Leveraging Machine Learning for Real-Time Performance Prediction of Near Infrared Separators in Waste Sorting Plant

Many small and medium enterprises (SME) often fail to fully utilize the data they collect due to a lack of technical expertise. The ecoKI platform, a low-code solution that simplifies machine learning application for SMEs, showed a promising answer to the challenge. This study explores the application of ecoKI platform to design process monitoring tools for waste sorting plants. NIR separator data were processed through ecoKI�s building blocks to train two neural network architectures�MLP and LSTM�for predicting NIR separation efficiency. The results showed that the models accurately predicted NIR output and effectively identified regions where NIR separation performance declined, demonstrating the potential of data-driven approaches for real-time performance monitoring. This work highlights how SMEs can leverage existing data for operational efficiency and decision-making, offering an accessible solution for industries with limited machine learning expertise. The approach is adaptable to various industrial contexts, paving the way for future advancements in automated, data-driven optimization of equipment performance.