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Intell-I-Mag®

Intell-I-Mag® is the revolutionary next step in magnetic separation innovation and fac

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Exclusively on MPI Magnetic Separators

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

MPI-staff-Kyle-Rhodes-and-Frank-Reda-accept-IAOM-Best-of-Show-award-for-Intell-I-Mag

(Left) MPI staff exhibitors, Kyle Rhodes, Vice President – Business Development, and (right) Frank Reda, Sales Manager – Americas, are presented with Best of Show for Intell-I-Mag® featured during the Product Showcase at the 126th IAOM Annual Conference and Expo. Photo credit IAOM.

Top Reasons to Use an Intelligent Magnet:

  • Improve confidence that the magnetic separator is operating at peak performance, capturing the most difficult tramp metal in your process, including work hardened stainless steel
  • Ensure vendors are not unloading tramp metal into your facility at receiving locations
  • Increase plant processing equipment protections against tramp metal and reduce maintenance costs
  • Reduce downtime by only shutting down a line to clean a magnet when it is needed
  • Eliminate magnet degradation from overheated magnets
  • Decrease the staff hours required for maintaining magnetic separators
  • Automated quality control data collection and improve data quality 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 the magnet reaches the designated level, it notifies plant personnel of required cleaning or activates the automated self-cleaning system.
  • Oversee vendors during material unloading, resulting in earlier metal detection and reduced damage to the 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 indicators signal separator saturation:
    • Green – separator is operating at peak performance
    • Yellow – separator is near 50% saturation
    • Red – separator is 100% saturated, cannot retain additional tramp metal, and needs cleaning immediately
  • Alert limits can be set by designated personnel and password protected.

Temperature Monitoring: Intell-I-Mag-Monitor-Dials-Saturation-Level-Empty-Unloading-Dock

  • 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:

  • The 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.
    Magnet Status – Magnet Saturation Levels
    MPI's Exclusive Intell-I-Mag Controller - The Smart Magnet showing a Plate Magnet No Tramp Metal Saturation Level MPI's Exclusive Intell-I-Mag Controller - The Smart Magnet showing a Plate Magnet Medium Tramp Metal Saturation Level MPI's Exclusive Intell-I-Mag Controller - The Smart Magnet showing a Plate Magnet Full Tramp Metal Saturation Level
    Intell-I-Mag-Monitor-Saturation-Level-Empty Intell-I-Mag-Monitor-Saturation-Level-Medium Intell-I-Mag-Monitor-Saturation-Level-Full

     

    How Does Intell-I-Mag® Work?

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

    Example 1 Primary Magnet:

    • Improve plant protection from tramp metal
    • Improve vendor monitoring documentation
    • Increase receiving throughput

    Facilities monitor vendor unloading to identify 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 specific requirements, enabling the user to help improve product quality and strengthen documentation at receiving locations. If the user has a strict no metal policy when receiving product, the Intell-I-Mag® monitors captured metal in real time to ensure the unloading process can be stopped quickly.

    At other facilities, the presence of metal may be known, but the user requires it to be removed prior to the product entering the facility. In this scenario, 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 and maintain improve quality documentation with data collected by the Intell-I-Mag®. When metal is not present, the receiving process does not need to be stopped or shutdown to check the magnet, increasing throughput.

    Example 2 Secondary Magnet:

    • Reduce maintenance costs
    • Increase uptime

    Magnet-Applications3Intell-I-Mag® can also be used to protect downstream processing equipment, such as a hammer mill, airlock or mixer. To ensure proper protection of this equipment, it’s important that the magnet not become overly saturated to the point that it cannot capture more metal.

    Intell-I-Mag® empowers operators to set the level of saturation that they want to be alerted at, or to have the magnet automatically cleaned at. For a magnetic separator to protect processing equipment, the separator should not be more than 50% saturated, still allowing 50% of its power to capture more tramp metal. In this case, the user can set Intell-I-Mag® to notify them 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 saves the user from unplanned maintenance and repair costs, as well as further downstream damage, including loss of product integrity.

    If the magnet does not reach the targeted saturation level, the user may not need to shut down the system to clean the magnet. This information helps users increase uptime of their processing systems. With multiple Intell-I-Mag®s in use at control points throughout a facility, users can quickly pinpoint processing equipment that is breaking down and minimize metal contamination to good product.

