Top 7 Dry Process PCB Recycling Equipment Suppliers in the United States

Their Star Player: The Compact Granulator with Dry Separator

AES’s most popular setup is their compact granulator paired with a dry separator, and for good reason. Let’s break it down: first, the granulator—think of it as a high-powered blender for PCBs. It starts by shredding the boards into small, uniform pieces (we’re talking 5-10mm flakes here) without melting or damaging the metals inside. Then, those flakes head to the dry separator, which uses a combo of air flow and electrostatic separation to split the metals from the plastics. The air flow blows away the lighter plastic bits, while the electrostatic charger makes the metal flakes stick to a rotating drum, separating them cleanly.

What really sells this system? It’s compact. Most recycling plants don’t have endless space, and AES designed this unit to fit into tight corners—perfect for small to mid-sized operations. Plus, it’s energy-efficient. One customer in Ohio, a scrap yard that processes about 300kg of PCBs a day, told us their electricity bill dropped by 20% after switching from a wet process system to AES’s dry granulator. “No more dealing with water tanks or sludge disposal,” they said. “Just plug it in, load the PCBs, and walk away. The metals come out 95% pure—good enough to sell directly to smelters.”

The WCBD-2000A: Power and Precision in One

Let’s start with the numbers: 500-2000kg/hour. That’s up to 48 tons of PCBs in a single day. How do they pull that off? The WCBD-2000A is a multi-stage system that starts with a heavy-duty shredder to break down large PCB sheets into manageable chunks. From there, the material moves to a granulator (similar to AES’s but beefed up for volume) that further reduces the pieces to 3-5mm flakes. Then comes the star of the show: the dry separator module.

NCR’s separator uses a triple-stage process: first, a vibratory screen to sift out any oversized pieces (no jamming here!), then air classification to remove the lightest plastics, and finally, electrostatic separation for the fine stuff. The result? Metal recovery rates of 98%—that’s nearly pure copper, gold, and silver, which means higher profits for the recycler. “We used to lose 5-8% of metals in the plastic waste with our old system,” said a plant manager at a major recycling facility in Texas that runs two WCBD-2000A lines. “With NCR’s setup, we’re reclaiming almost everything. The metals are so clean, we can sell them directly to refineries without further processing.”

Another win? The WCBD-2000A is fully automated. Operators can monitor the entire process from a touchscreen panel, adjusting settings like granulator speed or air flow with the tap of a finger. It even sends alerts to your phone if there’s a jam or maintenance needed. For large plants running 24/7, that kind of reliability is non-negotiable.

EcoDry PCB System: Where Green Meets Lean

GreenCycle’s flagship EcoDry system is all about minimizing environmental impact without sacrificing performance. Let’s start with the shredding stage: their “low-noise” shredder uses special blades that cut through PCBs quietly (we’re talking 75 decibels—about the sound of a vacuum cleaner) and with minimal dust. Then, the material moves to a “closed-loop” dry separator, which recycles the air used in the separation process, reducing energy use by 15% compared to open-air systems.

But the real standout feature? Their integrated air pollution control system. PCBs can contain harmful chemicals like brominated flame retardants, which can be released as dust during shredding. GreenCycle’s system captures that dust with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter and a carbon scrubber, ensuring nothing toxic escapes into the atmosphere. “We’re in Portland, so we have to meet some of the strictest air quality laws in the country,” says a local recycler who uses the EcoDry system. “GreenCycle’s air control setup made passing inspections a breeze. Plus, the carbon scrubber removes any odors—our employees no longer complain about that ‘burning plastic’ smell in the plant.”

And let’s not forget recovery rates. The EcoDry system uses a “triboelectric” separator, which charges the plastic and metal particles differently based on their surface properties, leading to sharper separation. GreenCycle claims metal recovery rates of 97%, and third-party tests back that up. A study by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality found that the EcoDry system recovered 96.8% of metals from PCBs, compared to 92% for a standard dry process system.

The MiniDry Series: Big Results in a Small Package

USRI’s MiniDry series is perfect for small businesses. The basic setup includes a tabletop shredder (about the size of a microwave) and a compact dry separator that fits on a rolling cart. Here’s how it works: you load whole PCBs into the shredder, which cuts them into 10-15mm pieces. Then, you pour those pieces into the separator, which uses a small fan and a static plate to separate metals and plastics. The fan blows the plastic bits into a collection bag, while the metal bits stick to the static plate, which you can then scrape off into a bin.

