation and the separation of monolayers and multilayers form the core of highly efficient PET lines.
Typical outputs:
Mixed rigid plastics
Sorting lines for post-consumer rigid plastics separate rigid containers by polymer type and color.
Typical outputs:
Films and 2D fractions
Flexible film streams separated by air classifiers and dedicated ballistic separators are prepared for washing and regranulation plants.
Typical outputs:
Commercial & industrial waste
For highly heterogeneous streams, STF combines mechanical processing with robust sensor technology to recover recyclable materials and RDF.
Typical outputs:
Mixed PC plastics
Post-consumer mixed waste is efficiently pre-sorted and separated into recoverable polymer cuts for washing processes.
Typical outputs:
Residue processing
Reject upgrading recovers valuable plastic residues from reject and waste streams of other processes and returns them to the cycle.
Typical outputs:
Pre-sorting before washing
Optimum sorting directly upstream of washing and size-reduction technology relieves mills and protects downstream units.
Typical outputs:
Scope of supply
From bale opener to sorted fraction — one responsible partner
STF supplies not only individual sorting machines, but also assumes responsibility for the entire sorting process as a general contractor. All mechanical, electrical and sensor-based components are precisely coordinated.
Dosing & feeding
Continuous material flow through volumetric feed bunkers, underfloor belts and moving floors.
Bale breaking
Gentle bale openers or robust pre-shredders optimally prepare the compressed plastics.
Mechanical pre-sorting
Trommel screens, star screens and disc screens classify fine fractions and prepare the material.
2D/3D separation
Ballistic separators separate flat films (2D), rolling containers (3D) and remaining fines.
Air classification
Air classifiers reliably blow out light contaminants such as paper, labels and extremely light films.
Metal separation
Overbelt magnets and eddy current separators (ferrous/non-ferrous) protect sorters and recover valuable metals.
Sensor & AI sorting
UCY A-series sorters separate the isolated material stream in a high-speed belt process.
Quality control
Manual picking platforms or AI-based inline inspection systems (UCY Q-series) secure the target purity.
Fraction storage
Automatic bunker systems, bulk material boxes and flexible transfer stations for downstream processes.
Plant periphery
Robust steel construction, maintenance platforms, sensor synchronization, control cabinets and higher-level PLC controls.
Interface to recycling
Seamless connection to mechanical recycling lines from STF (size reduction, washing lines, dewatering).
Your advantages
Why STF Group for your waste sorting process?
In a European comparison, we stand out through one decisive characteristic: we are not only a plant manufacturer, but also one of Europe’s largest plastics recyclers. We understand practical operation.
Operator experience
Real recycler DNA
We do not design sorting lines only on the drawing board. STF Group operates its own industrial PET recycling plants. Our machines are built for harsh real-world conditions: contamination, fluctuating input qualities and maximum purity requirements.Line engineering
Complete German plant engineering
Design, steel construction, conveying technology, control systems, integration and commissioning — all from a single source. This minimizes interface risks and ensures smooth project execution.UCY sorting
AI-supported optical sorting
The integrated UCY A-series uses high-resolution VIS and SWIR cameras as well as real-time AI to separate objects with high precision by material, color, shape and application classes.Flexibility
Retrofit-friendly
Our modular systems are highly suitable for upgrading existing sorting lines. We integrate modern AI-supported sensor technology, metal separation and reporting without requiring the entire plant to be rebuilt.Plant logic
Five steps to a pure recoverable material
Our integrated process eliminates interface issues. Sorting works hand in hand with mechanical processing.
- 01
Conditioning
Feeding, dosing, loosening and uniform distribution of the input material for a continuous flow.
- 02
Mechanical separation
Separation of fines, separation of 2D/3D objects as well as ferrous and non-ferrous metals to isolate the material stream.
- 03
AI optical sorting
Detection of material, color, shape and application-specific object classes in the high-speed stream using the UCY A-series.
- 04
Quality control
Inline monitoring with the UCY Q-series for detecting contaminants, mill protection and detailed real-time reporting.
- 05
Output handling
Buffering in bunker systems, automated baling or direct transfer to washing and grinding processes.
UCY integration
UCY sorting technology — seamlessly integrated into STF lines
The close technical integration of STF mechanical engineering and computer vision from UCY Technologies creates a highly efficient overall solution. No separate interface coordination, no signal delay.
Main sorter
UCY A-series
The high-capacity belt sorter for bottle and waste streams with a robust conveyor belt and real-time AI processing.
- VIS & SWIR sensor technology
- Ferrous/non-ferrous detection
- Object classification
- High mass throughput
Quality assurance
UCY Q-series
Inline quality monitoring, process protection, detection of hazardous objects and detailed live statistics.
- Inline real-time analysis
- Contaminant warning system
- Simple integration
- Dashboard statistics
Fines purification
UCY F-series
Downstream flake sorting for high-purity recyclate after the washing and grinding process in washing lines.
- Sub-millimeter precision
- Material & color detection
- Fine ejector nozzles
- Maximum final purity
Performance & ROI
Focus on economic efficiency and yield
We avoid unrealistic promises. Our concepts are based on durable technology and reliable, material-specific quality commitments.
Maximized purity
With high-resolution VIS/SWIR camera systems and AI-supported object detection, we achieve excellent mono-fractions with minimal mis-sorting.
Reduced labor costs
Precise automatic sorting reduces the need for manual picking personnel to an absolute minimum.
Process data & transparency
Integrated dashboards enable real-time monitoring of material streams, purities and throughputs — for data-based plant decisions.
Retrofit potential
Increase the throughput and purity of your existing line with a targeted upgrade without completely rebuilding the steel structure.
Request a sorting concept
Would you like to analyze your material stream or improve an existing sorting process?
Talk to STF about input fractions, throughput targets, plant layout and the appropriate next project step.