Recovery
volume 4 2012
From EriezŽ—Helping Move The Grade-Recovery Curve
Eriez has demonstrated its commitment to recyclers with a series of innovative products that quickly went from a vision to reality.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: How to Make Zebra
Five-Star Service from Eriez
A Shredder Revs Up in New Jersey
Recovery table of contents cover story
letter from the CEO
Depth of Vision
Eriez has demonstrated a track record of introducing innovative solutions to the recycling industry, according to CEO Tim Shuttleworth.
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Eriez has demonstrated its commitment to recyclers with a series of innovative products that quickly went from vision to reality.
operational perspective
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At Your Service
The Eriez 5-Star Service Center stands ready to help recyclers and scrap processors address their equipment repair and retrofitting needs.
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A New Era
American Iron & Metal’s new American Pulverizer shredder and Eriez downstream system is bringing in new revenue streams for the second-generation recycler.
Recovery CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT! Recovery is available in a format to suit the way you read, research and travel. In addition to our ink-on-paper version, Recovery also is available through the App section of the Apple Store and the Android Marketplace so you can read it on your iPad, tablet or A n d ro i d - p o w e re d smartphone. Recovery is produced by Eriez 2200 Asbury Road Erie, PA 16506 814.835.6000 800.345.4946 eriez@eriez.com www.eriez.com
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technologist Q&A
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Intriguing Innovation
Three Eriez team members describe their roles in making the PokerSortTM come to lfe.
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Specific Gravity: How to Make Zebra
The force of gravity comes into play in the production of zebra mixed metal scrap.
product news
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Learn about the latest technologies and services available from Eriez.
Recovery from the ceo Tim Shuttleworth President and CEO +1 (814) 835-6296 tgshuttleworth@eriez.com
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nnovation has been a part of Eriez from the very beginning. Appropriately, the company’s origins lie in recovering ferrous scrap. At that time we pulled tramp iron from grain. While we’ve grown to offer separation solutions in well over 50 industrial markets on virtually every continent, our commitment to recycling remains strong. Over the past year the team at Eriez has been busy at work developing and refining products that literally revolutionize the ferrous separation downstream of shredders. This part of downstream operations had not seen much innovation over the past 20 years. The solutions we’re now offering increase ferrous recovery, increase product quality and lower ongoing operating costs. The most recent innovation, the PokerSort™, was developed through close collaboration between an Eriez customer and a team of our technologists. The mission was to reduce costly downtime caused by “pokers” that get through the shredding plant and wreak havoc on downstream conveyors. The technology has been proven and the application shown to be successful. You can read more about it on page 16 of this issue. Similarly, our Shred 1™ system has proven adept at producing very low-copper premium ferrous shred. We’ve enhanced the system to the point where we can now entirely eliminate the Z-Box on most shredders. Given the operating expense of a Z-Box and the premium price paid for low-copper shred, the Shred 1 delivers real bottom-line value for processors. Additionally, our P-Rex® drum (now also available as the EP-Rex) vastly improves ferrous recovery right after the mill. In fact, it has been proven so powerful that downstream “scavenger” magnets are left with essentially nothing left to recover. The innovation includes not only the magnetic circuit but also the drum shell surface/cleats and even moving to an “under-flow” rotation with striking grade and recovery effectiveness. Now one drum is recovering more than what two drums could only a year ago. The point for processors in the scrap recycling market is that Eriez is here to stay, and to innovate. We’re working side-by-side with our customers and partner OEMs to deliver meaningful improvements to materials separation. We’re not innovating just to call a product new; we’re delivering serious recovery curve improvements that will add to your bottom line. Scrap recyclers, have your ferrous scrap-buying customers complained of poor quality, either copper content or excessive fluff? If so, you need to call Eriez, because we have the solution. Like our customers, we’re also investing. Our new Wager Road facility boasts 144,000 square feet of manufacturing space as well as an entirely new service center. Our manufacturing capacity in this facility is in large part dedicated to the recycling industry. Our Five-Star Service® Center offers a wide range of capabilities to keep our customers’ operations running – and making money. We work on all makes and models, not just Eriez equipment. If you’ve not talked to Eriez in a while, I invite you to stop by our booth at the upcoming ISRI or Waste Expo conventions. If you won’t be visiting these events, give us a call. We’re happy to come in to visit about how our innovations might be able to increase your materials recovery, lower your operating costs and help you make more money.
Tim Shuttleworth
Recovery Q4
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operational perspective
At Your Service The Eriez 5-Star Service Center stands ready to help recyclers and scrap processors address their equipment repair and retrofitting needs.
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manufacturing company, inevitably, also is in the service sector. In the vast majority of applications, the work done by a manufacturer only begins with selling its product. The extent to which manufacturers then embrace this service aspect can be critical. Eriez has long recognized this relationship between manufacturing and service, and the company’s culture has long emphasized the importance of standing behind the equipment it sells and installs. As well, customers have long provided feedback to Eriez complimenting the quality and attentiveness of its service and asking the company whether it will provide maintenance, repair and retrofit work for products beyond those carrying the Eriez brand name. The good news for those customers is that Eriez now, more than ever, has the ability to do that with the relocation of its FiveStar Service Center into a spacious new home in Erie, Pa.
A MAGNET FOR REPAIR WORK Whether it’s an emergency system service call or a complete rebuild of a suspended magnet, Eriez’s Five-Star Service can retrofit older units so they will operate at or above original equipment standards. Eriez says its rebuild program “provides complete diagnostics, tear-down, inspection, updated electronics and assemblies, testing and an ‘as new’ warranty.” There are many customer-friendly elements to the Five-Star Service center, including: • A 24/7 service hotline at 1-888-999-ERIEZ. • Original OEM parts, components and assemblies on Eriez vol4 Recovery
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units; “We wrote the spec, we’ll repair your equipment to current standards,” the company says. • On-site field service; “With more than 65 years of experience and facilities located around the world, Eriez offers an unparalleled level of skill, knowledge and access,” says the company. “A qualified Eriez engineer or technician is within hours of you to ensure your equipment and systems stay online.” • Equipment remanufacturing for equipment including suspended magnets, drum magnets, vibratory feeders, wet drum separators and more. • Full “as new” warranties for post-service equipment.
