Global Excellence 2019

Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2019 259 Sep19512 Acquisition International - Issue 11 2019 15 Technology is continuing to prove its hugely beneficial worth to businesses across the world today, with more developments every day. Today, those developments come courtesy of PICVISA, a company that designs and develops equipment for the classification and selection of recyclable materials that are categorised according to composition and colour. We profile the firm to learn how they became Spain’s most innovative developer of artificial vision systems in 2019. s systems across the world become more and more automated, it is increasingly important that those systems are able to do their job well. PICVISA is an innovating technology company that provides industrial solutions based on image processing and machine vision to the national and international markets. Offering two main products that are optical sorters, both the ECOPACK and ECOGLASS function based on the firm’s own image software, which is unique for each application. With high-resolution artificial-vision system and lighting systems, each product provides reliable and efficient solutions. Both products are designed and developed to allow sorting equipment to differentiate between different recyclable materials. The ECOGLASS product is based on an innovative optical system that allows the classification and separation of glass by colour and shape. Its lighting is equipped with long-lasting LED bars that increase the quality of colour and the stability. The control screen allows the user to configure and control the optical system, export data in an agile manner and control alarms. Classifying and separating glass from a wide variety of other materials isn’t all the ECOGLASS is capable of either, with operational extras able to extend a machine’s ability. It can also boast a lead glass detection system, a metal detection systems, a front light that improves the detection of the most difficult materials, and a cleaning system with configurable drop ramp. Different to the ECOGLASS, but not massively, the ECOPACK is an optical sorter for plastic packaging waste amongst many others, including paper and cardboard. With a capacity of sifting through up to nine tonnes per hour, adding the ECOPACK to a facility can vastly improve the performance and purity of it. Just this year, PICVISA has invested a considerable number of improvements into their equipment, as well as launching their third product, ECOPICK. ECOPICK is a robot, based on artificial intelligence, which recognizes and classifies a wide variety of objects on a conveyor belt, replacing the tasks usually performed by manual pickers. A delta-type robot, PICVISA’s latest offering leverages deep learning algorithms to recognise objects using artificial intelligence. For companies operating with machines and separation automation, rapid evolution of technology is fundamental to their ongoing success and growth. For PICVISA, that also means being as good with their technology as they are with other key areas of their business. Flexible and adaptable, the firm works to meet client requirements in A Envisioning A Technological Future regard to timing, product specifications, and much more, as well as sticking to their core pillar of top-quality after-sales service. Great after-sales service is key for companies who want to ensure they are getting the most out of their new purchase, and PICVISA has invested considerable time and energy into a faultless after- sales service. With a hotline for troubleshooting, spare parts sale, corrective and preventative maintenance, updating equipment, testing facility, and general analysis of performance, the after-sales service makes sure that all members of the ECO family of products are doing their job with unmitigated excellence. Having more than half of the workforce involved in research and development shows that PICVISA are keen to not rest on their laurels. The recently-introduced ECOPICK is a great example of this, integrating artificial intelligence, reducing the dependency on manual pickers, operating 24/7, and offering real-time access to statistics. The firm’s future plans don’t stop there however, as they are currently involved in a mammoth project between the EU, Spanish government and Catalan government, called W.I.S.E., which aims to increase the recovery of plastic packaging and other recyclables from a stream of material to be sent to landfill or incineration. Immersing themselves in the research and development of future technologies, PICVISA are at the forefront of bringing automation and artificial intelligence into the workplace very soon. Mastering this technology early could cement their status as one of Europe’s leading figures in the market.