Ballistic Separator
A ballistic separator is a machine that sorts waste materials by separating flexible items from rigid ones. The machine, on an inclination, pushes light, flexible material up the screen/paddle and causes heavy rigid items to fall downwards. This device is useful in single stream applications to replace typical rubber star screens and are beneficial as it is a versatile piece of equipment[1]. This device is capable of sorting stones, glass, metal, wood, plastic, paper, containers, cans, construction and demolition waste, other heavy items, MSW and C&I waste[2]. The separator then divides the waste input into three streams: 2-dimentional light and flat material that walk up the screens, 3-dimentional heavy and rigid items that fall down the screens, and fine pieces of waste that falls/is sieved through the holes/openings in the screens. The angle of inclination and the speed can be adjusted infinitely. The separation characteristics can be adjusted to changes in the waste stream at any time[3].
Advantages
- Easy and safe maintenance
- Versatility: enables processing of different material streams within a single system
- Angle adjustment (optional)
- Reduces operating & maintenance costs
- Constant performance with all steel screening surface
- No wrap design minimizes cleaning & maintenance costs
- Single motor and direct drive system reduce maintenance and energy costs
- High amplitude paddle movement improves the quality of the separation[1]
The Process
- The material is fed into the ballistic separator via feeding shoot onto the rotating paddles
- The small pieces of waste fall/are sieved through the holes/openings in the paddles and is caught in the screen fraction
- The light and flat material walks/is pushed up the screens by the inclined rotating paddles and falls over the top into the light fraction
- The heavy and rigid items fall/roll down the screens and off the lower end of the machine into the heavy fraction[2]