Magnetic separation keeps product clean and prevents tramp metals from causing damage and breakdowns in crushers and screens. As Eriez Australia’s Ezio Viti explains, quarry operations have numerous options to combat unwanted tramp metals, contaminants and downtime.
Eriez Magnetics has developed a global presence in removing unwanted contaminants from valuable materials conveyed across the extractive industries.
Since 1942, Eriez has perfected the science of magnetic separation for a loyal customer base. Part of this has involved the provision of honest on-site feedback about how quarried aggregates, for example, can be beneficiated with electromagnetic and permanent magnets.
Of course, no one quarry site is the same, and in understanding this Eriez treats each application on its merit.
Eriez Australia sales director Ezio Viti explained the approach taken to ensure each customer gets the most out of their magnets.
“There are a lot of factors to consider, including the size and shape of the contaminant in the conveyed material, to ultimately determine the magnet size and type,” Viti told Quarry. “The rule of thumb is the smaller the contaminant, the larger the magnet.
“The next criteria are the dimensions of the belt and the size and shape of the conveyed material. We also assess whether the customer wants a manual or self-cleaning magnet. And the greatest factor in terms of magnet strength is its location.”
Location, size, shape, power consumption, self-cleaning – all considerations which could easily fly over the head of plenty of quarry managers. Therefore, Eriez takes pride in meeting in-person (taking into account COVID-19 risks) to catch any missed information and provide a clear explanation.
Viti said an open dialogue between Eriez technicians and their customers is key to successful and effective magnet ownership.
“The most important thing about the Eriez service is the feedback, going both ways,” Viti said. “Nothing’s more impressive than gaining loyalty from customers. Loyalty spawns from our performance and if we can’t perform then we don’t deserve any support. We’ve won customers based on that loyalty and continue to do so.”
With strong rapport and expertise, there’s scarcely been an issue of separation and filtration that Eriez couldn’t accommodate.
On a project in Tasmania that purifies silica down to about 100 parts per million, Eriez was able to supply its magnetic filters and rare earth grates to clean fine silica sand before it is shipped overseas to be milled into silica flour for use in various high quality touch screens.
“Our grates are basically a permanent magnet grate with a number of stainless-steel tubes which encase a combination of mild steel poles and rare earth magnets,” Viti explained. “The design concentrates the magnetic field to attract and retain the finest of contaminants in the product flow.
“This is equally useful in applications like clay operations where the final products are used as additives in paints, cosmetics or toothpaste where the occurrence of iron contaminants render them unusable.”
OLD FOR NEW
Aside from adding value to operations through product beneficiation, Eriez can also add value in its aftersales service too.
Viti recounted a time where this service was of value to an Australian household name.
“A major construction materials company had one of our magnets which was superseded due to an upgrade in application,” he said. “We offered them a deal where instead of simply removing the old magnet from their operation and having it potentially discarded, we offered to buy the old product back for repurposing.”
Viti was proud of Eriez’s ability to provide service support from end to end, adding value all along the customer’s process chain.
“We can look further down the track and if a customer’s plant, product or process has changed, we can move with these changes and cater for any evolutionary needs,” he said.
“In some cases, a seemingly old magnet destined for the scrap heap can be reused as a scavenger or smaller application elsewhere in the process.”
Eriez understands the customer’s greatest fear in operation is downtime – time and money spent getting nothing in return. To avoid this, the company provides a solution to maximise any operation’s profitability.
“If they have a breakdown, we can ship and swap them a temporary second-hand magnet while we refurbish their main unit back to as-new condition,” Viti said. “And while the second-hand magnet may not fulfil the complete duty, it will remove the need for their plant to stay down for longer than necessary, allowing the operator to keep producing.”
LONG-TERM AMBITION
With the short-term covered by proficient service support, Eriez continues to look at the long-term evolution of magnetic separation.
The 7000 series electromagnetic model was introduced into Australia four years ago after more than 20 years of service in North America to replace the 700 series. But now, a new generation of Eriez electromagnet will be creeping into the market and Viti said Eriez is right on top of these new developments.
“By replacing the 700 series, the 7000 series globalised and standardised our product range while also bringing with it a streamlined manufacturing process to allow for more reliable lead times and regulated pricing,” Viti said. “But the mainstream 7000 is reaching the end of its design evolution and will need to be superseded. We have listened to our customers and will focus on enhancements to performance improvements, efficient use of energy and with the aim delivering sensible pricing outcomes as well.
“We’re looking forward to the next 25 years and I can tell you that it looks absolutely brilliant.” •
For further information about Eriez Australia’s magnetic separators and services, visit
eriez.com.au
This article appears in the December issue of Quarry Magazine.