Used electric motors, stators, and mixed metal waste contain valuable copper, iron, aluminum, and steel, but mixed together and hard to separate by hand. A metal shredding and sorting line solves this problem in a single automated flow: it shreds the material into small fractions, then separates the metals through magnetic separation for iron and steel and through an eddy current separator for the non-ferrous metals, producing copper, iron, and aluminum fractions of high purity.
A metal shredding and sorting line is the choice of recyclers who process electric motors, stators, transformers, and mixed metal waste and want to automatically separate the valuable metals to sell at premium prices compared with unsorted mixed scrap. See the full range of recycling equipment and the solutions for metal recovery.
Key Advantages for Recovering Copper and Iron from Motors
• Shredding and sorting in a single flow, combines mechanical reduction with automatic metal separation, eliminating costly manual sorting.
• Magnetic separation for iron and steel, the magnetic separator precisely extracts the ferrous fractions from the shredded mix.
• Eddy current separator for non-ferrous metals, eddy currents separate copper and aluminum from non-conductive materials and from each other.
• Pure, sellable fractions, copper, iron, and aluminum separated at high purity, sellable at premium prices compared with mixed scrap.
• Motor and stator processing, especially suited to electric motors, wound stators, and transformers with mixed metal content.
• Automatic control, continuous PLC flow, with automatic feeding and an alarm on anomalies.
• Dust capture, the filtration system keeps the work environment clean.
• Scalable, the capacity is sized for the volume of metal waste processed.
Technical Specifications, Metal Shredding and Sorting Line
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Feedstock | Electric motors, stators, transformers, mixed metal waste |
| Stage 1, Shredding | Hammer or knife shredder for reduction to small fractions |
| Stage 2, Magnetic separation | Iron and steel extraction |
| Stage 3, Eddy current | Copper and aluminum separation from the non-ferrous fraction |
| Recovered products | Pure fractions of copper, iron/steel, aluminum |
| Dust capture | Integrated filtration system |
| Control | PLC, continuous flow, automatic alarm |
| Components | CE marked where applicable |
| Capacity | Configurable according to the project |
Applications and Industries for Processing Mixed Metal Waste
A metal shredding and sorting line serves non-ferrous metal recyclers, electrical equipment dismantling centers, and operators who collect used electric motors, transformers, and mixed metal waste. Electric motors are a particularly valuable source: they contain high-quality copper in the windings, steel in the casings and stators, and aluminum in some components, all mixed together and hard to separate without dedicated equipment.
Metal waste management is regulated at the European level from the perspective of material recovery and environmental protection; a metal shredding and sorting line delivered in Europe is designed in line with the requirements of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste. For integration into a complete metal recovery flow, see also the complete industry solutions.
The copper recovered from motor windings is a high-value raw material: winding copper has high purity and sells at premium prices to smelters and refineries. Automatically separating the copper from the shredded mix, without the labor-intensive manual dismantling of the motors, turns a slow and costly operation into a profitable automated flow.
The eddy current separator is the key technological component: it produces an alternating magnetic field that induces eddy currents in the conductive non-ferrous metals (copper, aluminum), generating a repulsion force that separates them from non-conductive materials and, through the difference in conductivity, separates them from each other as well. This technology allows the automatic recovery of non-ferrous metals with an efficiency impossible to achieve by hand.
Wound stators, a major component of electric motors, are notoriously hard to process by hand: the winding copper is tightly wrapped around the laminated steel core, and manual separation is extremely slow. The line shreds the whole stator, freeing the copper from the winding through mechanical action, after which the separators recover the copper and steel separately, fully automating an operation that was previously labor-intensive.
Using the three separated fractions, copper, iron/steel, and aluminum, generates three revenue streams from the same input of mixed metal waste. Each metal has its own market and price: copper at premium prices, steel at the LME price for scrap iron, aluminum at the price of light non-ferrous metals. Separation at high purity maximizes the price of each fraction compared with selling unsorted mixed scrap.
Processable Materials
| Material | Recovered metals |
|---|---|
| Used electric motors | Copper (winding), steel (casing), aluminum |
| Wound stators | Copper, laminated steel |
| Small transformers | Copper, steel, sometimes aluminum |
| Mixed metal waste | Iron, steel, copper, aluminum |
| Various electrical components | Ferrous and non-ferrous metals mixed together |
How It Works
1. The metal waste (motors, stators, mixed) is fed into the shredder.
2. The shredder reduces the material to small fractions, freeing the metals from one another.
3. The magnetic separator extracts the ferrous fractions (iron, steel) from the mix.
4. The remaining non-ferrous fraction enters the eddy current separator.
5. The eddy current separates copper from aluminum through the difference in conductivity.
6. The three fractions (copper, iron/steel, aluminum) are collected separately; the dust is captured.
The PLC system coordinates the flow and signals anomalies. A correctly adjusted metal shredding and sorting line produces pure metal fractions at consistent quality, batch after batch, maximizing the value recovered from each ton of mixed metal waste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which metals does a metal shredding and sorting line separate?
It separates the ferrous fractions (iron, steel) through magnetic separation and the non-ferrous metals (copper, aluminum) through an eddy current separator. The result is three distinct fractions: copper, iron/steel, and aluminum, each at high purity and sellable separately at better prices than unsorted mixed metal scrap.
Can it process whole electric motors?
Yes. The line shreds whole electric motors, freeing the copper from the winding, the steel from the casing and stators, and the aluminum from components. The separators then recover each metal separately, automating an operation that by hand would require the slow dismantling of each motor.
What is the eddy current separator and how does it work?
The eddy current separator generates an alternating magnetic field that induces eddy currents in the conductive non-ferrous metals. The induced currents generate a repulsion force that throws the non-ferrous metals away, separating them from non-conductive materials. The difference in conductivity between copper and aluminum allows them to be separated into distinct fractions.
What purity do the recovered metal fractions have?
The purity of the fractions depends on the adjustment of the separators and on the composition of the input material. A well-adjusted line produces copper, iron, and aluminum fractions pure enough for direct sale to smelters. Finer sorting of the input material improves the purity of the output fractions.
Why URSTAG?
URSTAG is a premium brand of recycling equipment, with over 15 years of experience. You don't just get a machine, you get a solution engineered by specialists, built from top-tier components and backed by a team that supports you from design through commissioning.
• European engineering, every machine and every complete line is designed by our engineering teams in Europe, with a focus on reliability, safety and energy efficiency.
• Premium components, we build on motors and automation from industry leaders: Siemens, Schneider Electric, ABB, WEG, SEW-Eurodrive, NORD Drivesystems and Bonfiglioli.
• Over 15 years of experience, we know how materials and machines behave in real-world operation, and we configure each solution for your flow and volume.
• New equipment, configured for you, we supply new units, made to order for your application, with complete technical documentation.
• Delivery, installation and training included, we handle transport, commissioning and operator training, with support throughout the equipment's life.
As a premium brand, URSTAG relies on European engineering, top-tier components and experience. You choose a partner that supports your production long term, with equipment built to run reliably in demanding industrial environments.
