The UK company, Master Magnets Ltd, have recently designed, manufactured and delivered an Eddy Current Separator plant complete with a vibratory feeder and drum magnet to a major steel recycler in China.

Ghangzhou Asia Steel Ltd are one of the main steel recyclers in China, based in the region of Whampoa. They have had great success in the metal recycling market, and a few years ago they acquired a second hand ELV (End of Life Vehicle) plant which consisted of a shredding system, various conveyors, drum magnet, overband magnet and a picking station.

The plant was capable of recycling scrap vehicles, with the majority of the vehicles parts being sorted and down sized. Ghangzhou Asia Steel Ltd were unable to efficiently recycle the finer scrap materials that measured between 12mm-30mm, as particles of this size are more difficult for the Drum Magnet and Over Band Magnet to extract. They were well aware that sorting the fines would increase their overall product value thus increasing their profit margins, so Ghangzhou Asia Steel Ltd decided to invest in equipment that can separate and sort the fines

Master Magnets Ltd had originally manufactured and supplied the Overband and Drum Magnet Separator, so Ghangzhou Asia Steel Ltd decided to contact them to see if they provide another type of separator to sort fines. Master Magnets are well known for having many years knowledge and experience in magnetic separation applications.

Ghangzhou Asia Steel Ltd required a separator that could sort the metal fines into three different types of material;

1. Ferrous (e.g Iron and Steel)
2. Non Ferrous ( e.g Aluminium, Tin, Copper, Zinc, and Brass)
3. Non Metallic ( e.g. Scrap pieces of Rubber and Plastic)

These materials have a high product value in China as well as the UK, and Ghangzhou Asia Steel Ltd was very keen to take advantage of the high material prices and save landfill costs. They required separating equipment that was capable of processing 10 Tonnes per hour to enable a rapid financial return.

The solution

Master Magnets Ltd was presented with an enquiry from Ghangzhou Asia Steel Ltd, and within a day found a solution to their problem. It was suggested that they should have an Eddy Current Separation Plant to sort fines.

The Eddy Current Separator Plant consists of ;