And, we’re back! Welcome to part 2 of our industry round up. Last week, we delved into some of the industries that make use of the power of magnets, including the automotive industry, construction, and packaging. This week, we’re talking about another trio of industries — recycling, food processing, and mining. It turns out, they actually have quite a bit in common. Let’s get started: 

Recycling 

The recycling process commonly uses magnets as a means to separate different kinds of metal, specifically in single-stream scenarios where the contributing individuals weren’t required to parse out materials. Magnetic separators typically sort non-ferrous metals (e.g., aluminum soda cans) from ferrous materials (e.g., iron) along a conveyor belt system. The strong magnets used in recycling can also sort out small contaminants and metal impurities.  

Food Processing 

Magnets are used similarly in the food industry (for both humans and livestock) to process and separate out ferrous material. Due to their strength and ability to attract very fine contaminants, samarium-cobalt and neodymium are often used, although Alnico is also useful for attracting larger pieces. Most processing systems use multiple kinds of magnets throughout the conveying process to ensure no unwanted scrap or metal dust passes through. If something is missed near the front, it’s caught by a subsequent magnetic separator. 

Mining

Throughout the mining process, magnets prevent impurities from winding up in the final product. It is extremely common for bits of metal to be left behind after excavation, especially if explosives were used. These materials can cause costly damage to equipment, including conveyor belts, crushers, hammer mills, and pulverizers. The three most commonly used magnetic separators found in the mining industry are cross belt separators, suspended plate magnets, and magnetic drum separators.  Larger mining operations may utilize electromagnets primarily, but smaller companies typically use permanent magnets like ceramic and neodymium; that way, even if they lose power, the magnetism remains. 

Apex Magnets

Each and every week, we bring you magnetic news and industry information in the form of blogs, round-ups, and social media posts to keep you up-to-date on all things related to magnets. To remain in the know, subscribe to our newsletter, or browse the rest of our blog.