Metal Detector Rejects
Problem / Opportunity:
A few of our customers specialize in recycling PVC window and siding. To remove metal generated during granulation, they rely upon a metal detector and a magnet. While magnets can remove the ferrous metal (attracted to a magnetic), a metal detector was used to detect and remove the non-ferrous metal. Due to the way metal detectors function, unfortunately they reject several hundred times more plastic materials along with the metal every time they detect the presence of metal.
Impact on Customer:
Though the metal detector removed the metal from the granulation stock, the process generated 1,000,000 lbs. of metal detector rejects consisting of 95% PVC and 5% metal. Now unusable the options available to the customer were as follows:
- hold the material (which they did for several years).
- trash the material
- export the material “as is” for something less than 20% of what clean PVC regrind would bring in the market place.
Solution for Customer:
Butler-MacDonald does not rely upon metal detectors to remove metal. Evaluated samples confirmed that our process could separate the material effectively and economically regardless of the type of metal.
Benefit:
The customer shipped the material to Butler-MacDonald for processing where we delivered a 92% yield of now metal–free PVC regrind. Our customer was able to realize the full value from this feed stream and gained approx. 900,000 lbs. of usable PVC regrind.
Don’t let value sit around unused. You won’t believe everything we can do – until you call
us.
