Eddy Current Separator: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 16:52, 2 November 2021

An Eddy Current Separator (ECS) is a machine that is used to separate and recover non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, copper and brass from non-metallic material in a waste stream^[1].

Overview

An Eddy Current Separator (ECS) is a machine that is used to separate and recover non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, copper and brass from non-metallic material in a waste stream^[1]. Material is fed onto the conveyor of the separator, which moves it across the magnetic rotor, situated underneath, to result in separation. The two resultant streams discharge into different bins/compartments with the aid of the splitter which divides the non-ferrous metal from the non-metallic waste such as paper, plastic, wood or automotive shredder residue (known as shredder fluff)^[2]. This process is usually employed after magnetic separation has removed the bulk ferrous fraction from a scrap material stream^[3].

The Magnet Rotor

The key component is the magnetic rotor, which is a series of permanent rare earth magnets mounted on a support plate attached to a shaft. The magnetic rotor is surrounded by, but not attached to, a non-metallic shell which supports the conveyor belt. This allows the rotor to spin independently and at a much higher speed than the non-metallic shell and belt^[2].

Stated Benefits

Very high hit rates
Very high purity rates
Compact and flexible
Removes ranging sizes of non-ferrous metals^[1]

The Process

Eddy Current Separator Diagram. All Rights Reserved. Schematic Diagram of an Eddy Current Separator^[3]	1. The waste stream is fed onto the conveyor belt and is transported towards the magnetic rotor end.
	2. When a piece of non-ferrous metal passes over the magnetic rotor, the magnets inside the shell rotate past the metal at high speed which forms eddy currents to create a magnetic field around the piece of metal.
	3. The polarity of that magnetic field is the same as the rotating magnet, causing the non-ferrous metal to be repelled away from the magnet.
	4. This repulsion makes the trajectory of the non-ferrous metal greater than that of the non-metallic, allowing the two material streams to be separated^[2].

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Eddy Current Separators: OKAY Engineering
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Magnetic Equipment Guide - Eddy Current Separators
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Eddy Current Separation

[ref1-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Eddy Current Separators: OKAY Engineering

[ref2-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Magnetic Equipment Guide - Eddy Current Separators

[ref3-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Eddy Current Separation

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Eddy Current Separator Magnet and Splitter.jpg|350px|right|Eddy Current Separator Magnet Rotor and Splitter. Image: OKAY Engineering.]]
+An [[Eddy Current Separator]] (ECS) is a machine that is used to separate and recover [[Non-Ferrous Metal|non-ferrous metals]] such as aluminium, copper and brass from non-metallic material in a [[Waste|waste]] stream<ref name="ref1">[https://www.okay.co.uk/project/ecs/ Eddy Current Separators: [[OKAY Engineering]]]</ref>.
-An [[Eddy Current Separator]] (ECS) is a machine that is used to separate and recover non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, copper and brass from non-metallic material in a waste stream<ref name="ref1">[https://www.okay.co.uk/project/ecs/ Eddy Current Separators: [[OKAY Engineering]]]</ref>. Material is fed onto the conveyor of the separator, which moves it across the magnetic rotor, situated underneath, to cause in separation. The two resultant streams discharge into different bins/compartments with the aid of the splitter which divides the non-ferrous metal from the non-metallic waste such as paper, plastic, wood or auto shredder residue (known as shedder fluff)<ref name="ref2">[https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/magnetic-equipment-guide----eddy-current-separators/ Magnetic Equipment Guide - Eddy Current Separators]</ref>. This process is usually employed after magnetic separation has removed the bulk ferrous fraction from a scrap material stream<ref name="ref3">[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S089268751830582X Eddy Current Separation]</ref>.
+[[Category:Technologies & Solutions]]
+[[File:Eddy Current Separator Magnet and Splitter.jpg|350px|left|Eddy Current Separator Magnet Rotor and Splitter. Image: OKAY Engineering.]]__TOC__
+<br clear='left'/>
+==Overview==
+An [[Eddy Current Separator]] (ECS) is a machine that is used to separate and recover [[Non-Ferrous Metal|non-ferrous metals]] such as aluminium, copper and brass from non-metallic material in a [[Waste|waste]] stream<ref name="ref1" />. Material is fed onto the conveyor of the separator, which moves it across the magnetic rotor, situated underneath, to result in separation. The two resultant streams discharge into different bins/compartments with the aid of the splitter which divides the [[Non-Ferrous Metal|non-ferrous metal]] from the non-metallic [[Waste|waste]] such as [[Paper|paper]], [[Plastic|plastic]], [[Wood|wood]] or [[Automotive Shredder Residue|automotive shredder residue]] (known as shredder [[Fluff|fluff]])<ref name="ref2">[https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/magnetic-equipment-guide----eddy-current-separators/ Magnetic Equipment Guide - Eddy Current Separators]</ref>. This process is usually employed after magnetic separation has removed the bulk ferrous fraction from a scrap material stream<ref name="ref3">[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S089268751830582X Eddy Current Separation]</ref>.
 <br clear=all>
@@ Line 6: / Line 11: @@
 The key component is the magnetic rotor, which is a series of permanent rare earth magnets mounted on a support plate attached to a shaft. The magnetic rotor is surrounded by, but not attached to, a non-metallic shell which supports the conveyor belt. This allows the rotor to spin independently and at a much higher speed than the non-metallic shell and belt<ref name="ref2" />.
-==Benefits==
+==Stated Benefits==
 *Very high hit rates
 *Very high purity rates
 *Compact and flexible
-*Removes ranging sizes of non-ferrous materials<ref name="ref1" />
+*Removes ranging sizes of [[Non-Ferrous Metal|non-ferrous metals]]<ref name="ref1" />
 ==The Process==
-#The waste stream is fed onto the conveyor belt and is transported towards the magnetic rotor end.
+{|
-#When a piece of non-ferrous metal passes over the magnetic rotor, the magnets inside the shell rotate past the metal at high speed which forms eddy currents to create a magnetic field around the piece of metal.
+|-
-#The polarity of that magnetic field is the same as the rotating magnet, causing the non-ferrous metal to be repelled away from the magnet.
+|rowspan=4|[[File:Eddy Current Separator Process.png|450px|right|Eddy Current Separator Diagram. All Rights Reserved.]]<br clear=all>''Schematic Diagram of an Eddy Current Separator<ref name="ref3" />''|| 1. The [[Waste|waste]] stream is fed onto the conveyor belt and is transported towards the magnetic rotor end.
-#This repulsion makes the trajectory of the non-ferrous metal greater than that of the non-metallic, allowing the two material streams to be separated<ref name="ref2" />.
+|-
+| 2. When a piece of [[Non-Ferrous Metal|non-ferrous metal]] passes over the magnetic rotor, the magnets inside the shell rotate past the metal at high speed which forms eddy currents to create a magnetic field around the piece of [[Metal|metal]].
+|-
+| 3. The polarity of that magnetic field is the same as the rotating magnet, causing [[Non-Ferrous Metal|the non-ferrous metal]] to be repelled away from the magnet.
+|-
+| 4. This repulsion makes the trajectory of [[Non-Ferrous Metal|the non-ferrous metal]] greater than that of the non-metallic, allowing the two material streams to be separated<ref name="ref2" />.
+|}
 ==References==
 <references />