The move of the 5-Star Service Center into a spacious new home in Erie, Pa., will enhance Eriez’s service capabilities.
“The Five-Star Service Center has grown in direct proportion to customer satisfaction with our service capabilities,” says Eriez CEO Tim Shuttleworth. The amount of work being done by the Five-Star Service Center and its staff has been so clearly gaining momentum that when Eriez purchased a 114,000-square-foot building in 2011, it allocated some of that space to provide a new, larger home for the Service Center.
READY FOR ACTION The more spacious plant setting means the Eriez Five-Star Service Center is now “completely equipped to remanufacture even the most complex systems,” according to the company. The fully-staffed service center employs trained technicians and the machining, fabricating and welding capabilities necessary to rebuild all Eriez equipment. The spectrum of remanufacturing work offered by Eriez allows the company to offer its customers a product line beyond its new model product range. “Remanufacturing suspended magnets, drum magnets, vibratory feeders, wet drum separators and more can save thousands of dollars versus buying new,” says the company, demonstrating a willingness to do what is best for its customers as a priority versus making a one-time sale. The Five-Star Service Center approach adopted by Eriez also allows it to conduct a thorough inspection and assessment for customers. Service Center technicians can make a fair assessment as to how much work needs to be done (and whether it will be worth it) before retro-fitting a piece of machinery. Eriez’ technicians can “quickly disassemble” magnetic ma-
chinery or vibratory feeders with a number of steps to be taken. In a brochure summarizing some of the Five-Star Service Center’s capabilities, Eriez markets its ability to inspect and remanufacture a number of machines, including: • Vibratory Feeders: inspect the electrical assembly; inspect the armature; replace all wear items; tune, paint, test and tag • Drum Magnet Separators: inspect the core and replace the coil; repair the shaft, cores, shell and provide parts such as new bearings and components • Wet Drum Separators: inspect the magnetic elements and shaft; repair or replace magnets, shell and end flanges; new bearings and components • Suspended Electro Magnets: inspect the box, core and tanks; replace coils, oil and face plate; new rectifiers, motors and components. The service aspect of the Five-Star Service Center is what Shuttleworth and other executives and managers at Eriez say is the key to its success. Phrased another way, the Five-Star Service Center can help safeguard the health and productivity of Eriez customers, which is good for all concerned.
A GLOBAL PHENOMENON Eriez’s ability to provide new equipment and to service existing equipment is growing not only in the United States, but at several of Eriez’s other global locations as well. Among the expansion and renovation projects taking place at Eriez are: Eriez-China has added another manufacturing operation in Tianjin to supplement its Qinhuangdao plant. “Our new facility in Tianjin gives us an additional 117,000 square feet (10,905 square meters), including 17,750 square feet (1,650 square meters) of office accommodation,” says Andy Lewis, Eriez vice president - international. Eriez-China was established in 2003 and also includes a sales and marketing office in Shanghai. “Our new building in Tianjin is ideal for building our Hydroflow fluid filtration equipment, suspended magnets, recycling products as well as some of our other large pieces of equipment.”
Eriez-India has moved to a new factory facility located near the Ambattur industrial estate in Chennai, within “one of the largest industrial estates in Asia.” Says Lewis, “This facility has two factory buildings measuring 25,600 square feet (2,400 square meters), with an array of sophisticated cranes as well as welding and rolling machines and more.” The new space will enable Eriez-India to manufacture Eriez products to the highest quality standards, while offering faster delivery, Lewis comments. “In addition to the factory buildings, this facility also has an office lab building measuring 8,700 square feet (810 square meters).”
ERIEZ FLOTATION DIVISION (EFD), based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is in the process of moving to a larger building near the facility that currently houses it. “This brand new building is being custom built to suit EMFG’s needs,” says Mike Mankosa, Eriez’ vice president - operations. “Our new facility will allow us to build our larger proprietary equipment in-house, rather than utilizing sub-contractors.” EMFG equipment offerings include flotation columns for minerals and liquids, StackCell® high-efficiency mechanical flotation cells, Hydrofloat® coarse particle flotation cells and mineral processing test equipment. Recovery vol4
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operational perspective
By Lisa McKenna
The downstream portion of the new American Iron & Metal shredding system is housed indoors for quality and environmental purposes.
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A New Era
American Iron & Metal’s new American Pulverizer shredder and Eriez downstream system is bringing in new revenue streams for the secondgeneration recycler.
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dward Silipena, co-owner of American Auto Salvage and Recycling in Mays Landing, N.J., knew for years he needed an auto shredder system to process the cars taken in each month, rather than sell them to another scrap recycler. It was a plan he contemplated for years, at one time reading an article that said most downstream shredder systems would eventually be required to be under roof. Such a setup sounded like the right one for American Iron, particularly since winters in New Jersey can take their toll on shredding operations. This brings to mind another key point Silipena had learned. “I went around the country looking at other shredders and looking at all their mistakes,” Silipena recalls, “and that was the biggest mistake: the elements killed them.” So when a suitable facility became available some 35 miles away in Millville, N.J., Silipena and his brother Joseph seized the opportunity. “I said to my brother, when this building came available to us, let’s be one of the first kids on the block,” Silipena recalls.
The brothers are second-generation owners of the scrap recycling business founded by their father, Joseph “Pop” Silipena. They went ahead with the new location, American Iron & Metal International. The Millville building, at 450 feet by 265 feet, was large enough to house the downstream operation and keep operations protected from the elements. “We concreted the whole place, we formatted the machines to fit inside,” says Silipena. The brothers decided on an American Pulverizer 60 x 85 shredder, flying to St. Louis for two days to work with engineers on designing the system so it could fit inside the building. The whole downstream is under roof, while the main shredder is outside, Silipena explains. As for the downstream systems, the Silipenas were considering the exclusive use of conveyors from Hustler, a subsidiary of American Pulverizer. But further research into the system took them to RPM Recycling in Wind Gap, Pa. RPM is a test site for Eriez, and there they met with co-owner Noel Perin. “He showed
us that equipment from Eriez also could play a vital role.” Silipena was impressed with Perin. “The gentleman is very knowledgeable, a very straightforward individual, and he pulls no punches,” Silipena says. “He tells you the way it is.” Based on that meeting, the Silipenas decided to go with Eriez ferrous and nonferrous separation systems. “Eriez was proven, [RPM] was using them and that was enough to convince us.”
