Introduced at ISRI 2012 in April, Erie, Pa.-based Eriez’ PokerSort alleviates issues associated with the long rod-like pieces — typically over 24 inches in length — that can damage downstream equipment in automobile and other metal scrap operations.
“Pokers, as their name implies, often poke through conveyor belts, causing jams and bridging conditions that can shut down an entire facility,” says Brian Vrablic, Eriez sales engineer. “Even a few minutes of downtime can cost thousands of dollars in saleable product.” Eriez says it’s a world authority in advanced technology for magnetic, vibratory and inspection applications, and PokerSort has been awarded the 2012 Breakthrough Product award.
Using a special magnetic drum at the end of a shredder discharge belt, PokerSort separates pokers as they catapult off the end of the belt with a different trajectory than the rest of the shredded material or “frag.”
“Pokers in the frag stream is an age-old and extremely common problem in the recycling industry,” says Mike Shattuck, Eriez’ heavy industry project manager. “We listened to our customers, studied the situation and set out to develop a solution.”
