Critical Equipment for Maximising Metal Recovery and Recycling

While industrial metal recycling has improved immensely over the last couple of decades, metal recovery facilities (MRFs) can still do more. This is especially true regarding the separation of valuable metals from mixed waste streams. Thus, metal recovery facilities continue to invest heavily in the most innovative metal separation solutions to recover higher levels of marketable metal grades. Moreover, MRFs closely collaborate with hi-tech manufacturers to develop breakthrough equipment that decreases the amount of unrecovered waste metal in landfills. This article highlights critical pieces of equipment that maximise metal recovery and recycling.

Metal Loss Monitors -- Despite the significant strides that MRFs have made in recovering metals from mixed waste streams, recyclers know that some scrap metal bypasses upstream separation stages. Rather than watch potential profits end up in landfills, forward-thinking MRFs are installing metal loss monitors (MLM). Notably, recyclers place an MLM on the final stage of metal recovery operations. As mixed waste residue passes through the final stage before heading to a landfill, an MLM scans it continually. Most importantly, the scanning process helps identify metals that have escaped the initial sorting, allowing MRFs to observe and improve their metal recovery operations. For instance, an MRF can add separators to their recycling operations if metal loss monitors indicate a spike in unrecovered valuable metals. MLMs are particularly useful in sorting and recycling modern-day products with complex material mixtures.

Magnetic Head Pulleys -- Smaller-sized metals, mainly from household products, are challenging for metal recyclers to pick up from large streams of waste. This is particularly the case for small metals on high-speed conveyor belts. Unfortunately, the small metals end up in landfills, polluting the environment and costing MRFs profits. Magnetic head pulleys turn high-speed and deep conveyor belts into powerful self-cleaning magnetic separators. As other non-magnetic waste drops over a conveyor belt edge, unrecovered metals remain attached to the belt's underside. Once they pass the magnetic field, they drop and are separately discharged. Therefore, the process maximises metal recovery and recycling.

Eccentric Magnetic Rotor Separators -- Eddy current separators have been commonly used to separate ferrous and non-ferrous metals in MRFs for many years. However, traditional separators used in metal recycling plants tend to develop wear from extended metal build-up. Over time, wear on the outside shell makes separators less efficient at picking up ferrous metals. However, modern metal separators have an eccentric magnetic rotor that focuses magnetic current into a separation zone. This can significantly reduce long-term wear.

Contact a company that offers metal recycling services to learn more.