Five Magnetic Separator Myths, Part One: Do You Need to Use the Strongest Magnetic Separator?

Some will say the strongest tool is always the best tool—but is it, really? When companies call to request a quote for the most powerful magnetic separator Bunting offers, is that really what they actually need? On another note, what does “strongest” even really mean?

When selecting a certain type of magnetic material to be used in a magnetic separator, there are many different factors to be taken into consideration. When working with customers, some of the questions we ask are:

1) What type of metal needs to be magnetically separated? How large or small is the metal contamination? Is the metal strongly magnetic or paramagnetic? What are the other physical properties of the metal?

2) What type of material is the metal being magnetically separated from? For example, are you seeking to separate metal out of a dense powder application such as flour?

3) What is the reason for removing the metal? Is the intent to protect other processing equipment downstream, or is the goal to recover the metal for resale or recycling?

4) What is the transportation method for the material? Is it on a conveyor, or as a slurry in a pipeline? What is the processing environment like?

5) What is the budget for this product?

From here, it becomes easier to determine what magnetic separator is required for a given project. For example, if the metal that needs to be separated is paramagnetic or very fine, the most powerful neodymium magnets will be recommended. However, if the main concern of the project is cost-efficiency, ceramic magnets or low-grade neodymium magnets will be recommended instead. Similarly, if the application involves high temperatures, a magnet capable of withstanding such temperatures will be recommended. Different magnets perform differently and excel under different conditions. This is why Bunting offers a diverse range of magnetic materials to our customers:

The strongest magnet is not always best, and sometimes it is more important to account for additional factors.

We can see this principle illustrated with a real-world example. In flour mills or heavy protein enrichment products, if you use a high strength neodymium magnet you will wind up pulling all of the iron fortification out of the product. This will distort the end product or plug the line. Additionally, if a customer is only interested in finding larger pieces of metal, a high strength neodymium magnet may be too much for their needs and thus an inappropriate choice. Sometimes, operations just want to catch the large metal pieces when they receive new product. These are often more non-critical control points or wear magnets.

Bunting engineers work closely with customers to determine what the best magnetic separator for their needs is. Additionally, Bunting’s Customer Experience Center allows us to carry out extensive testing on samples of material to determine exactly how it works with our equipment. When performing tests, we collect extensive data and provide the customer with written data, photographs, and video recordings. This empowers the customer with information and allows them to be confident they are being provided with the best equipment for their needs.

To learn more about how Bunting can assist you in selecting the optimal magnetic separator for your application, contact us today.