In the late 1960s, Eriez patented both permanent magnetic and electromagnetic eddy current separators. These eddy separators were designed to improve permanent magnetic circuits with rare earth magnetic material for stronger eddy currents and improved separation of nonferrous materials.
Its non-ferrous separators utilise permanent rare earth magnets to induce eddy currents into metallic particles. This produces repelling forces that separate the metallics from non-metallics. The result is a cleaner waste stream that can be further processed. Removal of the metallics is selective, and product loss is minimised, according to Eriez.
The nonferrous metallic separator has an external drum, an internal permanent magnetic rotor, a drive, and a belt conveyor. The external drum shell of non-metallic composite material rotates at normal belt conveyor speed. The internal rare earth alternating polarity rotor turns at much higher RPM than the external shell. Through the induction of eddy currents and the resulting repelling forces, the alternating magnetic field selectively repels the non-ferrous metals and physically separates them from other materials.
RevX-E Eddy current separators
The company’s RevX-E Eddy current separators feature an eccentrically mounted magnetic rotor within a non-conductive shell for the separation of nonferrous metals. The rare earth rotor produces a powerful, focused field at the end of the belt.
Features include:
- Cantilevered frame design for quick conveyor belt changes (10 minutes).
- Rack-and-pinion splitter adjustment for precise splitter placement for optimum separation.
- Large access panels that allow for easy maintenance access.
- Compact design requires less space.
- Direct drive rotor and direct drive conveyor.
Other feature:
- Sizes offered – 1m wide, 1.2m wide, and 1.5m wide.
- Rotors offered – LT2 rotor assembly: eight pole rare earth eccentric rotors for coarse (+1”) size fractions. ST22 rotor assembly: 22 pole rare Earth eccentric rotor for +1/4-inch to -1-inch size fractions.
As its name suggests, the ultra-high-frequency eddy current separator recovers ultra-fine aluminium, copper, and other non-ferrous fines materials typically missed on traditional eddy current separators from ASR.
This separator’s combination of a rotor designed to produce high Gauss at the belt’s surface, with many magnetic poles operating at higher rpms. This creates ultra-high-frequency changes resulting in the separation of fine non-ferrous and bare copper wire. This machine provides a cost-effective solution to improve zorba recovery without the need for additional expensive sensor-based or optical sorting equipment.
Each 1m-wide unit ships with an Eriez Brute Force feeder to provide even distribution of material across the width of the conveyor.
It is also capable of recovering bare copper wire and other valuable nonferrous metals as small as 2-3 mm.
Other features include:
- A carbon fibre shell.
- Precise rack-and-pinion splitter adjustments.
- Eriez’s design includes a cantilever frame to expedite conveyor belt maintenance. A belt can be replaced in under ten minutes.
FinesSort system
Eriez’s FinesSort Metals Recovery System uses magnetic components to recover valuable ferrous and nonferrous metals from the fines waste stream in scrap yards. This system not only reduces the amount of waste destined for landfill, but also reclaims thousands of valuable pounds of metals per day.
Features include:
- Recover metals less than one inch.
- Multi-stage separation process.
- Powerful magnetic circuits.
- 60-inch machine width.
- Payback in as little as six months.
RCS – Rougher, Cleaner, Scavenger
Positioned downstream of ferrous separation and screening equipment. Eriez’s Rougher, Cleaner, Scavenger (RCS) non-ferrous processing system employs three ECS units in a specific sequence to produce a high-grade zorba while maximising recovery. This type of processing circuit has been used in high-value mineral processing and mining operations for decades.
Through months of full-scale testing, Eriez’s research revealed these averages:
A single ECS at the “rougher”setting yields 81 per cent recovery when producing a 90 grade zorba product.
An RCS system with multi-stage “rougher,” “cleaner,” “scavenger” processing averaged 98 per cent recovery while meeting the (Green Fence) 98 per cent metals quality standard.