PRAB’s beltless magnetic slide conveyors transfer wet or dry ferrous chips, stamping slugs, fine grinding fines, and parts without carryover. PRAB magnetic conveyors use permanent ceramic magnets positioned beneath a non-moving stainless-steel slider bed to grip and move ferrous material with zero external moving parts. Because there is no belt to fail, jam, or contaminate, PRAB magnetic chip conveyors deliver continuous-duty performance in the most demanding CNC machining, stamping, and grinding environments.
Every PRAB magnetic slide conveyor is backed by the Performantee® Guarantee, engineered and assembled in the USA, and designed to integrate directly with chip processing systems and Guardian coolant recycling equipment downstream.
PRAB magnetic slide conveyors operate on a simple, proven mechanism:
The magnetic field holds ferrous material firmly against the slider surface even on inclines, making PRAB magnetic conveyors suitable for elevation changes that would cause spillage on an open belt conveyor carrying fine chips or light stampings.
Built for demanding environments, PRAB magnetic conveyors are low-maintenance with:
Use a PRAB magnetic slide conveyor when:
Use a PRAB steel belt conveyor when:
For full conveyor type guidance, see How to Select the Right Metal Chip Processing System and the PRAB Conveyors hub.
A: A beltless magnetic slide conveyor uses permanent magnets on a chain running beneath a stationary stainless-steel slider bed to move ferrous material. Because the slider bed does not move, there is no belt to wear, jam, or contaminate. PRAB’s beltless magnetic chip conveyors are designed for wet, oily metalworking environments where belt-type conveyors would require frequent maintenance.
A: Permanent ceramic magnets are mounted on a chain beneath a non-moving stainless-steel slider surface. As the chain moves, the magnetic field drags ferrous chips, stampings, or parts along the slider bed toward the discharge point. At discharge, the magnets separate from the slider bed path and release the material cleanly, with no carryover.
A: PRAB magnetic conveyors handle ferrous materials only, including steel and iron chips, grinding swarf, stamping slugs, punch-outs, turnings, and small ferrous parts. For mixed-metal or non-ferrous scrap, a PRAB steel belt conveyor or oscillating conveyor is the appropriate choice.
A: Yes. PRAB beltless magnetic slide conveyors are specifically engineered for wet, oily, and contaminated metalworking scrap. The beltless design eliminates the belt contamination and slippage problems that reduce the performance of conventional belt conveyors in coolant-heavy environments.
A: Magnetic conveyors grip ferrous material through magnetic force, making them ideal for fine chips, light stampings, and applications where zero carryover is critical. Steel belt conveyors use a hinged belt and are suited for heavier, mixed-material, or non-ferrous scrap. See the comparison guide above for the full selection criteria.
A: PRAB magnetic conveyors are engineered specifically for heavy-duty metalworking environments, not light-duty parts handling. The Performantee® Guarantee provides documented performance data before shipment. PRAB’s 20-30 year design service life and 75+ years of metalworking conveyor experience represent a depth of industrial application knowledge that general-purpose conveyor manufacturers do not match.
A: Yes. Every PRAB magnetic conveyor is engineered and assembled at PRAB’s Kalamazoo, Michigan facility. For global and EU customers, PRAB provides manufacturing and service support from its facility in Poland.
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Permanent ceramic magnets (rare earth optional) | Reliable material capture; secure conveyance |
| Stainless-steel slider bed (smooth or Rigidized®) | Durable surface optimized for chip flow |
| Self-lubricating oil reservoir and quiet operation | Lower maintenance and quieter plant operations |
| Custom-engineered configurations | Fits diverse plant layouts and application needs |
| Positive discharge with no carry-over | Less material waste and cleanup |
| Heavy-duty construction | Longer service life in harsh environments |
Designed to drop into a complete automated chip processing line, the PRAB system-integrated magnetic chip conveyor connects directly to machine-side conveyors, wringers, briquetters, or chip processing systems. It handles fine chips, grinding swarf, and small stamping slugs with no carryover across the full run length.
The PRAB heavy-duty magnetic slide conveyor features a self-adjusting drive chain take-up and alloy steel bar tracks that precisely guide the chain and magnetic assemblies under heavier scrap loads. An oil reservoir in the conveyor base maintains internal lubrication without manual service intervals. This variant is specified for high-volume machining and stamping operations where throughput and continuous-duty uptime are critical.
