Pyörrevirtaseparaattoreita

Pyörrevirtaseparaattoreita, known in English as eddy current separators, are non-ferrous metal separation devices. They are commonly used in recycling and waste processing industries to separate valuable non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, copper, and brass from other materials. The principle of operation relies on electromagnetic induction.

A high-speed rotating magnetic rotor is housed within a non-metallic drum or splitter. As a mixed stream of materials, typically including ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, and other recyclables, passes over the drum, the rotor induces eddy currents within the conductive non-ferrous metal particles. These induced eddy currents create their own magnetic fields that oppose the magnetic field of the rotor.

The interaction between the rotor's magnetic field and the induced magnetic field generates a repulsive force on the non-ferrous metal pieces. This force causes them to be repelled further and with greater trajectory than the non-metallic materials and less conductive materials. By carefully adjusting the position of a splitter plate at the end of the separator, the trajectory difference allows for the physical separation of the non-ferrous metals into a separate collection point. Ferrous metals are typically removed prior to entering the eddy current separator by a magnetic separator.

Eddy current separators are effective in recovering a high percentage of non-ferrous metals, contributing to resource conservation and improved recycling efficiency. They are widely employed in municipal solid waste sorting, electronic waste processing, and the recycling of various industrial byproducts. Their design allows for continuous operation and can be integrated into existing material handling systems.