Mechanical depopulation of PC Boards

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If you have large quantities of boards and you want to depopulate them, I would suggest you go for one of these Pcb dismantling machines. We use one in our plant. We can do 250 kgs per hour . The solder and mlccs get collected underneath the machine in a tray. You can recover both by simply heating the collected mixture in a tin pot. The solder will melt and all the mlccs will float over the top. You can simply scrape them while the solder is melted. For the larger components they get collected in the front tray. You can either sort them manually or use a classifier which is provided by the same company or you can simply manufacture one. you will also need a scrubber for the fumes! Our pcb dismantling machine runs on lpg/propane

If you need any other clarification please feel free to ask.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAFTYjlGTtg[/youtube]
 
First of all I don't think there is a lot more I can add to what Jon & Nick have posted as they have done a real good job of addressing your questions at this point --- However I did catch this one question that has gone unanswered

snoman701 said:
Do the pilot plants not exist for running smaller loads?
Click to expand...

There are two companies that I am aware of here in the U.S. that do run smaller loads - one is Advanced Chemical in Warwick RI the other is Enviro-Chem in Rogers MN

Enviro-Chem I have done business with sending them loads between 500 pounds to 2,000 pounds & my returns (though always better then selling the boards out right) have been mixed results - meaning some loads came back with results I was very happy with (much better return then selling out right) some came back with good results - a "tad" under expected but not enough under to cry about (as I may have been a bit over optimistic) & a couple that I was disappointed with because though they came back better then selling out right it wasn't by much - however - in all fairness - that may well have been the result of my sending some rather low grade stuff in with the loads that would have been better left out

Enviro- Chem sheds - incinerates - smelts & then assays the smelt results - they pay on the copper, silver, palladium & gold - their process fees are 90 cents a pound for a load 1,000 pounds & over & $1.10 a pound for loads under 1,000 pounds (I think - its been awhile since I sent a load in under 1,000) they do not allow for witnessing nor do they provide samples for assay other then their own assay

Advanced Chemical I have not done business with but I talked with them a few years ago so can't remember much as far as processing fees, batch size &/or payout rates & can't really comment on their services - however - based on their web site they provide a much better costumer relations then Enviro-Chem in that they allow you to witness your lot processing & they provide samples of your lot for independent assay (you can assay - or assay by independent lab) as well as an umpire sample in the event your assay & their assay are off by enough to justify umpire assay

Enviro-Chem web site :arrow: http://enviro-chemmn.com/

Advanced Chemical web site :arrow: http://advchem.com/index.php --- at the top of the home page you will see a link (button) for "videos" --- watch the one about "incineration" (as well as the others) the incineration video gives a good over view of their process from material in the door to settlement

As far as selling boards out right there are two companies I have done business with (other then boardsort)

Dynamic Recycling & IRT (Integrated Recycling Technologies) Dynamic is a LARGE volume handler of electronic scape - & - as well electronics that qualify for resale (this can be components like say certain RAM, CPUs hard drives etc. or whole units like lap tops, monitors etc.)

Because Dynamic is a LARGE volume handler they have minimums you have to meet in order to get their "full payout" listed pricing - but if you can meet their minimums they are the best paying company I have found for "most" stuff --- I say most stuff because there was some stuff that IRT paid a bit better for & IRT "used to" pick up in my area where as Dynamic you had to deliver to - so I would play the two companies according to the best pay out --- then IRT quite doing pick up in my area so as long as I have to deliver it all goes to Dynamic as the price difference doesn't any longer justify doing two different deliveries

Dynamic web site :arrow: http://dynamicrecycling.com/

IRT web site :arrow: http://www.irtmn.com/IRT/index.html

Personally - I (like Jon & some others here) have gotten away from processing E-waste "other then" very high grade stuff & it has to come to me ready for processing & it has to be in volume to be worth while - I rarely process anything that requires time to get it the point of processing - It has to be REALLY high grade before I will put time into getting it to the processing stage --- other wise it gets sold to a buyer &/or sent for processing

Hope that helped

Kurt
 
That's actually a lot cheaper than I was expecting, in terms of not only processing costs....but minimum load sizes. As in, it's almost to the point of making it viable to buy, cherry pick, resell the pickings that sell for more than actual value, then send the boards off to be recycled. I didn't realize that it was available in such "small processes".

So what is an expected minimum load size for the "big guys"?
 
Kurt it is somewhat different in Europe. Many refineries will take a 22,000 pound load and offer their best terms. However that is in the same order of magnitude as the 40,000 pounds you mentioned.

Edit: To put some perspective to this, a 22,000 pound load of board material is a complete 40 ft truck load with 24 x 6 ft packed stillages, and carries a cost in the region of $50,000 for a cross section of grades of boards (as an average.) Add in high grade telecoms or RAM into that mix and your outlay can be in the region of $100,000 to $150,000 per load.
 
Now this really was an awesome thread, great to see some numbers showing the scope refineries are taking loads in :)

I am going to bump it up because one thing is missing - some particular info on refineries in the old world that offer to run smaller loads....

So how about it guys? Anyone "in the know" kind enough to share their knowledge? Are there similar refineries to "Advanced Chemical" or "Enviro-Chem" in Europe? Willing to take in loads around 250-1000 kg?

-Artūrs
 
snoman701 said:
Jon,

Thanks for the response. You actually sound like you have just the knowledge I'm seeking.

On a commercial scale, how are boards depopulated?

Any recommendations for understanding the commercial process of recycling say, "a motherboard".

By not interested in the PM's...I mean simply, I don't have the gold bug. I just have a very strange interest in the process, and would ultimately like to work within the field if I can find a niche.

Thanks again,

-Jacob
Click to expand...
The Asian continent has a great many industrial centers that take apart boards for the components that are especially valuable. A lot of times they are the only way to obtain certain proprietary components, lots of chips hold great value in use. Lots of striped boards become donor boards so you can get your iPhone fixed after you drop it in a urinal and apple tells you to kick rocks. Grinding up everything and pyrolysis on everything is just leaving money on the table. I don’t like doing that. I like money.
 
Anachronism, left the forum of his free will years ago. He is doing well, but is quite busy, according to him self.
 
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Anachronism, left the forum of his free will years ago. He is doing well, but is quite busy, according to him self.


i know (and i agree)- spoke with him myself tried to talk him into returning - he is so busy right now he can't see right, left, up or down
 

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