Health & Safety
Automating scrap transfer minimizes safety risks by decreasing forklift traffic and scrap contact with operators. Access platforms with safety railings on the load-out system are standard, meeting OSHA requirements.
Low Maintenance
PRAB conveyors have the industry’s leading reputation as being dependable low-maintenance equipment with long service lives. The load-out system provides no carryover issues, and has clean transfer of scrap to containers for low maintenance.
Heavy-Duty
PRAB conveyors are built tough to withstand the harsh conditions and materials moved in the metalworking industry.
Value
Load-out systems provide even container fill and automatic level sensors for maximum fill capacity. PRAB conveyors reduce downtime by automating the scrap transfer process- maximizing machine operator production time.

In-Floor Trough Conveyors

Quiet, efficient transfer of all types of machining scrap — engineered for durability, safety, and minimal footprint.

“Our process of disposing metal scrap has become more ergonomic and safer.” — Jack Rovan, Martin-Baker
Proven to raise productivity up to 60% and improve workplace safety up to 25%.

PRAB floor conveyors provide quiet, efficient, low-profile scrap movement for machining, stamping, and die-casting operations, especially where floor space optimization is critical. Liquid-tight trough construction handles a broad range of scrap types—from bushy wads to fines and tramp metal solids—while minimizing coolant leaks and maintenance. Their modular design supports long runs and centralized scrap collection, making them integral to plant automation and throughput strategies.


Why Choose In-Floor Trough Conveyors

  • Maximize floor space – In-floor installation keeps the conveyor system out of the way while delivering heavy scrap loadout.
  • Built to last – Thick-plate steel construction, abrasion-resistant lining; many installations — including ours — remain in service for 30+ years.
  • Handle wet or dry scrap — bushy turnings, chips, fines, tramp metal; liquid-tight construction handles high volumes of coolant.
  • Low energy, low maintenance – One moving part, quiet operation, simplified servicing.
  • Plant-wide applicability – Runs up to 500 ft, in modular sections, with optional safety covers for operator protection.

Key Features At A Glance

Feature Benefit
Compatible with turnings, chips, fines, and tramp metals Handles the full spectrum of metalworking scrap efficiently
Liquid-tight construction Prevents coolant leaks, supports wet processing operations
In-floor installation Preserves overhead & floor space for production
Low power requirement Reduces energy consumption and operating cost
One moving part design Minimizes maintenance effort and downtime
Prefab trough sections (10′-20′) Simplifies installation, scales with facility needs
Overall runs up to 500′ Supports centralized scrap collection across large cells
Height × Width options (16″–36″) Flexibility to fit layout and volume requirements
Optional safety cover plates Meets safety/OSHA considerations for operator zones
  • Compatible with bushy turnings, chips, fines and tramp metals
  • Liquid-tight construction handles high volumes of cutting fluids
  • In-floor installation maximizes available plant floor space
  • Low power requirement
  • Easy maintenance – one moving part
  • Quiet operation
  • Prefabricated trough sections from 10′ to 20′
  • Ram sections available in 10′ lengths
  • Overall runs up to 500′
  • Low installation cost per foot
  • Optional safety cover plates
  • Height by width combinations range from 16″ to 36″

Performantee -The PRAB Performance Guarantee | Trough Conveyors | PRAB
In-Floor Trough Conveyors | Trough Conveyor systems | floor conveyors | PRAB

Configuration Options for Trough Conveyors

  • Free-floating Ram design (Harpoon®) – ideal for aggressive scrap loads and heavy-duty operations.

  • Guided Ram design (Push-Bar™) – uses T-rail guidance and hardened bushings for controlled movement in tight-tolerance applications.

In-Floor Trough Conveyor Ram Movement

In-Floor Trough Conveyor Ram Movement | Prab.com
Trough Configurations

Available trough configurations for the PRAB In-Floor Trough Conveyors | Prab.com

Harpoon® Conveyor

  • Free-floating ram design
  • AR liner

Push-Bar™ Conveyor

  • T-rail guided design
  • Hardened guide bushings with coiled spring spiral pins

PRAB Harpoon Conveyor

Harpoon Conveyor running moving metal turning through coolant.

To discuss your custom application

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Two machines, two different jobs. Here is how to tell them apart and when to use each.

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.

Quick Comparison

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

 


Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a magnetic conveyor and a magnetic separator?

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.

What does a magnetic conveyor do?

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.

What does a magnetic separator do?

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.

Do I need a magnetic conveyor or a magnetic separator?

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.

Can I use a magnetic conveyor and a magnetic separator together?

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.

Is a magnetic conveyor a type of filtration?

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.

What kind of magnets does each one use?

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.

Which industries use each?

  • Magnetic conveyors: CNC machining, stamping, and grinding operations that generate ferrous chips, fines, and thin scrap that must be moved without spillage.
  • Magnetic separators: centerless and heavy stock removal grinding, honing, and gear cutting, where fine ferrous particles end up suspended in coolant.

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.

How do I choose the right one for my operation?

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.

Talk Through Your Application

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.