Ⅰ. Introduction
The components of used household appliances are aging, If they are not recycled in a standardized manner, it will cause environmental pollution and waste of resources. Recycling copper, aluminum, iron, plastic, and other materials in used household appliances can promote the reuse of these materials, reduce resource waste and the impact of waste on the environment, and also enable recyclers to unlock additional profits by selling recycled metal materials at high prices. This article will detail the specific recycling methods of one type of used household appliance – air conditioners, to help you quickly understand what equipment is needed to recycle a complete air conditioner.
Ⅱ. Composition and recyclable parts of air conditioners
First, let’s take a look at the components of an air conditioner and which parts can be recycled.
1. Composition of air conditioner
The air conditioner is mainly composed of an outdoor and indoor unit. The outdoor unit usually consists of a compressor, radiator, fan, and other auxiliary components. The indoor unit consists of an evaporator, fan, and temperature controller. In addition to the above two main components, the air conditioner has some other auxiliary components, such as a power cord, drain pipe, etc.
2. Recyclable parts
Many of these air conditioning parts have high recycling value. Here are some of the main recyclable parts:
⭐ Compressor
The air conditioning compressor is the core component of the refrigeration system and is responsible for circulating the refrigerant to facilitate heat transfer. The compressor shell is made of solid steel, and the internal copper or aluminum windings generate the necessary electricity. Generally speaking, compressors with copper winding materials have a higher recycling value, which can enable recyclers to obtain higher profits.
⭐ Radiators
The recycling value of air conditioner radiators is mainly reflected in their metal composition. Radiators are generally made of copper tubes and aluminum foil, both of which have high recycling value. Ordinary radiators contain about 50-60% copper, while higher-quality radiators can contain up to 80% copper. The higher the copper content of the radiator, the higher the profit after recycling.
⭐ Air conditioner fan
The motor and plastic blades in the air conditioner fan also have a certain recycling value. After the motor is disassembled, it is basically composed of copper coils, iron cores, and other parts. These materials are usually finely processed and manufactured, and the quality and performance are relatively stable. Among them, copper coils are one of the most important materials, with good electrical conductivity. Recycling them can obtain higher economic benefits.
⭐ Transformer
Air conditioning transformer is a critical component in the HVAC system, responsible for converting voltage to levels suitable for efficient operation of the system’s components. Typically constructed with a steel core and copper or aluminum windings, it ensures that equipment receives consistent power, and these high-value materials make the air conditioning transformer very popular in the recycling market.
⭐ Cables
Although the number of power cords in an air conditioner is small, they have a high copper content. If recyclers collect large quantities and recycle them in a unified manner, their economic benefits will be greatly improved. This accumulation of high-quality copper makes even a small amount of air conditioner power cords a profitable resource in the recycling industry.
Ⅲ. How to recycle air conditioners?
So, how can you recycle air conditioners to maximize your profits? First, you need to understand the process of recycling air conditioners. Recycling air conditioners can be divided into the following steps:
1. Collecting used air conditioners
First, you need to collect used air conditioners to obtain enough raw materials. You can collect them through various channels such as recycling stations set up by the government or enterprises, community recycling activities, etc. The air conditioners that are collected and used can be stored in a centralized manner to prepare for subsequent disassembly and processing.
2. Disassembling old air conditioners
Disassembly is one of the key steps in air conditioner recycling. The old air conditioner needs to be disassembled and separated into various components. Usually, the air conditioner includes multiple components such as a compressor, radiator, circuit board, etc., which need to be disassembled one by one.
3. Sorting of used air conditioning parts
After the disassembly, the separated parts need to be classified and processed. Usually, metal parts, plastic parts, electronic components, etc. are stored separately for subsequent processing and reuse. The sorting process requires carefulness and caution to ensure that each part is properly processed.
