When the Icelandic waste management company SORPA sought to upgrade its maintenance strategy, reliability took center stage. El-Watch stepped in with a solution that transformed their operations.
As the sole provider of household waste collection in the Reykjavik area, the municipality-owned SORPA operates under immense pressure to maintain uninterrupted service.
“Talk to El-Watch. Their process is smooth, and their team provides excellent guidance tailored to your needs.”
Kristján Pálsson, Maintenance Manager, Sorpa
Disruptions in their facilities can quickly lead to household waste piling up, as no alternative processing options exist in Iceland.

While SORPA also handles industrial waste, its primary focus remains on efficiently managing household refuse.
Operating complex facilities—including a sorting and receiving plant, a biogas plant, and multiple waste reception stations—SORPA faced significant challenges in ensuring reliable operations.
Delays in maintenance escalated costs for local municipalities and strained their teams. Without backup systems or alternative workflows, equipment reliability was non-negotiable.
The sorting and receiving plant, SORPA Gufunesi, is at the heart of their operations. There, Maintenance Manager Atli Már Pálmason is pivotal in keeping machines running smoothly.
From tackling daily operational challenges to implementing effective maintenance solutions, Atli ensures the plant’s reliability remains uncompromised.
On a broader scale, Kristján Pálsson, who oversees maintenance across all SORPA’s units—including the biogas plant, sorting and receiving plant, and waste reception stations—focuses on long-term optimization.
“The vibration sensors have allowed us to identify issues early so we can address them before they escalate.”
Kristján Pálsson, Maintenance Manager, Sorpa
His responsibilities include planning multi-year strategies, maximizing return on investments, and steering SORPA’s transition from reactive to predictive maintenance.
Together, Atli and Kristján have embraced El-Watch’s innovative wireless sensor technology, achieving remarkable improvements in operational efficiency and significantly reducing unplanned downtime.
Their collaboration exemplifies how strategic maintenance upgrades can drive reliability and resilience in indispensable public services.
From Reactive to Predictive: The Maintenance Challenge
Before adopting El-Watch’s wireless sensors, SORPA’s maintenance strategy was based on outdated principles. “Our maintenance activities were only reactive. We would fix equipment when it broke down,” explains Kristján Pálsson.
This approach often led to costly unscheduled stops, overtime expenses, and a greater risk of maintenance errors.
However, equipment breakdowns don’t stop the trash flow of a waste management company like SORPA. Instead, waste stockpiles accumulate, sometimes taking weeks to clear.
Beyond the financial burden, this reactive method creates a high-pressure environment for the maintenance team. Without room for proper planning or error correction, stress levels run high, affecting efficiency and morale.
A Shift Toward Condition-Based Maintenance
Seeking a proactive alternative, SORPA turned to El-Watch’s innovative wireless sensors. “I wanted an online overview of the equipment’s status to better control the plant and plan maintenance in a more structured way,” said Pálsson.
The transition was remarkably seamless. Within just one week, SORPA had installed 20 sensors. “Each sensor took only 5-10 minutes to install. The process was simple and quick,” Pálsson noted.
Cost efficiency and ease of installation were deciding factors in choosing El-Watch, along with strong recommendations from other Icelandic companies.
Transforming Maintenance with Data
Today, SORPA relies on El-Watch’s sensors for vibration monitoring, current monitoring, hour metering, and uptime tracking—essential tools in their maintenance strategy.
“We’ve set rules for vibration levels, current thresholds, and hour meters to detect problems early and remind us of scheduled service,”
said Kristján.
The impact of this shift has been substantial. “The vibration sensors have allowed us to identify issues early, so we can address them before they escalate,” he added. With improved planning, maintenance activities are now more predictable, leading to reduced costs and significantly less operational stress.

Real-World Impact: Insights from Atli Már Pálmason
Atli Már Pálmason, who works closely with the sensors on a daily basis, highlighted specific examples of their impact:
Conveyor Incident
Vibration sensors detected steadily increasing vibrations on a conveyor after it was relocated. Upon inspection, Atli discovered a loose nut on one of the rollers—a minor issue that could have led to a major breakdown if left unresolved. However, even after fixing the roller, vibrations remained slightly elevated.
A deeper investigation revealed the root cause: a defective scraper that removes dirt from the conveyor. The worn-out scraper allowed dirt to accumulate, amplifying the vibrations. Once the scraper was replaced and the conveyor cleaned, the problem was entirely resolved.

Figure 1 – Loose nut on the conveyor after moving

Figure 2 – Defective scraper on conveyor causing vibrations
Shredder Maintenance
Hour meters have proven invaluable for automating maintenance reminders for critical tasks, including inspections, hard-welding shredder teeth, and lubrication. These alerts, triggered 50–100 hours before scheduled intervals, ensure tasks are completed on time.
“Now, activities are done because we get reminders,” Atli explained. This automation has also saved significant time by eliminating the need for manual readings across the site.

Figure 3 – Rules for automatic notifications for hour meter readings
Current Monitoring on Conveyor Motors
On another conveyor, sensors tracked both vibration and current levels. When both readings began to rise, it signaled that the conveyor belt was drifting to one side due to misalignment. With this data, the team resolved the issue before it could escalate.

Figure 4 – Spike in current due to misaligned conveyor belt
One of the most notable improvements has been transitioning from calendar-based to time-run maintenance using hour meters. “We no longer need manual readings, which has significantly streamlined our operations,” noted Kristján Pálsson.
Uptime monitoring has also allowed SORPA to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) for maintenance activities and productivity, offering valuable insights into their operational performance.
The Path Toward Optimization
While SORPA is still in the early stages of integrating maintenance data into its systems, the groundwork laid by El-Watch’s sensors shows great promise. “These sensors are the foundation for building KPIs to evaluate maintenance and productivity,” emphasized Kristján Pálsson.
The real-time data provided by the sensors has brought significant improvements, reducing stress and creating a more structured workflow for the team. “Qualitatively, we see good effects. Activities are better planned, and there’s less stress and time pressure involved,” Pálsson shared.
SORPA’s team values the straightforward and dependable nature of El-Watch’s solution. “The sensors are very easy to use, and the data has been consistent over time. We trust the measurements we get,” Pálsson affirmed.
Future Prospects and Recommendations
Looking ahead, SORPA plans to expand its use of wireless sensors to track uptime, downtime, and other vital parameters. Pálsson also envisions integrating El-Watch’s data with their maintenance software for a fully connected, data-driven approach to plant management.
Reflecting on their experience, Pálsson expressed high satisfaction with El-Watch’s solutions and support. “The support team is excellent, with quick response times, which is extremely important for us,” he noted.
His advice to other maintenance teams? “Talk to El-Watch. Their process is smooth, and their team provides excellent guidance tailored to your needs.”
A Game-Changer in Waste Management Maintenance
For SORPA, the collaboration with El-Watch is a testament to how wireless sensors can deliver meaningful change. Summing up the biggest benefit, Pálsson simply said: “Real-time status of your plant.”

As SORPA continues to evolve its maintenance strategy, its partnership with El-Watch sets the stage for smarter, more efficient practices in the waste management industry.