PRAB magnetic conveyors are engineered using modular components to suit your process needs:
Standard Model — Reliable chip handling with a steel-encased UHMW low-friction track
Heavy-Duty Model — Alloy steel track and reinforced chain take-ups for heavier loads
Styles Available:
PRAB Ferrous Material – Magnetic Conveyor
PRAB’s Magnetic Conveyor transports ferrous material downstream.
PRAB Cast Iron Fittings Magnetic Conveyor
PRAB’s magnetic conveyor transports chromate coated cast iron conduit fittings.
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Product Brochures: Magnetic Conveyors
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When choosing the right conveyor to manage metal scrap, maintenance and technology should heavily influence the decision—to increase the conveyor life and reduce maintenance issues. One of these maintenance issues is belt tension. From the time of installation, the belt stretches the longer it runs, creating slack and wear issues. Typically belts also must be visually checked for wear and […]
In many manufacturing environments, metal scrap conveyors are treated as simple transport equipment. In reality, the in conveyor often determines production uptime, labor efficiency, maintenance requirements, scrap flow consistency, coolant containment, and even worker safety. As metalworking operations become more automated and production schedules become more demanding, manufacturers are reevaluating conveyor systems based on long-term reliability, integration capabilities, and total […]
A metal scrap conveyor is a system used in manufacturing to transport metal chips, turnings, swarf, and other waste for recycling or disposal. Common types include steel belt, oscillating, drag chain, magnetic, pneumatic, and specialty conveyors—each chosen based on scrap size, abrasiveness, coolant content, or temperature. These systems improve efficiency, safety, and the value of metal scrap while preventing downtime.
PRAB metal scrap conveyors are engineered for 30+ years of continuous operation—with documented installations exceeding 40 years. Systems handle up to 2,000 lb/hr of scrap and integrate seamlessly with metal chip processing and coolant recycling systems. Known for their low maintenance and durability, PRAB metal handling systems are trusted by automotive, aerospace, die-casting, CNC, and heavy manufacturing plants worldwide.
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Durable metal scrap conveyors are engineered with abrasion-resistant components, heavy-gauge steel, sealed bearings, and bolt-free flight connections.
Metal scrap conveyor durability in harsh metalworking environments is required to reduce downtime and extend lifespan. Factors like temperature resistance, magnetic properties, incline, and maintenance requirements should be considered.
PRAB incorporates AR-steel wear bars, NEMA-rated motors, and replaceable side wings in its steel belt and drag conveyors. In high-volume machining environments, these design choices have doubled belt life compared to light-duty competitor units. Documented cases show PRAB conveyors requiring 50% fewer unscheduled maintenance interventions annually.
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Conveyors integrate with metal chip processing and coolant recycling systems by automatically moving metal chips and swarf to downstream equipment such as crushers, wringers, centrifuges, or briquetters. This seamless flow allows for fluid reclamation, cleaner scrap handling, and more efficient scrap load-out.
PRAB engineers metal scrap conveyors to function as part of complete chip and fluid management cells, with built-in integration points for crushers, wringers, and fluid recycling systems. In one aerospace components facility, a full PRAB system increased scrap value by 25% and recovered more than 90% of machining fluids, saving over $120,000 annually in coolant purchases.
Metal scrap conveyors eliminate manual scrap handling, reduce forklift traffic, spill risks, and operator injuries. They improve workplace safety by keeping floors cleaner, reducing slip hazards, and improving workflow efficiency.
PRAB conveyor systems have helped facilities cut forklift scrap transport by up to 80%, reducing accident risk and freeing floor space for production. In one metal stamping plant, installation of an in-floor trough conveyor system reduced housekeeping labor by 15 hours per week, improving both safety and productivity metrics.
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Choose a metal scrap conveyor supplier that offers documented performance guarantees, preventive maintenance programs, and long-term parts availability.
Every PRAB conveyor is backed by the Performantee® Guarantee—verifying ROI through lab testing and throughput verification before shipment. PRAB also offers a Managed Maintenance Program, which, in one machining operation, reduced unplanned downtime by 40% over 18 months through scheduled inspections, OEM parts, and 24/7 technical support.
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Consider scrap size (fine chips vs bushy turnings), material (aluminium vs steel vs cast iron), coolant content (wet vs dry), and elevation/incline.
