Eriez records 50th ballistic separator sale

Eriez, a global provider of magnetic equipment based in Erie, Pennsylvania, has sold its 50th Shred1 ballistic separator. Since its debut, Shred1 “has been embraced by leading scrap yards around the world,” Eriez says, pointing to Indiana-based multilocation shredder operator OmniSource LLC as an early adopter.

The equipment firm says the sales milestone holds special significance for Eriez, since OmniSource, a wholly owned subsidiary of Indiana-based electric arc furnace (EAF) steel producer Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI), “not only purchased the 50th Shred1 unit ever sold but was also one of the first companies to integrate Shred1 into its operations.”

Eriez-USA Recycling Market Manager Mike Shattuck says OmniSource played a pivotal role in the early stages of Shred1’s development by providing what he calls crucial analytical feedback through online real-time analysis of the separated metal fractions from the machine in its first iterations.

Shattuck says this performance analysis provided Eriez with the data it needed to bring Shred1 fully to market.

With more than a decade of market presence, Eriez says the Shred1 ballistic separator “has garnered international acclaim for its pioneering use of permanent magnets and ballistics to facilitate the efficient separation of copper-bearing materials from shredded steel recovered by scrap drum magnets.”

This technology yields two distinct fractions, according to Eriez: a high-quality low-copper ferrous product (typically containing from 0.16-0.2 percent copper) and a traditional Number 2 shred.

“Shred1 empowers OmniSource to consistently produce a higher quality and more dependable product that SDI can confidently utilize," says Jon Kunze, project engineer at OmniSource. "While shredded ferrous generated using conventional technology often exhibits significant variability in chemistry and recovery, Shred1 ensures superior consistency.”

Kunze says OmniSource prefers ballistic separators over other available methods like polishing drums and X-ray systems for several reasons.

“We recognized that a new process was essential to achieve optimal ferrous product quality and quantity for steel mills,” he says. “Relying solely on reading the chemistry levels of the product was insufficient. With the power of ballistics, we can deliver the clean shredded product we desire, regardless of changes in weather or feedstock.”

Kunze says his colleagues appreciate the design of Shred1, describing it as a “plug-and-play” piece of technology. Regarding Eriez as a supplier, he says, “Our collaboration with Eriez is effortless. Whenever we require assistance, the Eriez team is readily available.”

Citing what it calls an increasing demand for low-copper shred from steel mills, Eriez anticipates a sustained and robust interest in Shred1, both domestically and internationally.

“We sincerely value the support for Shred1 from OmniSource and other innovative partners, and we are excited to further promote awareness of this game-changing technology on the international stage," Shattuck says.

Established in 1942, Eriez now has more than 900 employees serving the mining, recycling, food processing, packaging, aggregates, and other industries. The company designs, makes and markets its equipment on six continents in part via 12 wholly owned international subsidiaries and a global sales representative network.