DUAL SEPARATION SYSTEMS Also involved in the process was Steven Hilliard of PennQuip, who is Eriez’s manufacturer’s representative in the area. Hilliard had learned the Silipenas were installing a shredder system and was planning to visit RPM. “That was a customer where Eriez had recently installed some downstream nonferrous equipment new to the market at the time,” Hilliard explained. This equipment was the Eriez
ProSort and FinesSort® machines for nonferrous separation. Hilliard scheduled a meeting with Silipena at RPM to discuss the possibility of using Eriez equipment at its new facility. “They were impressed with the Eriez nonferrous system,” Hilliard recalls. “They were also impressed with what we had to say on a new advanced ferrous separation system.” Over the course of eight months, Hilliard continued to work with the Silipenas, and ultimately the family decided on Eriez’ ferrous and nonferrous separation systems to be installed with the American Pulverizer shredder and basic downstream system. “We ended up supplying them an enhanced ferrous separation system that’s new to the market,” explains Hilliard. The new Eriez ferrous system is the CleanStreamTM with an air knife system under the P-Rex® Scrap Drum Separator and the Shred1® Ballistic Separator. Hilliard explains that from the three pieces of equipment, American Iron is able to sort out 80 percent of the ferrous
New Shredder is Dedicated to Founder Joseph “Pop” Silipena
Joseph “Pop” Silipena (right) helps cut the ribbon on the new American Iron & Metal auto shredding system.
American Iron & Metal’s shredding system startup, on Feb. 9, coincided with a particularly important day for the metals recycler: the 90th birthday celebration of the company’s founder Joseph “Pop” Silipena. Brothers Joseph and Edward Silipena honored their father with a combined dedication ceremony and birthday celebration for their father that day. Some 250 people showed up for the event, including a senator, a congressman and local politicians. Joseph Sr. is a decorated World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy, who served on the destroyer USS Moffett as a ship fitter and welder. When it got torpedoed, Joseph Sr. went over the side to weld on a plate in the midst of battle, an act of courage for which he was honored. To honor the senior Silipena, for the dedication the brothers modeled the shredder into a replica of a World War II destroyer, forming a ship’s hull out of plywood and setting up a mast and guns on its conveyors. Edward also invited officials from the U.S. Navy, who were in attendance to present Joseph Sr. with all the medals he received in World War II. The brothers dedicated the machine to their father, who turned 90 years old that day. “I told him, ‘Dad, you were on a destroyer in World War II, now you own your own destroyer,’” Edward recalls. “It brought tears to his eyes and mine too.” Recovery vol4
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operational perspective as a #1 frag, containing less than 0.2 percent copper. The remaining 20 percent of the ferrous is a #2 frag, with a higher copper content that can be handpicked. “The #1 frag, being 75 to 80 percent of the ferrous with less than 0.2 percent copper, is a very clean steel fraction with minimal fluff or trash,” Hilliard says. American Iron also installed an Eriez nonferrous separation system to handle all the material not removed by the CleanStream process. With that system, “via separators and screens, we start removing the nonferrous from the fluff,” explains Hilliard. American Iron’s nonferrous system utilizes a trommel with five-inch holes and one-inch holes, followed by dual eddy currents. The oversize that doesn’t pass through the holes on the trommel is handpicked. The five-inch material reports to an Eriez eddy current separator which pulls
off the nonferrous metals. The fluff from that line goes on to an Eriez ProSort Separator to remove any leftover nonferrous metallics. “So there’s no reported loss of nonferrous metals,” explains Hilliard. “What you’re left with going to the ProSort is stainless steel, trash and copper wire.” The ProSort separates any remaining metals in the trash missed by the eddys, including stainless steel. The remainder goes off to landfill. Meanwhile the minus one-inch fraction material from the trommel, which is largely debris, also contains smaller pieces of nonferrous. This reports to Eriez’ FinesSort JR separator, another eddy current separator which removes a nonferrous metals fraction. Hilliard says the fluff that remains from that line is typically used as a landfill covering. Between the two components of the Eriez nonferrous system, American Iron is left with nonferrous from both the Fi-
nesSort JR and the minus five-inch fraction. “That’s a very pure nonferrous metal,” Hilliard observes.
STATE OF THE ART American Iron has virtually the same system as RPM, except that the RPM system is about five years old, whereas Silipena’s is brand new. In fact, the new Eriez CleanStream system is so new it’s one of only two that have been installed to date. “Now that they’ve been up and running, they’re very happy with the performance of the equipment,” says Hilliard. “They’re extremely happy with the purity and recovery of product.” He explains that the downstream systems yield a very pure #1 frag of steel, a #2 frag containing a high level of copper, and a very clean nonferrous metal fraction of mostly aluminum with some brass.
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“The buyers of this metal tell us that the material is very clean,” adds Hilliard. “And what we are hearing, not only from American, is that there isn’t any reported loss of metals in the trash, so we are recovering a very high percentage of metals.” Silipena’s comprehensive research process paid off for the company. “Eriez is very knowledgeable in what they’re doing, and their customer support—I’m being honest with you—is great.” Having the capability to shred vehicles is a turning point for American Iron, Silipena notes. Prior to having the system, the company sold off all of its vehicles to another recycler. “We never recouped the aluminum, copper, stainless, the meatballs,” he observes, “they did.” The new system requires a stream of 3,000 tons per month, which American Iron can easily meet using feedstock from its Mays Landing Yard, supplemented by
Keeping a tight footprint was not a major constraint on the downstream system, which is housed in a spacious indoor area. The set-up allows the high-value products to stay dry through all types of Northeastern weather.
the additional feedstock that is beginning to flow to the new facility. “That’s a feeder yard for this yard,” Silipena says, “so anything that we buy here above that other yard is all gravy.” Silipena says a capacity of 3,000 tons per month pays for all operating costs, “soup to nuts,” at today’s market prices. The facility started operations in February of 2012 and plans a grand opening
for May 19-20. Now with the complete shredder system, Silipena says, the company can recover thousands of pounds of metal each hour that it never could before. “This is a whole new era for us,” Silipena says. The author is a managing editor with the Recycling Today Media Group and can be reached at lmckenna@gie.net.
