From E-Waste to Raw Materials: Building Profitable Recycling Plants with Integrated Equipment Solutions

Why Integrated Plant Design Matters

A common mistake in the recycling industry is assembling a plant from mismatched machines purchased from different sources. The result? Bottlenecks at transfer points, inconsistent material purity, and unpredictable maintenance schedules.

A high-performance recycling plant must be engineered as a complete system from day one. Every breaking stage, separation unit, and pollution control system must be sized and positioned to handle the specific feedstock at the required throughput. This systems-first approach is what allows operators to achieve stable output quality, lower cost-per-tonne, and faster return on investment.

San Lan specializes in designing customized recycling lines that integrate breaking, separation, smelting, and environmental protection equipment into a single, cohesive workflow.

Lead Acid Battery Recycling: Recovering Lead at Industrial Scale

Used lead acid batteries (ULAB) remain one of the most recycled products in the world, but only with the right lead acid battery recycling equipment can operators capture the full value hidden inside. A complete San Lan lead acid battery recycling plant breaks and separates batteries into four distinct product streams: acid, lead paste, lead grid, and plastic.

Our lead acid battery breaking and separation systems process 1–10 MT per hour, separating PVC/PP plastic, hard rubber, lead grid, and lead paste with high efficiency. Downstream, our lead smelting rotary furnace handles 2–20 MT per batch with a lead recovery rate higher than traditional blast furnace alternatives. For paste reduction, our blast (cupola) furnace operates at up to 1800°C with a capacity of 40–100 MT per 24 hours and a lead recovery rate of 95%.

To further improve efficiency and reduce emissions, our de-sulfurization unit removes sulfur from PbSO4 in lead paste, lowering melting temperatures and decreasing SO2 output. The final refining stage uses our lead refinery kettle furnace to produce lead at 99.999% purity, available in natural gas, diesel, or energy-saving electric heated configurations.

Lithium Battery Recycling: Capturing Critical Metals

As electric vehicle adoption accelerates, the demand for lithium battery recycling plant solutions has surged. Waste lithium batteries contain valuable black mass (nickel, cobalt, graphite), copper, aluminum, and plastic — all recoverable with the correct process.

San Lan’s lithium battery recycling equipment breaks and separates waste lithium batteries at capacities of 500–2500 kg per hour. The integrated line includes discharging, pre-crushing, secondary granulation, black powder separation, and magnetic separation of iron and steel.

To ensure environmental compliance, our air pollution control system for lithium battery recycling plants absorbs and neutralizes harmful gases before emission. We also supply plastic pneumatic conveying systems and hydraulic briquetters that compress separator film into blocks with a 10:1 volume reduction ratio.

Cable and Circuit Board Recycling: Unlocking Copper and Precious Metals

Scrap cables and obsolete circuit boards represent two of the highest-margin feedstocks in the e-waste sector — provided the separation technology is precise enough.

Our cable recycling equipment strips and granulates scrap cables to separate copper and aluminum from plastic insulation. We offer both scrap cable strippers for large-diameter wire and compact cable granulators with dry separators for fine wire processing.

For printed circuit boards, our circuit board recycling equipment uses both wet and dry separation technologies. Our dry separation plants achieve copper powder purity of 96–98% with recovery rates up to 95%, while wet separation systems handle PCB waste even with components still attached. Capacities range from 300 kg/hour to 2000 kg/hour, with custom designs available up to 5000 kg/hour.

Beyond Equipment: True EPC Partnership

San Lan is more than a machine manufacturer. With a technical team led by mechanical engineering masters and professionals with over 15 years of experience in e-waste recycling machines, we deliver full EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) project services.

Trusted Worldwide

Since 2007, San Lan Technologies has built a reputation for reliability, innovation, and customer-focused service. Our recycling plants operate in 21+ countries, including Singapore, Colombia, Vietnam, Mexico, Argentina, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Tunisia, India, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, and Zambia.

Our essentially bilingual English and Chinese capabilities, combined with a strong understanding of intercultural business environments, ensure smooth communication and project execution for clients around the world.