Today, we are going to talk about the inner mechanics of an air separation table with one of the systems we are preparing to ship for processing aluminum-copper radiators, also known as ACRs. One unique feature we implement for recycling aluminum-copper radiators is a screener before the air table.
On the air separation table is an airbox which has clean air intake through a pipe, passing through two filters—a pre-filter and a secondary filter. A powerful blower within the airbox pressurizes the bottom chamber of the air separation table, aided by baffles that deflect the incoming air. The pressurized air then blows up and hits the air deck above. The screen mesh on the air deck is about 400 microns so nothing can fall through but the air can still blow upwards. When running, the adjustable air deck moves in a very fast vertical circular motion making the heavier material jump up the table. The pressurized air flowing up from the bottom of the deck catches the lighter material which floats on an air bed above the heavier material, like two layers. This density separation then results in a distinct line where the heavier material accumulates at the front and the lighter material remains towards the back. Because the deck is adjusted to the needed angle, the lighter material will accumulate and fall off the back as new material comes down from the chute onto the deck.
It is the vertical circular action of the table that makes the heavies go up, while the deck angle and accumulation of the light fraction makes that material go down on the air separation table.
For maintenance, these decks are replaceable and can be cleaned using brake cleaner. It is essential to ensure clean air intake to minimize maintenance frequency for the side filters. Additionally, there is a provision for makeup air to balance internal pressure and prevent unwanted air leaks when operational.
For more insight or if you have any questions on how our air separation table operates, please reach out to us.
