About Electrocycling
Based in the Goslar district, Electrocycling GmbH has over 30 years of experience and is one of Europe’s leading companies in the recycling of waste electrical equipment.
The facility in Goslar:
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Throughput: Up to 80,000 tons of electronic waste per year.
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Focus: Recovery of high-quality secondary raw materials from private and municipal collections.
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Manual process: Currently, up to 8 employees per shift manually sort out hazardous materials (batteries, capacitors, mercury).
The challenge: Staff shortages and fire hazards
Because electronic waste is extremely diverse, electrocycling has so far relied on manual sorting. However, the acute shortage of skilled workers makes it nearly impossible to reliably staff the sorting lines.
At the same time, the risk posed by hidden lithium batteries is increasing. If these are overlooked during manual pre-sorting, there is a risk of dangerous contamination and major fires during the crushing processes.
“The waste we receive often contains batteries or environmentally harmful materials. If we overlook these during manual pre-sorting, it can lead to contamination or fires in subsequent processes.”
Kai Kramer, Quality Manager at Electrocycling GmbH
The solution: Vision.Insights
To assist employees, the Vision.Insights system was installed directly above the conveyor belt used for manual pre-sorting.
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Real-time assistance: If the system detects a battery or a hazardous object, it immediately sends a visual display signal and an audible warning to the staff.
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Versatile detection: In addition to batteries, the system also precisely identifies tools, smoke detectors, hygiene products, and contaminants such as wood, glass, or textiles.
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Data dashboard: Management gains full transparency into the sorting performance of each shift and the actual material composition.
Results and impact: Prevention rather than firefighting
The figures demonstrate the system's tremendous economic and operational success:
+76% increase in safety: Significant reduction in fire risk thanks to early warning.
+50% cleaner sorting: Significantly higher quality of the fractions for subsequent recycling stages.
Fewer downtimes, reduced fire damage, and optimized processes.
“WeSort.Al’s AI system can also reliably detect hidden or embedded hazardous components, such as batteries. It helps us better understand what is passing through our facility and enhances our operational safety. ”
Kai Kramer, Quality Manager at Electrocycling GmbH
Technical details and system configuration
The Vision.Insights solution was designed as an intelligent assistance system that can be integrated into existing facilities without requiring any structural modifications. It acts as a digital eye that precisely supports human perception.
Key features
Vision AI
Specially trained algorithms identify hidden or permanently installed batteries in old devices.
Plug-and-Play-Integration
Installation above the existing conveyor belt—without modifying the existing equipment.
Multisensory
Cameras continuously monitor the material flow and enable real-time analysis of sorting quality.
Technical specifications
Installation: Overhead mounting at manual sorting stations
Feedback system: Visual display on the monitor and audible alerts when items are detected.
Data transparency: Continuous tracking of material flows in a live dashboard.
Outlook for the future
We know how automation works in practice. This knowledge, gained from other areas of pre-sorting, is now being directly applied to further development.
We are working on a solution that eliminates the need for human intervention in the sorting process. Through the use of specialized air jets, the system becomes a master of precision: every object is detected and safely ejected. This not only makes operations at Electrocycling faster, but also future-proof.
“The goal of our continued collaboration is to fully automate manual pre-sorting.”
Nathanael Laier, Co-Founder and CEO at WeSort.AI
