Prototype development for intelligent robotic sorting and taping of button cell batteries

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Alkaline batteries in all shapes and sizes are used in many applications and comprise 78% of all batteries soldinto the Canadian market every year. Alkaline (non-rechargeable) and Lithium-Ion (rechargeable) batteriescontain Zinc and rare Earth metals such as Lithium, Cadmium, and Nickel. If these batteries are recycledresponsibly, they will provide new sources for fertilizing agricultural fields, save energy and resources, protectthe environment, and divert waste from landfills.However, considering the volume and variety of waste batteries, automated systems require the ability to sortthese batteries by chemistry in order to ensure proper recycling. Sorting results in better control overenvironmental outcomes as separated battery types can be processed by the best specialty recyclers usingtechnology designed for recycling specific battery chemistries.The objective in this project is to develop a working prototype system to automatically sort the button cellbatteries into rechargeable and non-rechargeable streams and tape the rechargeable batteries for safety reasons.The automated process is expected to considerably increase the throughput, causing increased efficiency andproductivity rates, compared to the current manual process.