While sometimes mixed up, there are distinctions between auto harness wire, auto shredder residue, and auto shredder residue wire, and specific equipment needed for each. A lot of people ask about suitable equipment, assuming what works for one can work for the other, but the right equipment for the right application needs careful consideration.
Auto harness wire is sourced from salvage yards, where intact wires are extracted along with other components from vehicles. This wire is relatively cleaner compared to auto shredder residue wire, which comes from auto shredder residue—material left after cars are shredded, containing shredded wire along with residual metals like aluminum, stainless steel, and other metals. Auto shredder residue wire undergoes sorting processes using automated sensors or manual pickers, but it often retains more impurities like stainless steel because of sorting limitations.
For processing auto shredder residue wire, a vertical mill or similar impact mill is ideal due to its ability to handle stainless steel and ensure effective separation. This results in lower throughput but is best suited for this application. For more details on vertical mills versus granulators, refer to our dedicated resource here.
In contrast, auto harness wire benefits from a granulator due to higher throughput capacity and the capability to produce cleaner copper. The process involves shredding the material first, then granulating it. The resulting copper strands, still long and relatively free of contaminants like brass, are separated effectively by screening. What passes through the screen is almost pure copper, almost at bare bright quality.
Auto shredder residue typically contains about 3% copper and additional aluminum, making it less suitable for conventional processing systems due to lower metal recovery rates. Auto shredder residue wire is a concentrated version of auto shredder residue. Because the presence of stainless steel in auto shredder residue wire can damage granulators, careful equipment selection is necessary.
Ultimately, choosing between a granulator for auto harness wire and a vertical mill for auto shredder residue wire depends on your operational needs. Some operations may even opt for a hybrid approach, using both types of equipment based on material characteristics and their individual requirements. While this hybrid method offers versatility, it increases costs.
For any more insight, please reach out to us with your questions.
