Material handling in modern industry has to be efficient, safe, and reliable. Overhead conveyors have long been recognized as one of the most effective ways to transport bulk materials and finished products across production lines. However, one challenge does remain constant throughout industries: tramp metal needs to be removed before it reaches critical equipment. A common approach, therefore, has become integrating a suspended magnet into an overhead conveyor in many processing and manufacturing facilities.
A suspended magnet is installed over the conveyor to remove the ferrous contaminants from the product flow. It helps in machinery protection, avoids expensive downtime, and enhances the purity of the product. In several recycling, cement, mining, food processing, and aggregate production industries, tramp metal has a disastrous potential if its extraction is not done earlier in the process. Coupling magnets to the conveyors produces a safer, more stable, and contamination-free process for companies.
The Role of Suspended Magnets in Overhead Conveyor Systems
A suspended magnet works on the principle of providing a very strong magnetic field that attracts ferrous metals passing underneath it on a moving conveyor. These can be contaminants in the form of bolts, nails, wire, metal shards, and parts of machines that accidentally make their way into the flow of materials. By lifting these particles off the product and holding them in place, the magnet ensures only clean material proceeds further down the line.
Depending on the type of magnet being used, metal contaminants might be either collected and removed manually or discharged automatically. The most common overhead magnets for integration into conveyors are permanent suspended magnets and electromagnetic separators.
Permanent magnets, even though they operate with unchanging magnetic strength without electricity, electromagnetic forms-similar to an electric lifting magnet-offer variable power and deeper magnetic penetration. This very flexibility extends their use to applications with high material burden or variable operating conditions.
How Suspended Magnets Work over Conveyors
Suspended magnets are generally installed in one of two orientations: crossbelt or inline.
1. Cross-belt Configuration
The magnet in this configuration is installed perpendicular to the conveyor. The ferrous material, which is attracted to the suspended magnet, is carried away by a self-cleaning belt system for continuous operation.
2. Inline Configuration
The magnet is mounted parallel to the conveyor’s direction of travel and captures metal fragments, holding them in place until manually cleaned. Inline systems perform well in applications with consistent material flow and moderate levels of contamination.
Regardless of setup, a suspended magnet with an overhead conveyor provides consistent separation without interfering with the material flow.
Electromagnetic suspended magnets work much like an electric lifting magnet in that they also can develop strong magnetic fields because of their electrically energized coils. Their adjustability to various depths of material has made them quite effective in the most demanding environments.
Benefits of Using Suspended Magnets With Overhead Conveyors
The main reasons industries use these systems are to protect production lines. The advantages of this include:
- Improved Equipment Protection: Ferrous contaminants removal reduces damage to crushers, grinders, and shredders.
- Improved Product Purity: Clean material ensures that the final product is up to quality and regulatory standards.
- Reduced Maintenance Costs: Preventing breakdowns of equipment means reduced repair costs and reduced or fewer downtimes.
- Improved Safety of Labor: The system eliminates manual metal-picking work and decreases risks related to missing fragments of metal.
- Continuous Operation: Suspended magnets with automatic cleaning configuration allow for continuous production cycles.
In applications where electromagnetic models are used, they give similar performances as an electric lifting magnet with the advantage of sustained separation over large widths of conveyor.
Critical Success Factors for Development
Before integrating a suspended magnet with an overhead conveyor in an optimal way, one must answer several questions:
- Material Depth: With increasing thickness, magnetic fields must be stronger.
- Conveyor Speed: Faster conveyors can reduce the metal exposure time and may demand higher magnet strengths.
- Type of Ferrous Contamination: Large tramp iron behaves differently from fine metallic particles.
- Magnet Height: The Distance between the suspended magnet and the conveyor surface is directly related to the separation efficiency.
- Mechanism of Cleaning: Automatic cleaning systems suit high volumes of operation.
Suspended magnets are often installed as part of an overall material-handling line in conjunction with other devices such as screens, crushers, and sorting systems. Where exceptionally powerful magnetic capture is required, electromagnetic systems will have similar advantages to those of an electric lifting magnet, providing greater penetration and variability of strength.
Electro Flux Equipments: Your Solution for Industrial Magnetic Systems
Electro Flux Equipments Pvt Ltd is considered one of the leading industrial magnetic equipment manufacturers that can ensure high-performance suspended magnets and a range of solutions for lifting and separation needs. Strong engineering and a commitment to quality ensure that Electro Flux designs equipment that can handle even demanding industrial environments while considering maximum separation efficiency. Their suspended magnetic systems integrate well with overhead conveyors, enhancing material purity and protecting machinery in the plants.
Conclusion
One of the most effective methods of preventing tramp metal accumulation and ensuring a safe, efficient production process is the incorporation of a suspended magnet with an overhead conveyor. These systems offer superior equipment protection, enhanced product quality, and less operational downtime. Applications requiring adjustable performance, such as reaching high magnetic intensity, can utilize options like an electric lifting magnet.
Electro Flux Equipments provides expertly engineered suspended magnets and advanced technologies in lifting for industries in need of reliable magnetic separation solutions to cater to today’s processing demands at high levels of precision, safety, and durability.
