Panasonic Develops High Efficiency CRT Recycling Technology Using Laser

July 2, 2009

Panasonic has developed a recycling technology using laser beams to separate the front panel and back part (funnel) of a cathode ray tube (CRT) used in TV sets.

This laser-cut technology, which is implemented at PETEC's plant in Hyogo Prefecture, allows for separating CRTs quicker and cleaner than before. With this highly-efficient technology, Panasonic is poised to respond to the increasing demand for recycling used CRT TVs, tons of which are expected to be thrown away as the shift to digital terrestrial broadcasting is scheduled for completion in 2011 in Japan.

As different types of glass are used in the front panel and funnel, it is essential to separate them without mixing for recycling. The conventional method uses an electrically heated wire around the joint area of the front and funnel to separate them. However, this method not only requires time for the heating process but causes thermal stress fractures by the local heating, requiring manual corrections to clean the cut surfaces.

Panasonic's CRT recycling technology utilizes radiation to drastically reduce the processing time with much less manual work, allowing one tube to be processed in 50 seconds, three times faster than the previous method. The laser head of the innovative system has a "surface profiling" function to maintain a constant distance between the focal point and surface of the glass. Coupled with the "radiation energy" control adjusting light intensity to the circumferential velocity, the system achieves a high quality cut with no mixing between the front and funnel glass.

Moreover, Panasonic's laser cutter is fully automated to measure the size (from 14 to 36 inches) and types (normal and wide) of CRT TVs and process with the conditions (38 different sets of conditions) suited to the size and type of each CRT.

Source: Panasonic


Rank 5 /5 (1 vote)
Relevant PhysicsForums posts
  • How to tilt a object
    created11 hours ago
  • How to calculate total compressibility in liquid porous solid system
    created16 hours ago
  • Need help reading 3-D
    createdFeb 11, 2012
  • A way to send and receive wireless data
    createdFeb 11, 2012
  • Calling function with no input argument
    createdFeb 10, 2012
  • Force free body diagram problem on gym equipment
    createdFeb 10, 2012
  • More from Physics Forums - General Engineering

More news stories

The joy of cheques

An electronic cheque which eliminates the need for costly processing by banks but preserves the simplicity and ease of a traditional cheque book has been designed by a team of academics in the UK.

Technology / Other

created 58 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Research shows promise in converting camelina oil into jet fuel

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Montana State University-Northern have developed a process to convert camelina oil to jet fuel and other high-value chemicals. MSU has applied for a U.S. patent and research is ongoing.

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created 55 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Thomas Edison inspires the oscar awards you don't see

Thomas Edison's invention of the first motion picture camera in 1891 inspired scientific and technological advances that he never could have imagined.

Technology / Hi Tech & Innovation

created 9 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Cutting our carbon footprint

Roofing materials that double as solar panels and can also moderate the temperature of buildings are among the next-generation building products being developed at UNSW.

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created 44 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

The art of shutting down a nuclear plant

Gaëtan Girardin, researcher in nuclear engineering, gives us the key to understanding nuclear reactor safety. While the disaster at Fukushima is at the center of our conversation, the recent and minor ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created 36 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


With climate change, today's '100-year floods' may happen every three to 20 years: research

Last August, Hurricane Irene spun through the Caribbean and parts of the eastern United States, leaving widespread wreckage in its wake. The Category 3 storm whipped up water levels, generating storm surges ...

Researchers make better heat sensor based on butterfly wings

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have long known that butterfly wings produce their iridescent colors by bouncing light around and between tiny ridges in structures made of chitin. More recently they’ve discovered ...

Manipulating genes with hidden TALENs

(PhysOrg.com) -- A better understanding of gene function in model plant and animal systems could be used to develop useful traits in livestock and crop plants, and might someday lead to developments in stem ...

Couples in the same place emotionally stay together, study says

(Medical Xpress) -- Despite life’s ups and downs, couples whose feelings are in sync consistently over time are more likely to stay together, says a University of California, Davis, study.

Researchers make breakthrough in stem cell research

(Medical Xpress) -- University of Queensland scientists have developed a world-first method for producing adult stem cells that will substantially impact patients who have a range of serious diseases.

Georgia Tech develops software for the rapid analysis of foodborne pathogens

2011 brought two of the deadliest bacterial outbreaks the world has seen during the last 25 years. The two epidemics accounted for more than 4,200 cases of infectious disease and 80 deaths. Software developed at Georgia Tech ...