Project description DEENESFRITPL New way to recycle LCD screens Liquid-crystal display (LCD) technology has come a long way since the electronic calculators and digital watches introduced back in the 1970s. Today, these flat screens are found in a wide range of electronic products – from TVs to smartphones and tablets. There’s just one problem: the average life span of an LCD screen is 3-4 years after which they eventually end up in landfills. Furthermore, removing mercury tubes is a major safety issue. The EU-funded ALR4000 project has the solution. It will bring to market a fully automated LCD recycling technology. This Votechnik technology is a fully automated robotics solution for the high-speed depollution of LCDs at the rate of 60 LCDs per hour with the safe capture of mercury. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Votechnik is a high potential start up company developing a one of its kind fully automated LCD recycling technology for global markets. Approximately 250 million LCDs are sold globally per annum and all require recycling at their end of life. In Europe the WEEE directive stipulates that hazardous components must be removed from LCDs such as mercury containing CCFLs and liquid crystal containing sheets. While manual disassembly to remove these components is slow (5LCDs p/hr), costly and poses a health risk for the workers, there are limited solutions available on the market. Amoung these are specialised shredding technology for mercury wastes which requires high volume of mercury waste (including lamps and CCFL) to be economical (1t/hr) while the only alternative is semi-automated technologies that still require manual labour to separate the mercury tubes resulting in a slow process (12 LCDs p/hr). The Votechnik technology is a state of art robotics solution for high speed depollution of LCDs at 60 LCDs /hr, fully automated and safe capture of mercury. The ALR4000 project is focused on developing the TRL 8 verison of the technology and deploying it as 3 reference sites in key markets for North EU, South EU and USA. Votechnik intend on achieving a 10 sales of the technology from the demonstrations before the end of the project. Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwaste managementwaste treatment processesrecyclingnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metalsengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticsengineering and technologymaterials engineeringliquid crystals Keywords Recycling LCDs Automation Waste Electronics Environment Critical Raw Materials Circular Economy Programme(s) H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs Main Programme H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies Topic(s) EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020 - SME instrument Call for proposal H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020 See other projects for this call Sub call H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-2 Funding Scheme SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2 Coordinator ALR Innovations Limited Net EU contribution € 1 941 519,00 Address PENNYWELL ROAD 12 V94 Limerick Ireland See on map SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes Region Ireland Southern Mid-West Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 2 773 599,00