4. Processing of waste air conditioner parts
Processing of waste air conditioner parts is an important part of the air conditioner recycling process. Different air conditioner parts have different materials and structures, so the ways to recycle them are also different. BSGH Granulator has focused on the research, development, and manufacturing of various metal recycling machines for many years, and has launched many excellent and powerful recycling machines for compressors, motors, radiators, transformers, and cables, which can help you efficiently recycle every part of the waste air conditioner. Using our professional equipment can not only greatly improve your production efficiency, but also maximize the extraction of almost all valuable materials from waste air conditioners, with a recycling rate of 99.99%. Next, we will introduce you to the specific recycling steps and methods of each air conditioner component in combination with our machines.
Compressor and air conditioning motor
The compressor stator contains valuable copper windings, but in order to quickly extract these copper windings and maintain their quality, the first step is to remove the compressor casing. Compressor casing is usually made of thick steel, this strong steel shell can withstand high pressure, and only special equipment can effectively remove it. BSGH Granulator has two main machines for cutting compressor casings: plasma compressor case cutter and BSCC compressor cutting machine.
√ Plasma compressor case cutter
Plasma compressor case cutter is used to cut compressors with lengths ranging from 15 cm to 55 cm and outer diameters ranging from 12 cm to 26 cm, mainly through plasma cutting. This machine can work in a completely closed environment, keeping the operator’s hands away from the gun head, and providing high safety. In addition, it uses intelligent CNC and servo motors to detect and control arc voltage, which can automatically fine-tune the distance between the gun head and the compressor and can stop immediately after the compressor is cut, without causing waste.
√ BSCC compressor cutting machine
BSCC compressor cutting machine is used to cut the shell of waste compressors. It can process compressors with a length of more than 15 cm and an outer diameter of 12 to 26 cm. It is very suitable for recycling waste compressors in air conditioners. When using this machine, place the compressor on the rotating platform of the machine, the machine will drive the compressor to rotate continuously, and then four sharp and sturdy blades made of high hardness and high wear resistance steel will cut the compressor, and finally achieve the purpose of removing the compressor shell.
After removing the compressor casing, you can first cut one end of the copper winding inside the stator, and then grab the copper winding intact (you can also do the same recycling operation for air conditioner motors). BSGH Granulator has designed a variety of motor recycling machines to help you effectively extract all the copper windings in compressors and motor stators. Among them, the following 6 models have become our best-selling models due to their wide processing range and stable performance:
√ BSM-10 Electric Motor Recycling Machine
The BSM-10 electric motor recycling machine is a highly efficient and versatile waste motor stator recycling machine, designed for processing waste motor stators of various diameters. It can help you easily cut the waste motor stator and take out the copper winding. The BSM-10 electric motor recycling machine has 1 cutter and 3 pulling parts, which can process stators with diameters ranging from 50-500mm.
√ BSM-20 Motor Stator Recycling Machine
The BSM-20 motor stator recycling machine integrates cutting and pulling functions and is used to recycle the copper windings in the motor stator. The machine consists of 1 cutter and 2 pulling parts, it can handle a variety of small motor stators with a diameter of less than 180mm. The cutting system adopts a hydraulic system, and the materials of the blade and claws are selected from high-quality alloy manganese steel so that the machine can maintain excellent cutting effect and stable pulling performance for a long time.
√ BSM-40 Electric Motor Recycler
BSM-40 has 1 cutting part and 3 pulling parts, which can easily process motor stators with diameters ranging from 50mm to 500mm. This model is an upgraded version of BSM-10, adopting a dual-flow pump design and equipped with a higher-power pure copper motor, which enables the hydraulic clamp to work simultaneously with any of the 8-claw, 12-claw, or cutting part, making the motor recycling process faster and more efficient.
√ BSM-60 Electric Motor Recycling Machine
The BSM-60 electric motor recycling machine is equipped with a hydraulic stator cutting system and a copper pulling system, which can automatically process waste motors with diameters from 40mm to 120mm, including compressors, water pump motors, industrial motors, etc. Compared with other motor recycling machines, BSM-60 electric motor recycling machine is more convenient and is the only model on the market that does not require the baffle to be adjusted according to the stator diameter, which can greatly improve your recycling efficiency.
