Focused to identifying solid plastic and other materials for recycling and industrial process control, SpectraCode has devised a new technology for instant non-destructive chemical analysis. Developed under SBIR Phase I and Phase II awards and Phase III support from Ford and General Electric, this innovation combines highly discerning state-of-the-art laser spectrometry with high-powered multivariate image-processing software to provide a point-and-shoot device that works like a bar-code reader. Now available commercially, SpectraCodeâs RP-1 System for Polymer Identification provides an industry-ready tool for identifying plastics on-site in scrapyards, warehouses, dismantling facilities, and recycling centers, as well as on loading docks and at production sites in factories. The RP-1 consists of a lightweight hand-held probe connected by a five-meter fiber-optic umbilical to a mobile console hardened for use in factories and warehouses. The instrument has no moving parts and does not require pre-cleaning, processing or precise positioning of the plastic waste material. When a worker illuminates a plastic part with the laser output of the probe, the console instantly displays the chemical identity of that part. By using the principle of Raman spectroscopy (inelastic light scattering), the RP-1 reads the molecular bar code concealed in the chemical structure of the material itself. SpectraCode has installed RP-1 systems in production settings at Ford, General Motors, American Commodities (Flint), and Recovery Plastics International (Salt Lake City). In use over the past year, these instruments have significantly improved the practice of identifying, classifying, and sorting materials at these sites. The company has received orders for systems from Honda (Marysville) and Solutia (Ghent), and has recently exported its first system to Japan under contract to Anzen of America. Last year, SpectraCode received an R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine, recognizing the RP-1 as one of the 100 most technologically significant new products of the year. Industry Week named the RP-1 as one of the Top 25 Technologies of 1998. The Ford Motor Company has presented SpectraCode with a 1999 Henry Ford Technology Award
