Cheap Automatic Flotation Magnetic Separator

A cheap automatic flotation-magnetic separator is not a marketing gimmick, but a technical reality for processing plants working with fine ores and complex pulps. We have repeatedly encountered a situation: a client brings a sample of tailings after flotation - it contains 0.8–1.2% Fe₃O₄, but standard magnetic drums do not extract more than 65% of this residual magnetite. Losses of valuable components are increasing. Recycling costs too. The solution came not from the laboratory, but from the field:cheap automatic flotation magnetic separatorshowed 92–94% magnetite recovery with a pulp flow rate of up to 120 m³/h and energy consumption of only 7.5 kW.

Why is “cheap” not a synonym for “weak”?

The word “cheap” in the name causes skepticism. But in our case, this is the result of optimizing three systems simultaneously:

• Construction: modular assembly without welds in the area of contact with aggressive media - only bolted connections made of AISI 316 stainless steel;
• Automation: built-in PLC Siemens S7-1200 controls the supply of reagents, regulates the rotation speed of the magnetic drum (from 5 to 25 rpm) and adjusts the flotation chamber tilt angle - without an operator;
• Energy consumption: permanent magnets NdFeB class N52 replace electromagnets in the final separation zone - saving 40% of electricity compared to electromagnetic-based analogues.

The cost of such a solution starts from 2.8 million rubles - lower than that of imported analogues with the same parameters. At the same time, the payback period under standard conditions (processing 150 tons/day of tailings after flotation) is 11–14 months. Not due to “cheap materials”, but due to the rejection of excessive complexity.

Where do those who ignore the combined approach lose money?

Many people believe: “Flotation is flotation, magnetism is magnetism.” And they install two separate units. The result is pumping losses, foam degassing, sedimentation of particles in pipelines, and mode mismatch. We have seen three cases over the past year where, after replacing a two-stage train (flotation cell + drum separator) with a singlecheap automatic flotation magnetic separatordowntime was reduced by 37%, and the iron content in the final product was increased from 61.2% to 64.7% - without changing the original ore.

The key difference is the integration of processes in one housing: foam from the flotation chamber is sent directly to the magnetic zone through a sealed gravity tray. No air, no foaming, no oxidation. Magnetite is not “lost” in the foam cap - it immediately falls into the zone of action of the magnetic field. This is not an improvement - it is the elimination of a systemic design error.

What does it take to launch—and what is often overlooked?

The technical requirements are simple, but ignoring them is the main reason for the first failures:

• Pulp stability: input particle size - up to 0.3 mm, solid content - 25–35% by weight. When going beyond these limits, the efficiency of flotation inside the apparatus decreases;
• Reagent supply: two independent metering pumps are required (for the collector and the depressor), pressure - 0.2–0.4 MPa. We include them as standard - not as an option;
• Automation level: HMI interface in Russian, data archiving for 90 days, possibility of remote monitoring via Modbus TCP. Not a single customer requested “fewer functions” - everyone asked for “another logging channel.”

Connection diagrams, calculation of thermal loads and examples of calculation of payback for a specific ore are available on the LONGI Corporation website. There are also videos from real objects: from the Urals to the Far East.

Conclusion: “cheap” is a matter of accuracy, not price

A cheap automatic magnetic flotation separator is not “the cheapest device in the catalog.” This is a solution where every detail corresponds to the task: no reinsurance, no excess power, no unnecessary interfaces. This is the choice of an engineer who knows that 3% losses in tailings is 1200 tons of magnetite per year. And 1200 tons is not the number in the report. This is a real volume that can be returned to the cycle without a new crusher, without a new flotation shop, without increasing the area.

If your goal is to consistently produce high-quality magnetic concentrate from complex pulps, minimizing operating costs and abandoning “black boxes” with closed algorithms, this separator works. It has already been installed at 17 enterprises. And none of them brought him back.