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operational perspective
Eriez has demonstrated its commitment to recyclers with a series of innovative products that quickly went from vision to reality.
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t the 2012 ISRI (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc.) Annual Convention, Eriez will be inviting current and prospective customers to take a closer look at its product line with the use of three-dimensional (3D) glasses. The use of enhanced vision technology is appropriate for an equipment company that has demonstrated an ability to examine, in an in-depth way, the challenges that confront scrap processors and then to respond with appropriate technological solutions. These solutions are seldom found on the surface. They require deep digging and then 3D (width, height and depth) vision: a wide scope to consider all factors; high or lofty ambitions to design the best product; and the ability to look deeply into the key challenges to be overcome to offer a truly innovative product. In the past several years, Eriez has used its “3D vision” to design and build a number of new products for the scrap recycling industry that demonstrated a true spirit of innovation.
CLEAN AND TIDY As the price of copper has escalated, scrap recyclers have (appropriately) paid great attention to the recovery of nonferrous metals from their shredding systems. Eriez has provided a number of innovative products to help them do this. But at the same time, the company also was listening to its auto shredding customers who wanted to provide their steel mill and foundry customers with the lowestcopper ferrous shred possible. Newer, stronger drum magnets made by Eriez have been part of an overall processing system offered by the company known as CleanStreamTM. CleanStream has been designed to raise the grade of the ferrous products and separate meatballs and other composite items that otherwise introduce tramp elements such as copper into the ferrous shred product. The Eriez CleanStream innovations
provide the means to realize monetary gains or ROI on three fronts, says Eriez: • by increasing the volume of ferrous recovery; • by upgrading the ferrous shred for a higher per ton sale value; and • by providing additional nonferrous recovery opportunities. In regard to harvesting more ferrous scrap by weight, the Eriez P-Rex® drum, introduced in early 2010, is stronger, wider and its strength more consistent over time when compared to competing drums. This simply provides more ferrous recovery, with field installations having proven this to be true, as downstream scavenger magnets recover nil in P-Rex installations. Eriez estimates that from 1% to 3% better recovery is obtained with the P-Rex drum over most conventional electro-axial drums, depending upon the state of operation of the drums being replaced. In terms of upgrading the ferrous shred to be shipped, the Eriez Shred1TM Ballistic Separator delivers this benefit. With this separator, the system can strip out all the feebly magnetic materials, leaving behind the most magnetic. These materials represent the highest grade of ferrous scrap. The Shred1 separator is adjustable within a range, so “very high” to “higher” grades of ferrous scrap can be achieved. Furthermore, two grades of ferrous such as a #1 shredded grade and a #2 shredded grade, can be produced if the user doesn’t have enough demand for all the #1 shred it can produce. Other meaningful benefits are the reduction or elimination of hand-picking costs and the concentration of “shelmo” (shredder pickings or meatballs) product for further processing or for direct sale. How can these ferrous recovery techniques affect nonferrous recovery? Much of what degrades a ferrous product and creates a #2 shredded grade is valuable nonferrous metal caught in the ferrous stream, meatballs in operator terms. A typical culprit is a piece of ferrous at-
DRUMMING UP BUSINESS Eriez scrap drums for high-volume, heavy-duty applications use a deep magnetic field to reclaim ferrous materials from shredded car bodies, scrap metals, solid waste, wood waste, slag and foundry sand. Features and design benefits include: • Agitating designs can provide a cleaner ferrous product. The allelectro agitator type utilizes a deepfield rectangular-core pickup magnet to reach out and grab the ferrous scrap and a second rectangular-core agitator magnet to flip or agitate the ferrous, cleaning it of contaminants such as loose mud, paper, fluff or trash. • A double drum scheme with counter rotation is designed to provide maximum cleaning. Radial pole shoe designs can maximize recovery. This non-agitating transfer design uses a deep-field radial pickup magnet and pole shoes to convey or transfer the ferrous material around the drum shell to the discharge area. When used in top-feed schemes, these drums will provide maximum recovery. • The compactness of the drum separator and shaft clamp mounting blocks simplifies installation either by suspension or support from below. There is no scheduled maintenance on the drum separators other than the occasional lubrication of only two heavy-duty bearings and the optional drive chain. Recovery vol4
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operational perspective tached to an even larger and often heavier piece of nonferrous metal. These come to the ferrous stream by way of the ferrous component being picked up by the magnetic drums. By rejecting these from the ferrous process stream, it upgrades the ferrous product and the pieces are then made available to be dropped into the nonferrous process stream. In dollars and cents terms, an inadequate ferrous process permits 3 cents worth of ferrous scrap to displace 54 cents worth of nonferrous scrap.
AIRING IT OUT In part as a response to shredder operators who wished to upgrade their aluminum twitch product, a team of Eriez researchers led by Dr. Jiang Xinkai adopted mining industry technology for use by the scrap market with the devel-
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EXTREME EDDY POWER As it has historically, Eriez continues to re-think and re-write the rules for the use of eddy current separators to recover nonferrous metals from mixed streams. Eriez Xtreme® Eddy Current Separators feature a concentric rotor design and utilize Xtreme rare earth magnets to induce eddy currents into metallic particles, producing forces that separate metallics from nonmetallics. Xtreme Eddy Current Separators are designed to separate aluminum and other nonferrous metals from infeed material derived from automobile shredder residue, electronic scrap, co-mingled recyclables, trash and more. opment of the DensitySortTM AirTable. “It’s like an air hockey table,” says Eriez Manager - Heavy Industry Dan Norrgran “It shakes and has air blowing through it. Aluminum is light and is moved by the air nozzles, so the DensitySort is able to make that separation to get a clean aluminum product, which becomes your twitch.” The DensitySort is designed to handle
either ¼-inch-by-1-inch or 1-inch-by-2inch fractions without a change to the set-up of the machine. Eriez says the smaller fraction of nonferrous fines (also known by the ISRI specification name “zorba”) often contains from 8 to 12 percent heavy metals. The DensitySort uses its combination of air, vibration and slope to separate without requiring a media base such as
sand, water or filtration. As product is fed at the high point of the table’s slope, its specific gravity directs the product to either the low or high side of the table, creating the upgraded aluminum scrap product (twitch) as well as a heavy product containing nearly 80 percent heavy metals by weight. As a fluidized bed of material is maintained, the heavy products sink to the bottom and travel to a discharge point. The light fraction (aluminum) remains on top of the burden and travels to a different low-side table discharge point. Any product that does not get separated on the first pass re-circulates until it reaches the appropriate discharge, says Eriez. The end result for automobile shredder operators is the production of an aluminum twitch product that meets the ISRI specification and/or the specifications desired by the end consumer or broker seeking to buy the twitch grade.
