The South African project is a fully integrated electronic waste recycling solution that combines PCB dismantling, motherboard crushing & separation, and precious metal stripping & refining into one continuous production system. The entire line is designed to help the customer maximize the recovery of metals from waste PCBs while meeting South Africa’s environmental and operational standards.

1.Project Background

The customer is a fast-growing recycling enterprise focusing on processing:

• Waste PCBs from computers, home appliances, telecom equipment
• Dismantled electronic components (MLCC, BGA, ICs, connectors)
• Mixed gold-plated scraps from electroplating factories
• Precious metal-bearing chips and anode mud

Their core demands included:

• High processing capacity
• Full-line automation to reduce manual labor
• High metal recovery purity—especially for gold, silver, palladium and copper
• Stable operation in hot climates
• Compliance with South African dust and emission regulations

To meet these requirements, we delivered a complete PCB recycling and precious metal refining plant, enabling the customer to recycle → separate → strip → refine in one facility.

2.On-Site Equipment Configuration

(1) PCB Dismantling Machine
The first stage of the plant performs component removal from PCB boards.

• Uniform high-temperature solder melting
• Components fall off automatically without manual force
• Suitable for all PCB sizes and thicknesses
• Fume extraction and filtering ensure clean workshop air

Recovered components such as MLCC, ICs, crystal oscillators, and connectors are collected for further processing in the precious metal plant.

(2) Motherboard Crushing & Separating Line

After dismantling, the bare PCBs enter the crushing and separation section.

Primary Shredding

• Heavy-duty slow-speed shredder
• Handles full-size boards and thick CCL sheets
• Minimizes dust and preserves copper integrity

Fine Crushing

• Multi-stage crushing and milling
• Final size 20–40 mesh for optimal separation
• Wear-resistant alloy blades suitable for long-term operation

Airflow Gravity Separation

• Separates resin-fiber powder from heavy metal mixture
• Adjustable airflow for different PCB types

Electrostatic Separation

• Recovers fine copper powder and aluminum particles
• Final metal purity ≥ 98%
• Low energy consumption and stable 24-hour operation

(3) Precious Metals Separating & Refining Plant

This section processes gold-plated parts, chip components, and anode mud.

Gold Stripping System

• Safe, non-cyanide chemical process
• Fast separation of gold from electronic components
• High stripping efficiency with low reagent consumption

Silver, Palladium, and Platinum Recovery

• Multi-step chemical refinement
• Impurity removal filtration
• Precipitation → drying → melting into bullion

Final Refining

• Achieves high purity precious metals:
• Gold: 99.99%
• Silver: 99.95%
• Palladium: 99%+

3. On-Site Operation Results

The integrated system has been successfully installed and commissioned, showing:

• High processing capacity with continuous flow from dismantling to refining
• Stable output and low power consumption
• Clean and dust-free workshop due to full negative-pressure air system
• Significant increase in precious metal recovery value
• Only 4–5 operators needed per shift
• Equipment performs reliably under South Africa’s hot climate

The customer especially praised the high purity of gold recovery and the durability of the crushers and refiners.

4. Customer Benefits

Technical Advantages

• Full automated workflow from PCB to metal ingot
• High metal separation accuracy
• Modular equipment for future expansion

Economic Benefits

• High recovery rate of copper and precious metals
• Short payback period
• Higher selling value due to cleaner, more purified metals

Environmental & Safety Benefits

• Dust-free and fume-free workplace
• No wastewater discharge
• Compliant with South African recycling standards