    Example 3 Finishing Magnet:

    • Improve product quality
    • Improve quality documentation
    • Reduce downtime

    It’s important to document and ensure exceptional final product quality. When a facility has a good upstream metal control program in place, the largest threat to final product quality can be weakly magnetic work hardened stainless steel. Using Intell-I-Mag®, helps increase the capability of capturing otherwise difficult to target tramp metal. To do this, the Intell-I-Mag® helps ensure that the magnetic separator is always working at peak performance, quickly removing the captured metal from the product stream before it can be “washed off.”

    To operate Intell-I-Mag® successfully in a configuration like this, the controller is set to a low threshold for saturation, for example, 3%. When the Intell-I-Mag® reaches this saturation level, the user is alerted to clean the magnet. The system can also be configured to automatically cycle when it reaches this level. This configuration is ideal to ensure the finishing magnet removes the small and weakly magnetic tramp iron that is difficult to identify 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. In the event of a metal recall or report of metal in a final product, the user can be confident that either the metal does not have ferrous properties, or that the contamination is from another source outside of the facility, such as a rail car or tractor trailer. Adding Intell-I-Mag® data to customers quality reports provides another layer of confidence that the customers are receiving product without contamination.

    Another benefit of using Intell-I-Mag® at the finishing magnet is the packaging or load out system does not need to shut down for unnecessary magnet cleanings. If Intell-I-Mag® shows that no metal has been captured, the system does not need to be shut down for cleaning, resulting in higher uptime for the system.

    Learn more about magnetic applications and where magnetic separators should be placed to control metal and successfully remove 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 also be integrated with plant control system through programmable inputs and outputs.

    Magnet Status – Magnet Saturation Levels
    MPI's Exclusive Intell-I-Mag Controller - The Smart Magnet showing a Plate Magnet No Tramp Metal Saturation Level MPI's Exclusive Intell-I-Mag Controller - The Smart Magnet showing a Plate Magnet Medium Tramp Metal Saturation Level MPI's Exclusive Intell-I-Mag Controller - The Smart Magnet showing a Plate Magnet Full Tramp Metal Saturation Level
    Intell-I-Mag-Monitor-Saturation-Level-Empty Intell-I-Mag-Monitor-Saturation-Level-Medium Intell-I-Mag-Monitor-Saturation-Level-Full

    Intell-I-Mag™ Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I add Intell-I-Mag to my existing MPI magnetic separator?

    The Intell-I-Mag intelligent magnet controller is only available with new magnetic separation systems and cannot be retrofitted.

    How many Intell-I-Mag magnetic separators can one controller manage?
    Each Intell-I-Mag controller is designed to manage one magnetic separation system.

    What is the maximum distance between the controller box and magnetic separator?

    The Intell-I-Mag controller uses standard CAT5 Ethernet communication and can be located up to 1,500 feet away from the magnetic separator, if required.

    Will the Intell-I-Mag system be suitable for high pressure wash down applications?

    The Intell-I-Mag system can be rated NEMA 4X for wet applications or where high pressure wash down is required.

    Is the Intell-I-Mag system rated for hazardous locations?

    The Intell-I-Mag system can be rated for a required hazardous location.

    What is the Intell-I-Mag warranty?

    MPI extends our standard warranty on the Intell-I-Mag system.

    Can I place my order(s) now for the Intell-I-Mag intelligent magnet controller?

    Yes, MPI is now taking orders for Intell-I-Mag magnetic separation systems. Please contact MPI for a quote for your application.

     

    Intell-I-Mag Controller Options
    Feature Option
    Target Metal Fines, medium or large
    Interface 7” HMI touch screen standard, larger screens available as well as remote interface
    PLC Controller MPI standard included, Allen Bradley and Siemens available
    3 Color LED lights indicating level of metal build up Included
    Available Inputs Clean magnet
    Available Outputs Magnet Saturation %
    Last Cleaning Cycle Time
    # of Cleaning Cycles
    Temperature
    Position Confirmations
    Panel Rating NEMA 12X, NEMA 4X
    Controller / Magnet Connection Standard network cable with RJ45 Cat 5 connectors