Intell-I-Mag Controller

Exclusively on MPI Magnetic Separators

The Intell-I-Mag® Controller is offered exclusively on MPI magnetic separation equipment Patent #10,543,492. The smart magnet controller is available on most MPI gravity bulk free flowing, pneumatic conveying and liquid pipeline magnets to maintain peak magnetic performance.

Intell-I-Mag Controller Flyer

Top Eight Reasons to Use a Smart Magnet:

Confidently know the magnetic separator is operating at peak performance, capturing the most difficult tramp metal in your process such as work hardened stainless steel
Ensure vendors are not unloading tramp metal into your facility at receiving locations
Increase protection and reduce maintenance costs for plant processing equipment from tramp metal
Reduce downtime, only shutting down a line to clean a magnet when needed
Eliminate magnet degradation from overheated magnets
Decrease staff hours required for maintaining magnetic separators
Increase the quality and automate the data used in your quality control documentation for internal QA programs, auditors and customers

Real Time Monitoring for Peak Magnetic Performance:

Internal sensors monitor tramp metal saturation levels and alert staff before an incident can occur. Once magnet reaches the designated level, it notifies plant personnel of required cleaning or can activate the automated self-cleaning system.
Oversee vendors during material unloading for earlier metal detection to reduce damage in production process.
Avoid challenges caused by equipment failures, inadequate magnet cleaning intervals or inaccessible equipment.

Saturation Level Indicators:

As captured metal increases and magnetic performance decreases, LED signal indicators signal separator saturation:
- Green – separator is operating at peak performance
- Yellow – separator is near 50% saturation
- Red – separator is 100% saturated and cannot retain anymore tramp metal, needs cleaning immediately
Alert limits can be set by the designated personnel and password protected.

Temperature Monitoring:

Eliminate one of the leading causes of magnetic separator degradation through real time and peak temperature data reporting

Customized Reporting for Quality Compliance Initiatives:

Data collection improves analysis of magnetic separator performance, including magnet saturation, cleaning alerts, temperature monitoring, cleaning cycles and position location.
Operators establish a higher level of metal control and create a stronger quality management plan for programs such as HACCP, ISO, BRC, IFS and SQF.

Industry 4.0 Ready – Magnet Metrics Controller:

Industry 4.0 compliant PLC controller allows for communication between controller and network for remote magnet monitoring and control

Built for the Harshest Environments:

Controllers are rated for appropriate installation environments, including liquid tight for washdown and hazardous classified locations.

Description

How Does the Intell-I-Mag® Controller Work?

The Intell-I-Mag Controller monitors tramp metal saturation levels on the working surface of the magnetic separator in real time. The magnetic separator has sensor imbedded into the separator that measure the strength of the magnetic field. These sensors report the data collected in real time to the Intell-I-Mag Controller. The controller can then be programmed to clean the separator automatically when it reaches the user designated saturation levels.

Example 1 Finishing Magnet:

The user wants to ensure final product quality. Assuming a good upstream metal control program is in place, the largest threat to final product quality can be weakly magnetic work hardened stainless steel. If the user wanted to quickly remove lightly magnetic work hardened stainless steel immediately upon capture, it could be set the Intell-I-Mag Controller to cycle at a low % of saturation, say 5%. This configuration may be ideal for a finishing magnet to remove small and weakly magnetic tramp iron that often times cannot be identified by a metal detector or X-Ray machine. Cycling the magnet quickly after capturing ensures the captured metal cannot be washed off into the product flow and end up in the final product. Magnet-Applications3

Example 2 Secondary Magnet:

The user wants to protect downstream processing equipment, such as a hammer mill, airlock or mixer. To ensure proper protection of this equipment, the magnet cannot become overly saturated to the point that it cannot capture more metal. Intell-I-Mag could be set to notify the user when the magnet is saturated 50%, giving them time to shut down the process immediately or schedule an upcoming shutdown to clean the magnet. Preventing this metal event would save the user from unplanned maintenance, repair costs and further downstream damage, including loss of product integrity. Conversely, if the magnet never reaches the targeted saturation level, the user may not need to shut down the system to clean the magnet. This would result increase uptime of the processing system.

Example 3 Primary Magnet:

The user wants to monitor vendor unloading into their facility for the presence of ferrous metal. The best way to keep metal out of the final product is to keep it from coming into the plant in the first place. The Intell-I-Mag can be set to the user’s requirements. A strict scenario might be to stop the unloading process as soon as the presence of metal is detected or a specified threshold of magnet capacity. Alternatively, metal may be known or acceptable but the user wants to ensure the metal is removed prior to entering the facility. In this scenario, the Intell-I-Mag can alert the user to stop the unloading process and clean the magnet prior to the separator reaching full metal saturation. In either scenario, the user can be confident that tramp metal has not entered the facility from a vendor.

Learn more about magnetic applications and where magnetic separators should be placed to control metal and achieve success for removing tramp metal from your product flow.

How to Use Intell-I-Mag Data?

The controller provides other reporting metrics beyond magnet saturation helpful for quality compliance initiatives. The Intell-I-Mag Controller data collection improves analysis of magnetic separator performance, including magnet saturation, cleaning alerts, temperature monitoring, cleaning cycles and position location. Operators can establish a higher level of metal control and create a stronger quality management plan for programs such as HACCP, ISO, BRC, IFS and SQF. The system can be integrated with plant control system through programmable inputs and outputs.