PML
Magnetic Cross Belt Separator (Self Clean Type)
Magnetic Cross Belt Separator (Self Clean Type)
Starting from Rs.199,000
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Product Details
At a Glance
A magnetic cross belt separator (also called an overband magnetic separator) is a self-cleaning magnet suspended above a conveyor belt that continuously pulls larger ferrous tramp iron out of the material stream from a distance, without needing to replace the head pulley. PML's overband units are rated up to 2,500 Gauss for continuous operation up to 80°C, with their own motor-driven cleaning belt.
Also known as an overband magnetic separator, the PML Magnetic Cross Belt Separator is a self-cleaning solution for continuously removing ferrous contaminants from material moving on a conveyor belt below it. A powerful overhead-suspended plate magnet is housed in its own inverted mini-conveyor — tramp iron is lifted up and out of your material stream and carried away by the separator's own belt, with nothing to manually clear.
How It Works
Suspended above your main conveyor, the separator's own motor-driven belt runs continuously across the face of the magnet. Tramp iron is pulled up out of the material stream below and held to the separator's belt until it travels clear of the magnetic field, where it drops away on its own — a genuinely self-cleaning suspended magnetic conveyor, not just a static magnet that needs periodic clearing.
Medium or High Intensity
| Grade | Magnet | Strength at Distance | Best For |
| Medium-Intensity | Strontium Ferrite | 450 Gauss | Larger tramp metal from ∼200mm burden depth |
| High-Intensity | NdFeB (Rare Earth) | 700 Gauss | Bolts, nuts, angles and metal pieces from ∼300mm |
Standard Range
| Model No. | Effective Belt Width (mm) | Length (mm) | Motor | Weight (kg) |
| CPM 50 / 50F | 500 | 1722 | 2.2kW | 665–691 |
| CPM 65 / 65F | 650 | 1872 | 2.2kW | 840–936 |
| CPM 80 / 80F | 800 | 2022 | 2.2kW | 1034–1151 |
| CPM 100 / 100F | 1000 | 2222 | 2.2kW | 1370–1541 |
| CPM 120 / 120F | 1200 | 2422 | 2.2kW | 1670–1833 |
"F" suffix models are the ferrite (medium-intensity) build; standard suffix is rare-earth (high-intensity). Power supply is 440V, 3-phase, 50Hz throughout the range.
Construction
The magnetic system is CAD-optimised and stainless-steel encased for maximum flux across the material below. Drive is via a shaft-mounted worm-geared motor with IP54 protection. The separator belt itself is heavy-duty 3-ply rubber, 10.5mm thick with anti-wear rubber on both faces, vulcanised endless and running at 1.5 m/s. Bearings are sealed-for-life pillow blocks, pulleys are crowned-face mild steel with slipper-plate tensioning, and a full-length stainless steel guard protects against nip points and belt damage.
Key Advantages
- Truly Self-Cleaning
The separator's own belt continuously clears captured tramp iron — no manual intervention required.
- Built for 100% Duty Cycle
Rugged construction rated for continuous, uninterrupted operation in harsh industrial settings.
- Deep, Concentrated Field
Reaches into the burden depth to catch tramp metal other separators miss.
- Flexible Mounting
Trolley or cable suspension options, with Plummer block arrangements for simple belt alignment.
Where It's Used
Recycling, mining and minerals, food processing, steel and slag processing, ceramics and powders, wood processing, aggregate and quarrying, packaging, power stations, plastics and glass manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries. See how customers are using this equipment in foundry and recycling on our foundry & recycling page, or in mining, cement and aggregates on our mining, cement & aggregates page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a metal detector?
No — it's a magnetic separator, so it only reacts to magnetic (ferrous) materials, not non-magnetic metals like most stainless steels, aluminium or brass.
Medium or high intensity — which do I need?
Medium-intensity ferrite suits larger tramp metal from a shallower burden depth; high-intensity rare-earth reaches further into the material and catches smaller pieces from greater distances.
How is it mounted?
Trolley or cable suspension options are available, with a welded support frame and eyebolt fittings for your suspension slings.
What is the separator's own belt made from?
Heavy-duty 3-ply rubber, 10.5mm thick with anti-wear rubber on both faces, vulcanised endless and running at 1.5 m/s.
What power supply does it need?
440V, 3-phase, 50Hz across the standard range, driven by a 2.2kW shaft-mounted worm-geared motor.
Why Buy From PML
- 65+ years of magnetic separation engineering — custom-engineered separators for recycling, mining, food and steel processing lines.
- Made and tested in-house — every separator is manufactured and checked to its stated Gauss rating.
- Custom configurations — trolley/cable suspension, custom paint and belt-width options available.
- Magnetic calibration and audit services available to verify field strength over time.
Need a custom belt width or suspension configuration? Enquire now and our engineering team will size the right separator for your conveyor.
Why Magnetic Strength Drops in Ferrous Separators (and When to Replace)
Separation efficiency falls as magnetic strength decreases. Below are the most common causes of reduced field strength in NdFeB (neodymium) magnetic separation equipment, along with the warning signs that indicate a magnet or separator needs replacing.
Causes of Reduced Magnetic Strength
- Thermal demagnetization: Standard Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) grades lose magnetic strength when exposed to temperatures above their rating — often starting at 80°C / 176°F for standard grades. Exceeding these limits causes a permanent loss of magnetic flux.
- Corrosion and core oxidation: NdFeB is highly iron-rich and oxidizes quickly. If moisture, washdown liquids, or corrosive chemicals breach the outer stainless steel cladding, the magnet swells, crumbles, and loses field strength.
- Mechanical damage and internal cracking: NdFeB is brittle. Dropping magnetic tubes during cleaning, or subjecting them to heavy equipment vibration, causes internal micro-fractures that break the continuous magnetic circuit.
- Strong opposing magnetic fields: A sufficiently strong opposing field can overcome a material's coercivity and flip or randomize its magnetic domain polarity. High alternating current (AC) electric fields, in particular, create powerful local alternating magnetic fields that rapidly scramble domain alignment.
- Material buildup ("air gap" effect): Accumulated fine iron on the surface acts as a barrier, pushing the active magnetic field further away from incoming material. Because magnetic force decays exponentially with distance, even a few millimetres of buildup severely reduces capture rates.
- Increased process velocity or burden depth: Running material too fast, or in overly thick layers, prevents fine ferrous particles from spending enough time in the peak magnetic field zone to be pulled out of the flow.
Signs an NdFeB Magnet or Separator Needs Replacing
- Drop in gauss rating: Annual or semi-annual gauss testing shows a permanent drop of 10–15% or more from the baseline specification.
- Bulging or "pillow" swelling: The protective stainless steel tube cladding looks warped, swollen, or cracked — a sign of internal oxidation where rust has expanded inside the shell.
- Dead spots along the field: Measuring with a gauss meter reveals localised spots with zero or drastically lower magnetic pull across the grid or tube surface.
- Downstream metal contamination: Ferrous fines or tramp iron start showing up in final product testing or downstream machinery detectors despite the separator being clean.
- Structural casing punctures: Scratches, gouges, or pinhole leaks in the stainless steel jacket expose the internal magnetic circuit to moisture and process fluids.
Regular gauss testing (at least annually) is the most reliable way to catch strength loss before it affects downstream product purity — PML's own range of Gaussmeters and magnetic field meters covers this. If you're seeing any of the signs above, talk to our team about testing or replacing your separator.
