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Metal Separators Reduce Risk in Recyclate Processing

Engineering thermoplastics supplier Sitraplas GmbH now offers premium recyclate that is free of metal contaminants thanks to the use of GF Primus metal separators from Sesotec. These devices can detect and separate even the finest metal particles to prevent downtime and material recalls.

The equipment detects and rejects metal contaminants in the recyclate as it passes through pneumatic conveyors without affecting material flow. Image courtesy Sitraplas.Metallic impurities such as aluminum, brass, and stainless steel are often found in purchased recyclate, said Sesotec. Depending on the size of the particles, they can impede the plastic production process by clogging screens. Metallic impurities can also lead to contaminated end products, which must be scrapped, thereby leading to a high volume of waste.

The metal separators are installed in pneumatic conveying systems, where they detect metallic contaminants within the recyclate as it passes through and reliably ejects them in a fraction of a second. The rejected contaminants are automatically collected so they can be analyzed for important information about the quality of the purchased recyclate. Material flow is uninterrupted and the process does not affect conveyance speed.

Founded in 2005 in Bünde, Germany, Sitraplas services range from coloring engineering plastics to the development of custom polymer compounds. The compounds are used by customers all over the world in challenging automotive, electrical, electronics, and other applications.

“Thanks to Sesotec’s metal separators, we’ve had zero complaints about metallic contaminants,” said Tim Hencken, Managing Director of Sitraplas. “They have led to a noticeable improvement in the performance of our processing equipment, eliminating the risks involved in working with recyclate.”

Publication date: 01/06/2020

Plastics Today

This project has been co-funded with the support of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Union [LIFE17 ENV/ES/000438] Life programme

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Last update: 2022-01-31