PULVERIZER COMPANY 1319 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri Phone: 314-781-6100 / Fax: 314-781-9209 e-mail: sales@ampulverizer.com www.ampulverizer.com
ASR Mill
A WINNING HAND At the 2012 ISRI Convention Eriez will be introducing and displaying its PokerSortTM machine, one of the most recent developments of its 3D research and thinking. The innovative new PokerSort helps alleviate issues caused by long rod-like pieces typically over 24 inches in length, commonly referred to as pokers, which can damage downstream post-shredder sorting equipment. “Pokers, as their name implies, often poke through conveyor belts, causing jams and bridging conditions that can shut down an entire facility,” says Brian Vrablic, sales engineer. “Even a few minutes of downtime can cost thousands of dollars in saleable product.” Utilizing a special magnetic drum positioned at the end of the shredder discharge belt, the PokerSort separates pokers as they catapult off the end of the belt with a different trajectory than the
rest of the shredded material or “frag.” A PokerSort test unit was installed at Erie, Pa.-based Liberty Iron & Metal LLC in late 2011 and on-site testing has proven the PokerSort’s remarkable performance, with 90 percent of pokers eliminated. “Pokers in the frag stream is an age-old and extremely common problem in the recycling industry,” says Mike Shattuck, Heavy Industry Project Manager for Eriez. “We listened to our customers, studied the situation and set out to develop a solution.” “With Eriez’ 70 years in business, one of our main objectives has been to design equipment to help customers solve their toughest challenges,” says Eriez CEO Tim Shuttleworth. “We are committed to ongoing investment in R&D so we can continue to introduce cutting-edge products such as PokerSort that enable our customers to become more efficient and profitable.”
Quality and Service Since 1908 Single Source for Automobile and Scrap Processing Systems
4101 Crusher Drive, O’Fallon, MO 63368 Ph: 636-441-8600 / Fax: 636-441-8611 e-mail: info@hustler-conveyor.com www.hustler-conveyor.com
Complete Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metal Separation Packages
American Pulverizer Co., of St. Louis, Missouri offers a center-feed, high-speed hammermill for processing Auto Shredder Residue (ASR) designed to yield a higher metal recovery percentage. The shredded product that is created reduces material to a more manageable state that can be reprocessed through metal separators to yield higher recovery rates from non-ferrous metals. The mills are designed for high production with minimal maintenance. Design is based on years of experience with ASR and other E-Scrap products. Recovery vol4
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technologist Q&A
Intriguing
Innovation vol4 Recovery
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Collaboration keeps the innovative spirit alive and well at Eriez.
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hen a customer needed to keep pokers (long narrow pieces of metal) from damaging their machinery and costing them thousands of dollars, Eriez lab technician John Moore, sales engineer Brian Vrablic and mechanical engineer Andrew Campbell worked together to help create the PokerSort (pictured at left). In an interview with Eriez Recovery, Vrablic, Moore and Campbell discuss the teamwork and quick thinking it took to guide the PokerSortTM from a sketch scribbled on scratch paper to a ready-for-market product in two weeks.
Q: When did you start to work for Eriez and what is your previous work and academic experience? Brian Vrablic (BV): I started with Eriez in Dec. 2010. Prior to that, I was regional manager for Balemaster, selling industrial baling equipment to the recovered fiber market. I also worked as a project engineer/maintenance manager for U.S. Steel Gary Works Hot Strip Mill/Q-Bop. I have a bachelors of science in electrical engineering from Trine University, and I earned my MBA from Indiana University Northwest. John Moore (JM): After graduating from high school nearly 34 years ago, I began my employment at Eriez. In my position as a lab technician, the majority of my work is in fabrication, electrical and, most importantly, troubleshooting. My 10 years of experience in sheet metal layout, and an additional 10 years of experience in industrial maintenance, along with being a research technician, has been invaluable to me in my current role with the company. Andrew Campbell (AC): I started work at Eriez as a temporary employee in the test lab June 3, 2008. Before that, I worked at an automotive machine shop constructing high-performance race car engines. Previous to that, I worked on a 500-acre family farm for about 10 years milking cows and growing crops. I graduated in 2008 with a bachelors of science in mechanical engineering
technology from The Behrend College of Pennsylvania State University. I also was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army National Guard, where I completed the basic officer leader course, making me a training officer in the Army Corps of Engineers.
Q: What are the origins of the PokerSort, and how is it used by recyclers? AC: A poker is a long piece of metal such as a leaf spring, exhaust tube, or large bar that made it through the shredder whole. It is then processed by equipment that is better at handling spherical scrap metal—spherical meaning a piece of scrap that, although mangled and deformed, is generally round and not long and skinny. With the completion of the Shred1 Ballistic Separator a need arose to eliminate “pokers” from downstream processing. It is very difficult for a magnetic field to grab and hold on to a poker. Also, pokers can cause considerable damage to belting material and other equipment. The PokerSort works so well because it simply extends the motion of pokers off the main conveyor with a drum and magnet into a discharge chute. This effectively sorts the pokers from the mix and therefore eliminates potential for damage and misplacement of pokers in the frag 1 and 2 fractions from the Shred1. BV: The PokerSort originated from an
age-old problem at automobile shredder yards of long rod-like pieces of steel that are disruptive and dangerous to operations because of their shape and size. The PokerSort is placed, generally, at the head end of the shredder frag belt approaching the magnetic drum separators. By placing the PokerSort tangentially to the head pulley, it allows the pokers to be captured by the PokerSort rather than discharging with the balance of the frag, downstream of the magnetic drums and even into the nonferrous stream. Removing these pokers helps keep downtime caused by torn belts and bridging to a minimum. JM: The origin of the PokerSort was determined by the needs of the scrap industry. The PokerSort is used to remove and sort all shapes, sizes and pieces of metal from all downstream equipment. These metal pieces range in length from 24 inches to five- or six-feet long with diameters ranging from half an inch up to three or four inches.
