Q:What’s the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and why does this matter in metal separation processes?
Ferrous metals contain iron and are magnetic, while non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium, copper, brass, silver, and gold, are non-magnetic.
This distinction is crucial in metal recovery processes. Ferrous metals are typically separated using magnetic separators such as drum magnetic separators or overband magnets. In contrast, nonferrous metal separation requires advanced technologies like eddy current separators or fluidised bed separators to ensure effective material recovery.
Non-ferrous metals generally hold a much higher resale value, so separating them efficiently is vital to maximising profits and supporting sustainable recycling operations.
Q:How does magnetic separation work in metal recovery?
Magnetic separation is a key process in metal recovery, especially when handling shredded or mixed waste streams.
Ferrous metals, which contain iron, are attracted to magnets and can be efficiently removed using magnetic separators such as a drum magnetic separator or an overband magnet. This initial stage separates out magnetic materials from the mix.
What remains typically includes non-ferrous metals (such as aluminium, copper, and brass) along with other materials like plastic, wood, paper, and glass. To recover the non-ferrous fraction, the material is processed through an eddy current separator. These systems use powerful Neodymium magnets to generate high-intensity magnetic fields, which induce currents in the non-magnetic metals and repel them away from the rest of the stream.
This results in efficient nonferrous metal separation, producing two clean outputs: one containing non-ferrous metals and the other containing residual non-metallic materials. Once separated, these can be sorted into distinct collection streams for further processing or resale.
Q:Why use Neodymium magnets in metal separation equipment, and what makes them different?
Neodymium magnets are the strongest type of permanent magnet commercially available and are essential in high-performance eddy current separators and other magnetic separation systems.
Unlike standard ferrite magnets, Neodymium magnets produce much stronger magnetic fields, which allows for the efficient separation of smaller or lighter non-ferrous metals, including particles below 5mm. This makes them ideal for applications requiring separation of mixed materials in metal recycling, such as aluminium, copper, and magnetic minerals.
Because of their strength, Neodymium magnets enhance metal recovery rates, reduce contamination, and improve the overall purity and value of recovered materials. Their compact size also allows for more efficient system design with lower energy requirements.
Q:What technologies are used to further separate non-ferrous metals in recycling plants?
Modern recycling facilities use a combination of advanced technologies to maximise non-ferrous metal separation and improve overall metal recovery. Typically, this includes:
Each system plays a specific role depending on the material’s size, density, and composition, working together to increase purity, efficiency, and throughput in high-volume environments.
Q:How do eddy current separators work in non-ferrous metal separation and metal recovery?
Eddy current separators are essential in non-ferrous metal separation, especially in high volume metal recovery environments.
These systems use a fast-rotating drum fitted with high-strength Neodymium magnets to create a powerful, alternating magnetic field. When non-magnetic materials like aluminium or copper pass through this field, electric currents, known as eddy currents, are induced within them.
These eddy currents generate their own opposing magnetic field, which repels the non-ferrous metals away from the remaining material stream. This allows for a clean and efficient separation of valuable non-ferrous metals from plastics, wood, and other non-metallic materials.
Q:What are the advantages of using advanced magnetic separation systems?
Advanced magnetic separation systems significantly improve metal recovery from complex and contaminated waste streams, including post-shredder residue (PSR), end-of-life vehicle (ELV) shred, WEEE, and municipal solid waste.
They reduce contamination, minimise material loss, and increase the purity of recovered non-ferrous metals and magnetic minerals. Technologies such as eddy current separators, drum magnetic separators, and fluidised bed separators ensure that valuable metals are extracted efficiently, even from fine or mixed materials.
By increasing volume and reducing manual handling, these systems help recycling plants become more efficient, sustainable, and profitable. Cleaner outputs also achieve higher resale values when sold to smelters or metal processors
Q:How can I tell if a metal is non-ferrous and needs specialised separation?
A quick way to identify a non-ferrous metal is to test it with a magnet. Non-ferrous metals, including aluminium, copper, brass, and zinc, are non-magnetic, meaning they won’t be attracted to standard magnetic separators like drum magnets or over-band magnets.
Q:What types of materials do SandFlo™ and MagThro™ separate in real-world applications?
SandFlo™ is a fluidised bed separator designed for precise density-based separation of light non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, magnesium, and printed circuit boards (PCBs) from heavier metals like copper, brass, lead, zinc, and silver. It’s particularly effective for applications where materials of similar size but different density need to be separated, for example, floating PCB fragments off aluminium.
MagThro™, is a throughput eddy current separator designed for robust non-ferrous metal separation from mixed waste streams. It performs exceptionally well on shredded electronics (WEEE), drinks cans, automotive scrap, and municipal waste. The system uses high-strength Neodymium magnets to cleanly separate valuable materials like aluminium and brass from non-metallic components such as plastic, timber, and rubber, supporting efficient, large-scale metal recovery.
Q:How do you establish what equipment is best suited to a customer’s needs?
We take a consultative, engineering-led approach to ensure each solution is tailored to the customer’s material stream, site layout, and commercial objectives. Our process typically includes:
From this, we can recommend the best combination of ferrous and non-ferrous metal separation technologies, including eddy current separators, fluidised bed separators, and magnetic separation systems, to maximise recovery and efficiency.
We also offer tailored system design with optional accessories such as vibrating feeders, shakers, and cascade separation systems. Following the layout survey, we can provide 3D visuals of the proposed setup to help customers visualise how the equipment will integrate into their operations.
Q:What happens if a product fails?
In the rare event of equipment failure, we offer fast and dependable support to minimise downtime:
Our goal is to ensure your eddy current separator, fluidised bed separator, or other equipment is back up and running with minimal disruption to your operation.
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