Bunting ElectroMax-Plus protects aggregate crushers
Powerful EMAX-Plus 120 electro overband magnet removes and discards tramp ferrous metal
A UK construction materials company has installed an ElectroMax-Plus overband magnet to remove tramp ferrous metal from quarried material prior to crushing. Bunting – one of the world’s leading designers and manufacturers of magnetic separators, eddy current separators, metal detectors, and electrostatic separators – specified, designed, and built the powerful electromagnetic magnet at their UK manufacturing facility in Redditch.
The ElectroMax-Plus overband magnet is installed at a magnesium limestone quarry in Derbyshire, where the rock is crushed, screened, and sized for use in the production of refractory bricks, road aggregate, and for other construction purposes. The powerful ElectroMax-Plus lifts and automatically discards tramp ferrous metal present in the conveyed quarried rock prior to the crushing and screening process.
For this installation Bunting supplied a model EMAX-Plus 120 electro overband magnet. The ElectroMax and ElectroMax-Plus are lightweight and powerful units specifically designed for applications where space is limited or when extra separation power is required.
The EMAX-Plus 120 has a self-cleaning belt which rotates around the electromagnet to transfer and automatically discharge any metal that has been attracted on to the face of the magnet. The belt of the ElectroMax is driven and guided by two pulleys instead of four (as used for larger, standard electro overband magnets), reducing the overall weight and size. In addition, unlike other designs of electro overband magnets, the ElectroMax coil is cooled by air, eliminating the need for any oil conservator tanks.
The EMAX-Plus 120 weighs 3.3 tonnes and measures 2,750mm (length) x 1,650mm (width, including the belt drive motor) x 600mm (height). The 1,200mm wide electromagnet sits across the 800mm wide material transport belt, providing enough space to transfer captured tramp ferrous metal away from the conveyor and into a separate collection chute.
On site, the EMAX-Plus 120 is suspended at 500mm above the surface of the belt conveyor, ensuring sufficient space between the magnet face and the conveyed rock. The quarried rock lump size ranges between 150 and 300mm, with a nominal burden depth of 200–300mm.
The ElectroMax-Plus is removing a wide range of ferrous detritus from the conveyor including large steel plates, wire, bars, and broken plant. Such tramp metal would cause significant and costly damage to crushers and screens, as well as production downtime. After capture, the metal is discharged into a separate collection bay for safe disposal.
Following the installation, the quarry manager expressed his surprise at the quantity of metal removed by the ElectroMax-Plus and said he was no longer concerned about potential plant damage and downtime.