√ ST-400 Motor Stator Cutting And Pulling Machine
If you need a machine that combines all the functions from cutting the motor casing to pulling out the copper winding, then our ST-400 is perfect for you. It is equipped with a flat knife, a sharp knife, and a pulling part, and can handle motor stators with a diameter range of 90~250mm. When using it, you can first cut the motor casing with the flat knife, then use the sharp knife to cut the motor stator in half, and finally use the pulling part to separate all the copper windings.
√ BSM-100 electric motor recycling machine
BSM-100 electric motor recycling machine is specially designed by BSGH Granulator for recycling small motors of 40mm~200mm. The grasping part and the pulling platform cooperate to pull out copper. The grasping part first tightly grasps the copper winding, and then the pulling platform rises and pushes the motor stator upward, finally separating the stator and the copper winding. BSM-100 is very efficient, it only takes 20~30 seconds to process a motor stator. Its jaws are made of high-quality steel and are not easy to damage, ensuring that the recycling process is fast and stable.
Radiator
Air conditioning radiators are mainly made of aluminum foil wrapped around a copper tube, so their recycling method is not difficult. You only need to peel off the outer layer of aluminum to greatly increase the value of the material. BSGH Granulator’s radiator recycling machine can quickly and accurately separate the copper tube and aluminum foil, achieving dual recycling of copper and aluminum, bringing you double profits.
√ BS-1200P radiator stripping machine
BSGH Granulator is the first company in the world to develop a radiator recycling machine, and our machine is CE-certified. BS-1200P radiator recycling machine can directly process 1~2 layers of radiators, suitable for flat and non-bent waste radiators of air conditioners, car radiators, or water tank radiators. The center distance of the copper tube is 19mm, 21mm, and 25mm respectively. In addition, the BS-1200P radiator recycling machine has stable performance and high processing efficiency and can process about 3T radiators per day.
√ BS-1200S Radiator Separator Machine
BS-1200S radiator recycling machine is an innovative upgrade based on BS-1200P. Compared with BS-1200P, BS-1200S radiator recycling machine has a wider processing range, and can process copper tubes with center distances of 17.5mm, 19mm, 21mm, 22mm, and 25mm (we support customization); the processing efficiency is higher, and it can process about 4T radiators per day. It can also directly process 1~2 layers of flat, regular, and non-bent radiators. If you need to process multiple layers of radiators, you can first use a band saw to cut them into 1~2 layers, and then put them into the radiator recycling machine.
√ BS-ACP1000 Radiator recycling plant
If you have stored a lot of radiators, you can choose our BS-ACP1000 radiator recycling plant to process these radiators faster. BS-ACP1000 radiator recycling plant is BSGH Granulator’s largest radiator recycling machine, with more powerful performance, more durability, and stronger processing capacity. It is suitable for processing various air-conditioning radiators, car radiators, and water tank radiators, whether flat, curved, or multi-layered, and the operation is very convenient. And radiators do not need pre-treatment, they can be directly recycled with BS-ACP1000, saving a lot of labor and production costs.
Cables
There are two main ways to recycle waste cables on the market: wire stripping machine and copper granulator. The power cord of air conditioner has a smaller diameter and is more suitable for processing with copper granulators. The copper granulator can first crush the air conditioner cables into 3~5mm copper and plastic mixed particles, and then use advanced airflow sorting technology and vibration separation technology to separate the mixed particles into 100% pure copper particles and plastic particles. Considering the different quantities of raw materials and business scales of customers, BSGH Granulator has specially designed three types of copper granulators: large, medium, and small, to help all recyclers efficiently recycle waste cables.
Small copper granulator
√ BS-D10 Copper Wire Shredder Machine
BS-D10 copper wire shredder machine is a high-performance machine that can process 100kg of waste wires per hour. It can process various wires, such as household appliance wires, automotive wiring harness wires, communication wires, etc. BS-D10 copper wire shredder machine is small in size, easy to operate, and has stable performance. You can use this machine to get higher quality copper and make more profits.