Q: What was the problem being experienced by the Eriez customer for whom the PokerSort was eventually designed? JM: If the pieces of metal are not removed, they tend to act as a dam and block the flow of material. If this happens, all of the down-stream equipment needs to be turned off and the blockage Recovery vol4
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technologist Q&A cleared. Clearing the blockage can take almost an hour of time, costing the customer hundreds of dollars per minute, which is why it is so important to get these pieces out of the system. The original PokerSort at a Liberty Iron & Metal location was made by a competitor, and only removed less than five percent of the pokers. The PokerSort made by Eriez removes more than 80 percent of these pieces. It is extremely effective, and the customer is very happy with how it has improved productivity.
Q: Can you describe some of the challenges involved with the project? What was the time frame you worked within? BV: The main challenge in removing pokers is capturing the pokers without removing the balance of the frag. I was first approached about this project around the second quarter of 2011. JM: Because of its simple design, the Eriez PokerSort fits into existing systems with no real issues. My colleague Andrew Campbell and I can go to a site, take measurements, look over potential problem areas with the structure and how the chute-work should be positioned in the frame, and basically construct the PokerSort. I’ve been a research technician for about eight years and the largest part of what I do involves trial and error. Most things that we build in the lab are made with more adjustments than necessary because you never really know what you need until the product is finished. When we get something to work, we turn it over to engineering so they can put together a final draft. The PokerSort at Liberty went from a drawing on scratch paper to a working machine in less than two weeks. AC: The construction of the PokerSort prototype from engineering to completion of manufacturing took approximately four days. The challenges we faced revolved mostly around the timeline. It is almost unheard of to produce a piece of equipment in four days that works so well in the field. vol4 Recovery
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Q: To what extent was collaboration necessary to complete this project rapidly? BV: Without the collaboration of our engineering department and Central Test Lab, this project would not have been completed. Our team has some of the most talented individuals in the separation equipment industry. Eriez takes full advantage of this teamwork to bring new products to market on a continuous basis. Bringing this product to market in less than one year—from concept, to working prototype to production unit— speaks volumes about Eriez’ ability to understand market challenges and address them rapidly. JM: We work outside of the box, and do whatever it takes to get things done in a timely fashion. With a good percentage of my work coming directly from Tim Shuttleworth, I don’t have much trouble getting parts welded or machined quickly! AC: I collaborated directly with John and Brian to make sure all design requirements were met. I ensured through word of mouth that we had raw material and parts for the project. I worked through manufacturing to fabricate the framework and chute-work, which John took by the nose and led gracefully through the plant.
Q: What are some of the optimal uses of the PokerSort? BV: PokerSort is designed almost specifically to remove long rod-like pieces of steel that slip through the grates of an automobile shredder. AC: Optimal use of the PokerSort includes horizontal and vertical placement of the drum with respect to the head pulley of the conveyor the shredder discharges onto. If placed correctly, the drum will carry the pokers directly off the belt across the drum and into a chute where they can be collected.
Q: What are some other processes you’ve researched and products you’ve helped design during your tenure with Eriez?
BV: I’ve been involved in e-scrap processing, eddy current testing and DensitySort testing. JM: While at Eriez, I’ve also been involved in the design of the ProSort 1 and 2, along with the Eriez FinesSort® machine. AC: My primary focus is in the scrap recycling realm. I have helped design the 60x60 EP-Rex, 72x72 EP-Rex, Shred1 Ballistic Separator, ProSort II, P-REX, and the DensitySort.
Q: What are some of the rewarding aspects of conducting product and process research, and what can present the greatest challenge? BV: The most rewarding aspects of my job are solving industry challenges and bringing new products to market helps keep our company in the forefront and our employees engaged. The most challenging aspect to any market challenge is that the market will not wait for you. JM: Working in Eriez research and development, one thing is for sure: There is always something new waiting to be developed. Personally, I get the most satisfaction from seeing a piece of equipment up and running after endless hours of hard work. AC: I have a broad spectrum of projects to work on instead of the typical day to day work that can get boring. I also work with highly knowledgeable people, and the camaraderie between myself, welders, sheet metal fabricators and other positions in the shop especially with John Moore as a senior lab technician and Brian Vrablic in sales is second to a husband and wife relationship in that every component knows where we stand and what it takes to get there. The PokerSort was designed to be a drop-in installation on an existing frame and conveyor setup. I took many measurements at the plant, some of which were dead on and others weren’t even close. With some fancy cutting and welding by John and his team of experts we were able to pull all the parts into a functioning piece of machinery.
operational perspective
Z The force of gravity comes into play in the production of zebra mixed metal scrap. 1. Red metals make up a healthy portion of the zebra grade.
ebra is a mixed metals scrap grade defined by ISRI (the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc.) as a high-density product consisting of “nonferrous metals produced by media separation technology containing brass, copper, zinc, nonmagnetic stainless steel and copper wire.” As auto shredder operators know, that variety of nonferrous metals is what they expect to encounter after their downstream sorting and separating systems have gone through several steps.
IRON WILL In common with the other mixed metals grades that have been spotlighted in Eriez Recovery (“How to Make Twitch” in Volume 2 and “How to Make Zorba in Volume 3), the production of high-quality Zebra starts with the efficient capture of the ferrous portion of the stream.
