Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

@article{201692,
        author = {Pratik Nagesh Shirgave and Sagar Dada Sathe and Prof.Suraj S.Shinde},
        title = {Automatic Metal Separation Using PLC},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {12},
        pages = {5703-5707},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=201692},
        abstract = {Automatic metal separation is an essential industrial process used in recycling, manufacturing, packaging, and material handling systems. In many industries, the presence of unwanted metallic objects may cause serious damage to machinery, reduce product quality, and increase safety hazards. Manual sorting is time-consuming, costly, and unreliable due to human errors. Hence, an automated system is necessary to improve accuracy and productivity.
This paper presents the design and implementation of an Automatic Metal Separation System using a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The system consists of a conveyor belt mechanism for transportation of mixed objects, a photoelectric sensor for object detection, and an inductive proximity sensor for metal identification. The PLC continuously monitors sensor inputs and controls the separation mechanism. When a metallic object is detected, the PLC activates a solenoid valve which controls a pneumatic cylinder to push the metal object into a separate bin. Non-metal objects continue moving along the conveyor belt without diversion.
The proposed system provides fast response, reliable separation, and continuous operation.},
        keywords = {PLC, Conveyor Belt, Inductive Proximity Sensor, Photoelectric Sensor, Pneumatic Cylinder, Solenoid Valve, Industrial Automation.},
        month = {May},
        }