PRAB’s engineering teams conduct scrap and coolant testing before specification, ensuring conveyors meet throughput and wear requirements. In one stamping plant, a PRAB pivot belt conveyor reduced carryover delays by 35% and improved scrap evacuation speed by 28%. This data-driven selection process extends belt life and minimizes energy use.
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Rule of thumb:
A magnetic conveyor and a magnetic separator both use magnets to handle ferrous material, but they perform opposite functions. A magnetic conveyor is a material handling device that transports solid ferrous chips and parts. A magnetic separator is a fluid filtration device that pulls ferrous fines out of coolant. One moves metal. The other cleans fluid.
| Magnetic Conveyor | Magnetic Separator | |
| Primary job | Transports solid ferrous scrap | Removes ferrous fines from fluid |
| Acts on | Chips, slugs, turnings, small parts | Coolant or cutting oil |
| Category | Material handling and conveying | Fluid filtration |
| Typical position | Machine side, feeding downstream processing | In the coolant loop, often as a pre-filter |
| Output | Scrap delivered to a bin or processor | Cleaner fluid returned to the process |
The difference is what they act on. A magnetic conveyor transports solid ferrous scrap such as chips, stamping slugs, turnings, and small parts from the machine to downstream equipment or a container. A magnetic separator removes suspended ferrous fines and sludge from a fluid stream so the coolant or oil runs cleaner. A conveyor is used for material handling. A separator is fluid filtration.
A magnetic conveyor moves ferrous material cleanly and without carryover. PRAB uses a beltless slide design, with permanent magnets on a chain beneath a stationary stainless steel slider bed that grip the material and carry it to the release point, including up inclines. It is the right tool when the goal is to reliably move fine or thin ferrous scrap to a wringer, centrifuge, briquetter, or bin. See the full magnetic conveyor product page for models and configurations.
A magnetic separator removes ferrous contaminants from liquid. PRAB separators use a rotating drum fitted with ferrite or rare-earth magnets. As contaminated coolant or cutting oil flows across the drum, ferrous particles are captured and carried out of the fluid stream, and the cleaned fluid continues on. It is commonly used in grinding, honing, and gear cutting, and often runs as a pre-filter ahead of other fluid filtration equipment. PRAB ferrite models remove up to 97 percent of ferrous particles larger than 40 microns, and rare-earth models capture down to 15 microns, per PRAB published specifications.
Choose based on the problem you are solving. If solid ferrous chips are piling up at the machine and need to be moved away cleanly, you need a magnetic conveyor. If your coolant is loaded with fine ferrous particles that hurt tool life and surface finish, you need a magnetic separator. Many operations end up using both because moving the scrap and cleaning the fluid are two separate goals.
Yes, and they often work as a pair. A magnetic conveyor handles the solid scrap leaving the machine, while a magnetic separator keeps the coolant clean in the same cell. Both feed the larger goal of recovering fluid and scrap value, which is where coolant recycling systems complete the loop.
No. A magnetic conveyor is a conveying and material handling device, not a filtration device. It can help the coolant drain off the scrap as it moves, which reduces fluid carried away with the chips, but it does not filter the fluid itself. Removing particles from the fluid is the job of a magnetic separator or other fluid filtration equipment.
Both use permanent magnets, but are configured differently. A PRAB magnetic conveyor uses ceramic magnets, with rare-earth available, mounted on a moving chain under a fixed slider bed to grip and carry solid scrap. A PRAB magnetic separator uses ferrite or rare-earth magnets inside a rotating drum to attract fine particles out of flowing fluid. The conveyor holds and transports. The separator attracts and extracts.
For non-ferrous or mixed scrap that a magnet cannot hold, a steel belt conveyor is the appropriate transport choice instead of a magnetic conveyor.
Start by separating the two questions: how do I move the scrap, and how do I keep the fluid clean. For the scrap side, use PRAB’s conveyor selection tool or browse the full conveyor lineup. For the fluid side, the surest path is to test your actual coolant. PRAB offers free fluid testing for separator sizing and free materials testing for conveyor selection, so the equipment is matched to your real material rather than a generic profile.
Not sure which one fits, or whether you need both? Contact an expert at PRAB, or explore magnetic conveyors and magnetic separators to compare them side by side.
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