Great Success for PET Bottle to Bottle recycling plants with Remote Erection and Commissioning

PREVIERO-SOREMA has recently sold some turnkey plants to increase PET flakes production capacity in LATAM (Latin America) area. These plants have an output range between 2.000 kg/h and 9.000kg/h of PET washed and re-granulated flakes, starting from postconsumer bottles collection. 

A plant for PET bottles includes the following sections: automatic feeding, prewashing, de-labeling, wet grinding, hot washing, rinsing with flotation and drying. Bottles and flakes detectors’ for material and for colours are also incorporated in the lines, all under a single Sorema supervisor system SCADA, for an efficient local and remote control. 

Our company also offers the possibility to integrate in the line a wastewater treatment plant based on following sections: Filtering phase – Chemical treatment – Biological treatment – Sludge Dewatering phase, and super filtration modules (quartzite filters, activated carbon filters, ozone and reverse osmosis treatments, etc.) so that the customers are sure to reach the maximum of quality and efficiency with the minimum of management problems. 

Our company delivered the equipment to customers in early 2020, but due to the worldwide outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the following travel restrictions it became impossible for SOREMA to send its engineers to customers’ facility for the erection and the commissioning of the line. 

Sorema reacted quickly, promptly allocating a specific team of skilled and experienced personnel, who developed a dedicated working programme to control from remote all the installation activities of machineries and utilities connections at client sites. After that, all the installation components, no matter how complex, become accessible from PC and tablet without useless complications. 

It is true that almost all the good companies reacted in this way. Nevertheless, for us, the challenge level was much higher since the problem, however complex, did not concern a single machine, but an entire PET bottle recycling line, involving many machines, sensors, valves, pipes, pumps, dryers and so on, that must work properly all together. 

Thanks to the high quality of Previero standards in machinery construction, with special reference to the factory pre-acceptance test, which includes the complete assembly of the line before shipment and a no-load test for most of the equipment, Sorema managed to overcome this critical situation. After preparatory work, the customer managed to assemble and put in operation the complete Sorema washing plant, for the first time without the physical presence of Sorema’s engineers, but always supported every day with remote assistance, video conferences, telephone calls and e-mail by the specifically dedicated PREVIERO-SOREMA’s technical team. 

The PET “Bottle to Bottle” washing and recycling plants were smoothly started-up. The lines managed to achieve the prefixed targets of product quality and quantity with the full satisfaction of the customer for the plant as well as for the partnership developed in such difficult times. After careful reflection, a conviction thus made the way into Sorema’s mind: the initiative, born as an emergency solution, may become the standard system for commissioning of future Sorema washing systems, looking at the positive experience and in absence of particular drawbacks. 

Based on our positive records, we will encourage our customer to take advantage of this modus operandi. It brings an appreciated reduction in costs for the client, in face of a slight increase in working days to finish the work. We reiterate that even in this new approach, carrying out the work exactly according to the instructions given, these plants are covered by the Sorema guarantee and by its proverbial prompt and effective after-sales assistance. Anyhow, it is always our duty to answer at customer doubts and offer him the maximum possible support.