Product Details
Iron is one of the most abundant materials in industrial machinery, which means most processed products pick up some level of iron contamination simply from the equipment that handles them. In food processing, permissible contamination levels are governed by BIS and other international standards — and individual devices like drums, pulleys, grills or plates, deployed in isolation, often can't bring contamination down far enough on their own. The PML Iron Filing Removal (IFR) Machine combines several of these technologies into one engineered system to solve that.
Built for Tea Processing
This system is engineered specifically to remove iron from tea, installed between the tea storage area and the blending station. It processes up to 4,500 kg of tea per hour, bringing contamination down to no more than 30 ppm of pure iron, or 400 ppm of iron mixed with tea. Actual output quality depends on input quality, flow rate, contamination particle size and the specific magnetic systems configured — we work with you to calculate a cleaning ratio that measures the system's real-world efficiency for your product.
How the System Works
Tea is fed from 35 kg bags into an input bin at ground level. A vacuum feeding system carries it up to a hopper, from where it's released onto a series of magnetic drum separators. As tea passes over each drum, iron particles adhere to the drum's surface under the internal magnet's field and are separated into collection trays, while cleaned tea continues to the next stage. The full installation occupies roughly 15 square metres of floor space and stands about 5.5 metres tall, comprising an input bin, vacuum feeding system, magnetic drum separators, geared motor drive and control panel.
Note: this system is engineered for free-flowing dry products like tea and is not suitable for materials with high viscosity or large particle sizes by volume or weight.
Key Advantages
- Down to 30 PPM
A comprehensive multi-stage system that achieves iron removal levels a single device typically can't reach alone.
- PLC-Controlled
Flexible flow rates and enhanced safety features, with production capacity scalable from 3.5 to 4.5 tonnes per hour.
- Three-Drum Design
Combined with a magnetic grill stage, the three-drum separator configuration takes input contamination from 400 ppm down to as low as 30 ppm output.
- Purpose-Engineered
Built and configured around your specific product and throughput, not a one-size-fits-all unit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this only for tea?
The standard system is engineered specifically for tea processing, but the same multi-stage magnetic drum and grill approach can be adapted for other dry, free-flowing products — talk to our engineering team about your material.
What throughput can it handle?
Up to 4,500 kg per hour, with capacity scalable from 3.5 to 4.5 tonnes per hour depending on configuration.
What contamination level can I expect?
Under standard conditions, the system brings iron contamination down to 30 ppm pure iron or 400 ppm iron mixed with product — actual results depend on your input quality and material characteristics, which is why we calculate a cleaning ratio specific to your process.
Why Buy From PML
- 65+ years of magnetic separation engineering — combining drum separators, grills and control systems into complete, engineered solutions.
- Built and tested in-house — every system is engineered and validated against your product before installation.
- Proven in production — PML IFR systems are in service at major tea processing operations.
- Ongoing support — magnetic calibration and audit services available after installation.
Processing a different product and need contamination levels this low? Enquire now and our engineering team will assess your process.