A small nonferrous recovery system that included a pair of eddy current separators developed by SGM Magnetics had served Monroe, Tennessee-based Cooper Recycling LLC well for almost 15 years as it processed metals downstream from its automobile shredder.
But, according to facility owner Steve Cooper, the time came in 2024 to upgrade. A scrap industry veteran in business for 36 years at the family-owned and -operated company, he knew that investments in equipment were just as important as top-notch customer service.
His company processes 10,000 tons of ferrous and nonferrous metal per month, including end-of-life vehicles, appliances, skeleton stock and more. In addition to auto crushing and baling, Cooper Recycling offers on-site cleanups and has trucks, trailers and containers available to meet the scrap hauling needs of its customers.
“You’ve got to keep reinvesting in your business,” he says. “If you keep using worn out equipment and try to keep up with the corporate people, [you won’t have success].”
When it was time to upgrade his facility’s nonferrous downstream system, Steve Cooper didn’t have to look far for a partner, once again turning to SGM, an Italy-based company with United States operations in Sarasota, Florida, and Cleveland, Ohio, to give his processing power a boost.
“I had SGM eddy currents and everybody else’s sensor lines,” Steve Cooper recalls. “The [sensor] lines were slower and inefficient, so it was time to upgrade. SGM is great to work with and have friendly management and service technicians.”
Cooper Recycling’s new nonferrous system was installed not far from the auto shredder on an unused 10-acre portion of the facility, which occupies about 25 acres in total. With the help of Integrated Shredder Technology, which installed the structures and conveyance system, and NAB, which handled electrical work, the new system was up and running approximately 13 months after purchase. To ensure the Cooper Recycling team would hit the ground running with the new equipment, SGM provided comprehensive training and ongoing follow-up support after installation.
“They came out for a week to train us,” Steve Cooper says. “I asked them to come out after 90 days to check everything out and make sure we were understanding everything, and they were there at no charge.”
The installation was completed during the summer of 2025 and included a batch feeder; a trommel and Bivitec screen to separate material into different size fractions before the sorting lines; three SGM eddy current separators capable of recovering high-copper fine zorba and midsize and large zorba; two aspirators to remove light waste before it reaches the system’s sensor sorters; and two SGM sensor sorter lines.
In particular, SGM’s eddy currents feature a concentric rotor design, which allows for maximum exposure of materials to the magnetic field for more separation efficiency; the use of large neodymium permanent magnet blocks for increased magnetic energy and stronger repulsion forces; instantaneous and progressive separation, which can prove particularly beneficial for fine and ultrafine heavy nonferrous metals; and improved stability and durability.
To enhance nonferrous recovery, the sensor sorter lines target residual metals left in the eddy current separator drop fraction, increasing overall efficiency. SGM’s equipment allows operators to select different metal separation modes and use real-time monitoring to ensure optimal feeding, distribution and sorting accuracy. The sorters also feature a user-friendly interface and come in a modular and scalable design, enabling multiple separators to be connected in a cascade installation if required.
Cooper Recycling uses the system to recover zorba, zurik and a shredder wire package. According to Steve Cooper, the equipment upgrade has allowed the facility to process 20 tons of material per hour—a significant increase from its prior setup.
“[The new system] is more efficient,” Steve Cooper says. “I went from one load of shredder wire a month to four loads. With zurik, I went from one load to two loads a month. With zorba fines, I was getting a load about every three months. Now, I’m getting two loads a month and our red metal content went up from 15 percent to the low 30s [percent].
“It is user-friendly, and our metal recovery is fantastic.”
When selecting equipment for his facility’s upgrade, Steve Cooper stuck with SGM, which had provided Cooper Recycling with reliable equipment and even more reliable customer service since 2009.
“SGM has always been great to work with,” he says. “If you ever break down or need a part, they’re always there.”
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