Eddy Current Separator

Magnets & Sorters · Integrated

Eddy Current Separator

The machine that throws aluminum — a high-speed eccentric magnetic rotor ejects non-ferrous metals clean out of the burden.

The Sherbrooke OEM eddy current separator position integrates an eccentric 18-pole eddy current unit that ejects non-ferrous metals — aluminum, copper, brass — from the stream. The spinning magnetic rotor induces eddy currents in conductive pieces, repelling them over a splitter while everything else falls short. The eccentric rotor design concentrates the field at the throw point and keeps the shell cool, and the magnetic system adjusts radially to tune the trajectory. A cleated belt feeds the rotor; a two-way splitter chute assembly divides the products. Positioned late in the line — after ferrous removal, which protects this deliberately fragile machine — with structure, chutes, and controls integration by Sherbrooke OEM.

Where It Fits

  • Aluminum and non-ferrous recovery late on C&D, single-stream, and MSW lines
  • Scrap lines polishing non-ferrous out of shredded fractions
  • Always downstream of magnets — ferrous reaching the rotor is what damages eddy currents

C&D Recycling · Single Stream MRF · MSW Sorting · Scrap Metal Recycling

Configuration & Options

Every unit is engineered per project — these are the configuration choices and options we quote against, not limits.

DesignEccentric magnetic rotor — 18-pole system
Working widthPer throughput; engineering default around 80 in
Rotor adjustmentRadial adjustment of the magnetic system to tune the throw
SplitterAdjustable splitter chute assembly dividing ejected non-ferrous from the drop stream
BeltCleated belt presenting a controlled monolayer to the rotor
MotorsSeparate rotor and belt drives, VFD-controlled

Construction

RotorEccentric high-speed magnetic rotor inside a non-conductive shell
Rotor motorDedicated drive, independently speed-controlled
Belt motorDedicated geared drive with VFD throughput control
Splitter chuteFormed steel assembly, position-adjustable at commissioning
Frame & supportsStructural steel by Sherbrooke OEM, braced and anchored
GuardingGuarded to OSHA requirements

Eddy Current Separator — Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the eddy current go late in the line?

Two reasons. First, it is a precision machine with a high-speed rotor — ferrous that reaches it heats up in the field and damages the belt and shell, so magnets must run upstream. Second, it sorts best on a cleaned, sized, thinly fed stream, which is exactly what the rest of the line exists to produce.

What does the eccentric rotor design buy?

The magnetic rotor sits eccentrically inside the shell, concentrating the field right at the ejection point instead of around the full circumference. Small ferrous that sneaks through releases earlier instead of being dragged around the shell — less heat, less wear, and a radially adjustable field to tune the throw.

What materials does it recover?

Conductive non-ferrous metals: aluminum is the volume product, with copper, brass, and zinc alongside. Recovery on each depends on particle size and shape — another reason the upstream screening cuts are engineered around the whole line, not one machine.

Need dimensions, capacity, or a budget price?

Send your material profile and layout — engineering answers with real numbers, from the team that will fabricate it in Sherbrooke.

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