Removing Iron Contamination from Grain, Flour & Feed
At a Glance
Iron and tramp metal contamination removal in grain, flour and animal feed uses magnetic plates and humps at intake, magnetic grills on bulk material ducts, and magnetic drum separators for continuous high-volume conveyor flow.
Iron and tramp metal contamination in grain, flour and animal feed is removed with magnetic plates and humps at intake and gravity-fed chutes, magnetic grills for bulk material ducts, and magnetic drum separators for continuous high-volume conveyor flow. Metal fragments reaching a mill or blending line risk both a product safety recall and serious damage to rollers and grinding equipment. Below is which equipment fits which point in your process.
Why It Matters
- Product recall risk, metal fragments reaching packaged flour or feed is one of the most common causes of a food safety recall.
- Equipment damage, tramp iron reaching rollers, grinders or hammer mills causes expensive damage and unplanned downtime.
- Multiple entry points, contamination risk exists at intake, at blending, and again before packaging, so a single magnet at one point usually isn't enough.
Which Equipment Fits Your Line
Magnetic Plate and Magnetic Hump, positioned at intake, gravity-fed chutes and hoppers, or blending bins, catching tramp iron as material falls through.
Magnetic Grill / Drawer Type Magnetic Grill, for bulk material moving through ducts and hoppers, positioned directly in the flow.
Magnetic Drum Separator, for continuous, high-volume grain or feed flow on conveyors, self-cleaning so it doesn't interrupt production.
Magnetic Roller Separator, a high-intensity magnetic roller acting as the conveyor head pulley, for continuous tramp iron removal on grain and feed conveyor lines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I remove iron contamination while manufacturing flour or animal feed?
Cover intake, blending and pre-packaging points with magnetic plates, grills or humps for gravity-fed and duct flow, and a Magnetic Drum Separator for continuous conveyor volume.
Where should magnets be installed in a mill or feed plant?
At three key points: where raw material is received (intake), during blending, and again before packaging, contamination can enter at any of these stages.
What causes metal contamination in flour or feed?
Most commonly tramp metal in the original raw material or transport, and wear from milling and conveying equipment itself.
Can this handle high-volume continuous grain flow?
Yes, the Magnetic Drum Separator is self-cleaning and built for continuous conveyor throughput without stopping for manual cleaning.
Do I need a magnet or a metal detector for grain and flour?
A magnet handles ferrous (magnetic) contamination as a passive, no-power fix, while a metal detector also catches non-magnetic metals but only flags contamination already in the product. Most mills use magnets at intake and blending points, with metal detection as an additional check before packaging.
Is this suitable for animal feed as well as human food grain?
Yes, the same equipment range applies to both; the difference is typically which point in the process needs coverage, not the equipment itself.
Need to cover a specific point in your grain, flour or feed line? Enquire now and our engineering team will size the right solution.
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