NIR Scanner (Near‑Infrared)
In the recycling industry, NIR scanners (Near-Infrared scanners) are widely used for the automatic sorting of materials. An NIR scanner is an optical measuring device that uses near-infrared light (wavelengths between approximately 780 and 2500 nanometers) to detect molecular vibrations in materials, with the aim of determining their composition, structure, or properties. Plastics such as PET and HDPE, as well as materials like paper, glass, and porcelain, each have a unique NIR spectral “fingerprint.” The scanner detects this and directs the material to the correct sorting line.