“Good nonferrous processing begins with good ferrous separation,” Mike Shattuck, Eriez Heavy Industry Project Manager, states succinctly. “Ferrous material Ferrous not only contaminates the nonferrous product but also can damage equipment like eddy currents and sensor sorters,” Shattuck continues, pointing in particular to a safety concern. “Ferrous misplaced in the fluff is the main cause of fires.” Eriez has thus poured considerable research and resources into the development of its line of powerful drum magnets, which includes the P-Rex® and the eP-Rex. The Eriez P-Rex drum, introduced in early 2010, was designed by Eriez to be stronger, wider and its strength to remain consistent over time. This compares favorably against some older technology electro-axial drums and most importantly provides more ferrous recovery. Field installations have proven this to
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Specific
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operational perspective be true, as scavenger magnets located downstream from P-Rex models recover next to nothing. Eriez estimates that 1 to 3 percent better recovery is obtained with the P-Rex drum over most conventional electro-axial drums, depending upon the state of operation of the drums to be replaced. Chihuahua, Mexico-based scrap processor Kalischatarra, S. de RL de CV uses two Eriez P-Rex permanent rare earth drum magnets and reports impressive results. “We noticed improved recovery right away when we placed the first P-Rex Drum into service, so we went ahead and ordered the second as well,” says Samuel Kalisch of Kalischatarra. “With the multiple flipping action [of the P-Rex], we get a cleaner frag product as well as better recovery. Tim Shuttleworth, Eriez president and CEO, says, “This order is a testament to the superiority of P-Rex technologies, considering their existing [two-year-old]
electro-axial drums were not burned-out, but were simply not performing well.” Shattuck adds, “P-Rex’s sophisticated performance translates into one to two percent more recovery, providing cash flow ROI to justify installation.” When rare earth metals prices skyrocketed in 2011, the Eriez research team went to work to provide an alternative in the form of the eP-Rex. After either of these drums, remaining material then commonly confronts one or more eddy current separators (ECS units). The ECS is the workhorse when nonferrous metals are being extracted from mixed materials such as what flows downstream from an auto shredder.
MEDIUM-TO-HIGH PRIORITY Recyclers who have made it a priority to separate the predominantly aluminum
light fraction (zorba or zeppelin) from the predominantly red metals heavy fraction (zebra), a separation process involving a medium such as sand or water has typically been required. Shattuck lists dry media separators (which use sand); heavy media separators (which use sand and ferrosilicon) and flotation or water jig systems as those commonly used to separate lights from heavies. Gravity is the key to these techniques, Shattuck says. “Equipment using specific gravity as a means of separation can result in a high-density product. The greater the differences in specific gravity, the easier the separation.” Specific gravity, defined as a ratio showing the density (mass) of a substance compared to the density (mass) of a reference substance, is calculated using water as the baseline reference. Shattuck says a look at the specific gravity figures for certain materials can
2. Eriez designed the DensitySort with zebra in mind. 3. Inclined surfaces play a critical role in how the DensitySort works. 4. Recyclers can receive a higher return on zebra that contains a greater percentage of copper.
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help reveal how a system designed on this principal can make distinctions between nonferrous metals: • Water 1.0 • Magnesium 1.75 • Aluminum 2.64 • Zinc 7.13 • Brass 8.56 • Copper 8.69 • Lead 11.35 Systems set up by specialty processors may use one or more of these gravity-dependent techniques, as well as optical sorting machinery and hand pickers, in an attempt to achieve desired zorba, zebra or zeppelin specifications.
A CLEANER ALTERNATIVE Among the many new products Eriez has introduced to the scrap recycling market in the past three years is one that provides an alternative to the use of sand and water in this application: the DensitySort® Air Table. Using space within a newly purchased 144,000-square-foot building in Erie, Pa., Eriez researchers led by Dr. Jiang Xinkai and product managers led by Shattuck have conducted a significant number of tests of the DensitySort Air Table. The Eriez team has used samples of mixed metals provided by shredding plant operators from throughout the U.S. The company is marketing DensitySort as “a media-free option for fines sorting.” Air table technology has been scaled down from techniques Eriez has long used in the mining industry. The unit is designed to separate light and heavy fractions of material sized 0.25 inch by 1 inch and also 1 inch by 2 inches without a change to the machine’s setup. The DensitySort Air Table uses air, vibration and slope to separate the fines fraction. It does not require a media base, like sand or water, to achieve separation, which Eriez touts as a cost-savings and operational advantage. “You do not have to purchase a me-
The Zebra’s Stripes The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI) defines Zebra this way in its Scrap Specifications Circular: “Zebra shall consist of high-density nonferrous metals produced by media separation technology containing brass, copper, zinc, non-magnetic stainless steel and copper wire. Material to be dry and free from excess oxidation. The percentage and types of metals other than these, as well as the percentage and types of nonmetallic contamination, are to be agreed upon between the buyer and seller.” When Mike Shattuck, Eriez Heavy Industry Project Manager, is asked what standards scrap processors are asking his company to help them meet when making mixed metals grades such as zebra, he provides the following examples: “Operators trying to reach and maintain these standards in a production environment need to have equipment to do the sorting. • Zebra (high density) typically contains 94 percent heavy metals, less than 6% aluminum. • Zorba typically contains 88 percent aluminum (remainder is high-density metals and light debris) • Twitch consists of 96 percent aluminum; the remainder • Less than 1 percent free Zinc • Less than 1 percent free Magnesium • Less than 1 percent free iron • Less than 2 percent nonmetallic
dium and you do not have to process the material after it’s done to clean the media off the material, so that’s a big cost savings both up front and as you operate,” Shattuck says. Shattuck says the use of media (either sand or water) can create extra work for those who run such systems in the form of: • rinsing product after separation; • drying product after separation; • treating the water that is used; • recovering media from the water; and • replenishing the media as it is used. The DensitySort has been designed to provide specific gravity-based separation—just as a media system would—but without the need for sand or water. Mixed metals are introduced to the DensitySort at the high point of the table’s slope. Specific mass then directs pieces of metal to the low or high side of the table, providing an upgraded high grade aluminum product (twitch) as well as a product containing nearly 80 per-
cent heavy metals by weight. Once a fluidized bed of material is maintained, heavy products sink to the bottom and travel up the table to a discharge point, Eriez says. The light fraction remains on top of the burden and travels to the low side of the table. Material re-circulates until it reaches the appropriate discharge. The DensitySort is designed to process 0.25-inch-by-1-inch and also 1-inch-by2-inch fractions without a change to the machine’s setup. (More information on the product is available at http://en-us. eriez.com/Products/Markets/Recycling/ densitysort.) Shattuck says DensitySort also scores well on the product quality front. “Material stays clean and dry which avoids oxidation,” he remarks. “The Eriez DensitySort is the most efficient density sorter and offers the quickest payback, lowest operating cost and at a much lower capital cost than other media based separators,” he states. . Recovery vol4
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product news A look at product and services from Eriez designed for the recycling industry to boost productivity and material quality.