√ BS-D75 Copper Granulator Machine
BS-D75 is a popular small copper granulator from BSGH Granulator, with high cost performance. With a capacity of about 70KG/H, simple structure, and small footprint, it is an ideal choice for various small recycling stations and individual recyclers. It is not only small in size and cheap, but also has the same excellent and stable performance as large and medium-sized copper granulators. The recycled copper is 100% pure copper with high quality and no impurities. If your recycling business is mainly to recycle waste air conditioners, then it is very suitable to use BS-D75 to process the air conditioner power cords you have accumulated for a long time.
Medium-sized Copper Wire Granulator
√ BS-D65 Copper Wire Granulator
BS-D65 Copper Wire Granulator is a medium-sized machine produced by our company with a capacity of about 300-500kg/h. It is equipped with an electrostatic separator and has a good effect of recycling very thin wires. This innovative machine not only solves the problem of large floor space but also increases the copper recovery rate to 99.99%, helping you to get more profits.
√ BS-N125 copper recycling machine
BS-N125 copper recycling machine can efficiently process 300-500KG of waste cables per hour. It belongs to the N series high-end machines of BSGH Granulator and represents our company’s most advanced technology and the best quality machines. Its recycling rate is 2% higher than other copper recycling machines on the market, which can help you get more copper from waste wires.
Large cable recycling machine
√ BS-N130 Cable Shredder Machine
BS-N130 cable shredder machine also belongs to our N series machines. It is based on the BS-N125 and adds a high-quality pre-shredder to achieve higher recycling efficiency. This machine has different processing capacities when processing different waste cables. For high-quality, high-copper wires such as air-conditioning power cords, it can reach a processing capacity of 400kg/h~800kg/h.
√ ECO1000 cable granulator
ECO1000 is a high-performance large copper granulator from BSGH Granulator. It is equipped with a large crusher and two separators, with a processing capacity of about 1t/h, and can recycle various waste copper wires, aluminum wires, fuses, and small transformers. ECO1000 is the most cost-effective large copper granulator. It combines stable performance and reasonable price and can bring you high profits while minimizing your operating costs. If you need to process a large number of other types of wires in addition to air conditioner power cords, this machine will become your most reliable partner with its high processing efficiency and long service life.
Of course, the above 6 copper granulators are just listed for your reference. We have dozens of different copper granulators. If you have other needs, want to know more models, or don’t know how to choose the most suitable machine, you can contact us at 0086 13772508206, and we will provide you with a perfect solution.
Transformer
We have a machine specifically designed for recycling transformers: Transformer Motor Stator Cutting and Pulling Machine. This machine combines cutting and copper-pulling functions in one and is suitable for recycling various small waste transformers. It is easy to operate, you only need to put the transformer under the cutting knife, control the blade to cut the transformer in half, and then use the hydraulic claw to easily pull out the copper winding inside.
5. Handling of Hazardous Substances
Refrigerant treatment: The refrigerant in the air conditioner is hazardous waste and needs to be handled by a professional recycling agency. Before recycling, you can contact a professional recycling agency to learn about the refrigerant treatment methods and related costs to ensure that the refrigerant is properly handled.
Environmentally friendly destruction: For some parts that cannot be recycled and have environmental pollution risks, it is necessary to use professional technical means by relevant regulations to safely handle the hazardous substances in them to ensure that they will not cause harm to the environment.
6. Sales
You can sell the metals and plastics obtained from recycling old air conditioners to recycling resource processing companies, smelting companies, industrial raw material suppliers, etc., to obtain considerable profits. You can also establish a stable cooperative relationship with these companies to ensure stable sales.
Ⅳ. Conclusion
The above steps are the complete process of recycling air conditioners. Through BSGH Granulator‘s copper recycling machines, you can completely recycle the valuable parts contained in the air conditioner, helping you earn more profits. If you have any needs, you can contact us at 0086 13772508206. We will have a professional team to serve you and help you solve various problems in the recycling process.
