Leading wet drum separator

The leading wet drum separator is more than just a magnetic impurity removal equipment. This is a precision tool that solves three problems at the same time: protects crushing and grinding plants from accidents, guarantees the purity of the final product at the level of 99.8%, and reduces downtime of production lines by an average of 37%. We have seen this at 14 plants over the past two years - from cement plants in Krasnoyarsk to processing plants in the Magadan region.

Why “leading” is not marketing, but a technical reality

The term "leading wet drum separator" is often confused with any drum magnet. In fact, it is determined by four strict parameters: the depth of the working area is at least 120 mm, the induction on the surface of the drum is ≥1.65 T, corrosion resistance at pH 2–12, the possibility of continuous operation at a load of up to 450 t/h. Only such solutions are tested according to GOST R ISO 50001 and receive TR TS 010/012 certificates.

We tested three models with the same drum diameter (1000mm) at the same ferruginous quartzite processing site. Competitors have a sharp increase in losses of useful components when the pulp moisture content is above 32%. The leading wet drum separator LONGI has stable efficiency up to 41% humidity. The reason is the special geometry of the magnetic system: 16 poles instead of the standard 12, with an inclination angle of 23° to the axis of rotation. This creates a “smooth shift” of the magnetic field, rather than a sharp jump, and particles are not ejected from the separation zone.

One more point: most manufacturers indicate “maximum productivity”, but are silent about the permissible size of the supplied material. The leading wet drum separator LONGIE operates without clogging even with fractions up to 45 mm - thanks to a reinforced pulp distributor with an adjustable feed angle and a double layer of wear-resistant steel 22X13 on the inner surface of the drum.

Where he loses his edge - and how to avoid it

Some people believe that such a separator is universal. But this is a mistake. It is not suitable for pulps with a solid phase content below 15% - at low flux density, magnetic particles do not have time to “fix” on the drum. It also does not solve the problem of separating weakly magnetic minerals (for example, hematite or ilmenite): they require high-gradient separation.

We encountered this at one copper-zinc mine: the customer demanded “one device for everything.” After two weeks of line downtime due to balls repeatedly falling into the crusher, we made an adjustment - we added preliminary dry magnetic separation with an induction of 0.8 T. Only after this the leading wet drum separator began to operate normally. Conclusion: this is the final, and not the only, stage of cleaning.

Another common mistake is ignoring the temperature regime. When the pulp is heated above 65°C, standard neodymium magnets lose up to 20% of their strength. LONGI uses NdFeB alloy with the addition of dysprosium - its temperature destabilization coefficient is 2.3 times lower. This is confirmed by tests in a climate chamber at +75°C for 72 hours.

What does exploitation really give - numbers, not promises

At the construction materials plant in Belgorod, the replacement of an outdated separator with a leading wet drum separator LONGI showed:

• reduction of equipment downtime by 28% due to the elimination of damage to crushing plates;
• reduction in energy consumption by 11% - thanks to an optimized drive with a frequency converter and reduced torque;
• increasing the service life of the drum from 18 to 42 months - due to a multi-layer coating of chromium-nickel steel and ceramic spraying;
• reduction of maintenance time from 4.5 to 1.2 hours per operation - thanks to the modular design and quick-release units.

All these data are not forecasts, but the results of three years of monitoring. We recorded every maintenance, every failure, every change in energy consumption. There are no before and afters with no measurements - just facts recorded in the CMMS.

Choice is not about price, but about compatibility

The leading wet drum separator is not purchased “from a catalogue”. It is selected for a specific pulp: its density, viscosity, pH, content of abrasive particles, temperature and feed rate. We always start with sample analysis - at least 5 samples taken at different times of the day. This is the only way to calculate the correct angle of inclination of the drum, the optimal rotation speed and the required power of the magnetic system.

LONGI Corporation is not just a supplier. This is an engineering partner. Each installation undergoes on-site adaptation: measuring pressure in the supply pipeline, checking hydraulic resistance, calibrating level sensors. Websiteljmagnet.rucontains technical data sheets, connection diagrams, installation recommendations and videos from real commissioning work - without registration and hidden sections.

The leading wet drum separator is not a part, but a reliability element of the entire line. It doesn't make the process "better". It makes it predictable.