FinesSort® Metal Recovery System
Eriez’ FinesSort® Metal Recovery System (MRS) is an effective series of magnetic components designed to process discarded “fines” material that have passed through the initial screening stage to recover valuable ferrous and nonferrous metals. Through the use of the FinesSort MRS, users are able to reclaims thousands of pounds of metals per day. FinesSort MRS is available in 60-inch widths, which can typically process around 15 tons per hour of fines. Each machine is built of heavy gage steel and assembled on a rugged steel framework. Material is presented to the ferrous separation portion of the machine where a series of magnetic separators recover any ferrous present in the material stream. The initial separation consists of a rare earth dynamic head pulley where weakly magnetic material is removed from the material stream. This ferrous material is presented to a cleanup drum where saleable ferrous is removed, cleaned and conveyed to a collection bin. Magnetic debris is delivered to a waste conveyor. Nonferrous materials are presented to a high frequency eddy current to recover smaller pieces of nonferrous metals. Recovered nonferrous metals are conveyed to a collection bin. Recovery and grade of nonferrous metals is typically greater than 90 percent. Nonferrous debris is delivered to a waste conveyor. To see an animation of the FinesSort MRS at work, visit http://www.eriez.com/Products/FineSort/.
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Shred1™ Ballistic Separator
The Shred1™ Separator from Eriez uses ballistics to separate iron-rich ferrous scrap from much of the mixed metals and waste material in the post-drum-magnet flow. The Shred1 delivers three distinct fractions: a premium, low-copper content #1 shred, a traditional #2 shred and a heavy/light/ waste mix. When the Shred1 is combined with Eriez’ P-Rex® permanent rare-earth magnetic drum, the system is referred to as the CleanStream™ Process. The CleanStream Process is designed to recover more ferrous and to concentrate 75 percent of the post-drum-magnet flow into a low-copper premium shred. It also eliminates the need for a scavenger magnet, a z-box air system and hand picking the entire flow. The Shred1 Ballistic Separator is capable of producing the following fractions: • A high-value, low-copper content ferrous product with a higher value than a #2 shred fraction. Fraction one represents 60 to 80 percent of the incoming material flow and contains less than 0.2 percent copper. Unlike traditional polishing drums, this fraction does not require picking. • Fraction two represents approximately 20 to 30 percent of the incoming material flow and contains mostly mixed metals, copper and aluminum with steel housings or cores. Hand sorting can be accomplished with relatively few pickers because only a fraction of the total shredder discharge must be picked. • Fraction three consists of heavy steel objects and light material, such as fluff, rubber and some wire. This fraction can be picked with the second fraction or stock piled and re-processed later. Fraction three contains 5 to 7 percent of the incoming material flow. More information is available at http://en-us.eriez.com/ Products/Markets/Recycling/shred1ballisticseparator.
Recovery eriez worldwide With 12 manufacturing plants on six continents and a global network of factory-trained representatives, getting professional assistance with your toughest processing problems is quite simple. You may reach our plants by any of the following means:
The PokerSort™
United States
Phone: 814-835-6000 Fax: 814-838-4960 eriez@eriez.com
Australia
Phone: 61-3-9305-4099 Fax: 61-3-9305-4042 eriezaus@eriez.com.au
China
Phone: 86-21-31261766 Fax: 86-21-38763610 eriez@eriez.com.cn Eriez, as part of its dedication to continually advancing and transforming the metals recycling industry, introduces PokerSort™. The innovative new PokerSort helps alleviate issues caused by long rod-like pieces (typically 24 inches or more in length), commonly referred to as pokers, that can damage downstream equipment in automobile and other metal scrap operations. “Pokers, as their name implies, often poke through conveyor belts, causing jams and bridging conditions that can shut down an entire facility,” says Brian Vrablic, Eriez sales engineer. “Even a few minutes of downtime can cost thousands of dollars in saleable product.” He explains, “Previously, unreliable conventional poker removal systems were the only option for dealing with troublesome pokers—but now there’s a better solution: Eriez’ PokerSort.” Utilizing a special magnetic drum positioned at the end of the shredder
discharge belt, Eriez’ innovative PokerSort separates pokers as they catapult off the end of the belt with a different trajectory than the rest of the shredded material or “frag.” A PokerSort test unit was installed at Erie, PA-based Liberty Iron & Metal LLC. in late 2011 and on-site testing has proven the PokerSort’s remarkable performance with 90 percent of pokers eliminated. “Pokers in the frag stream is an age-old and extremely common problem in the recycling industry,” says Mike Shattuck, Eriez heavy industry project manager. “We listened to our customers, studied the situation and set out to develop a solution.” The PokerSort will be officially introduced at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) 2012 Annual Convention in April. To learn more about Eriez’ extensive line of revolutionary products for the recycling industry, visit http://en-us.eriez.com/ Products/Markets/Recycling/.
Europe
Phone: 44-29-208-68501 Fax: 44-29-208-51314 info@eriezeurope.co.uk
India
Phone: 91-44-2238-5071 Fax: 91-44-4507-8383 emil@emil.co.in
Japan
Phone: 81-473-546381 Fax: 81-473-547643 eriez-jp@eriez.co.jp
Mexico
Phone: 52-55-5321-9800 Fax: 55-5310-3358 eriez@eriez.com.mx
South Africa
Phone: 27-11-444-9160 Fax: 27-11-444-9166 eriezmag@iafrica.com
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Economically Sort Nonferrous “Fines” ...improve profitability by
25%
Zorba to Twitch and Zebra, “Media Free” Upgrade and increase revenue by more than 25% Watch it on “DensitySort”
• 90% of red metals report is high density fraction • Light fraction meets ISRI definition of Twitch • High throughput 6 to 8 tph/machine • Processes <1” and 1x2” fractions without adjustments • No media base required for separation
PROOF IN TESTING!
Call 888.300.3743 or visit Eriez.com