Is it as high-tech as NCR’s WCBD-2000A? No—but it doesn’t need to be. For a small shop processing 100kg of PCBs a week, the MiniDry gets the job done. “I used to pay a company to haul away my old PCBs,” says a tech repair shop owner in New Mexico. “Now, I process them myself with the MiniDry. The metal I collect—mostly copper and some gold—nets me about $200 a month, which covers the cost of the machine in a year. Plus, I feel good knowing I’m not contributing to e-waste.”

USRI also offers a “Starter Kit” that includes everything you need to get started: the shredder, separator, safety goggles, gloves, and even a guide to selling your recovered metals. And their customer support? Unbeatable. “I called them at 7pm on a Saturday because I couldn’t figure out why the separator wasn’t working,” the New Mexico shop owner added. “A tech walked me through it over the phone in 10 minutes. Turns out I forgot to clean the static plate—oops!”

The AI-Driven Dry Separator: Smarter Recycling

DryCycle’s claim to fame is their AI-powered dry separator, which uses machine learning to adjust separation settings in real time. Here’s the problem with traditional dry separators: different PCBs have different metal-plastic ratios. A thick computer motherboard has more copper than a thin smartphone PCB, which has more plastic. Traditional systems use fixed settings, which means they’re either over-separating (wasting energy) or under-separating (losing metals in the plastic waste).

DryCycle’s separator solves that with a built-in camera and AI software. The camera scans the PCB flakes as they enter the separator, analyzing their color, density, and size to determine the metal-plastic ratio. Then, the AI adjusts the air flow speed, static charge, and separator angle automatically to optimize recovery. “It’s like having a master recycler tweaking the knobs 24/7,” says DryCycle’s lead engineer. “We tested it against a standard separator with mixed PCBs, and the AI system recovered 3-5% more metal— that adds up to thousands of dollars a year for a mid-sized plant.”

One customer, a recycling plant in Colorado that processes 800kg of PCBs a day, saw their metal revenue increase by 12% after installing DryCycle’s AI separator. “The AI learns over time,” they explained. “The more PCBs we run through it, the better it gets at separating them. It’s like the machine gets smarter the more you use it.”

The Industrial Shredder + Dry Separator Combo

PCRE’s star system is their industrial shredder paired with a heavy-duty dry separator. The shredder features hardened steel blades that can cut through thick PCBs, metal brackets, and even small screws without dulling. “We process a lot of ‘dirty’ PCBs—old ones from factories that are covered in grease or have metal parts attached,” says a recycling plant manager in Washington. “Most shredders get jammed or the blades wear out quickly, but PCRE’s shredder just keeps going. We’ve had ours for 3 years, and we’ve only replaced the blades once.”

The separator is equally tough. It uses a large-diameter drum for electrostatic separation, which means it can handle higher volumes of material without clogging. It also has a built-in “rock trap” to catch any non-PCB debris (like screws or nails) that might sneak in, preventing damage to the system. “We once accidentally fed a small wrench into the shredder,” the plant manager laughed. “The rock trap caught it, and we just pulled it out—no harm done. That’s the kind of durability you need in this business.”

PCRE also offers custom modifications, like adding a magnetic separator to their system to pull out ferrous metals (iron, steel) before the electrostatic stage. This is handy for PCBs mixed with steel brackets, as it prevents the steel from gumming up the works. For recyclers dealing with tough, mixed e-waste, PCRE’s industrial-grade gear is worth every penny.

The ValueLine Dry System

HRM’s ValueLine system is a mid-sized setup (300-800kg/hour) that includes a granulator, a dry separator, and a dust collector—all for about 15% less than comparable systems from AES or GreenCycle. How do they keep costs down? They source components from trusted suppliers (no in-house manufacturing of every part) and focus on the essentials: reliable granulation, efficient separation, and basic automation.

Don’t let the “value” label fool you, though—the ValueLine performs. HRM’s separator uses a dual-chamber design: first, air classification to remove coarse plastics, then electrostatic separation for fine separation. Metal recovery rates average 96%, which is on par with more expensive systems. “We compared HRM’s ValueLine to three other brands before buying,” says a recycler in Iowa. “It had the same recovery rate as the top brand but cost $20,000 less. Two years later, it’s still running like new. We’re very happy with the value.”

HRM also offers flexible financing options, which is a big plus for small to mid-sized businesses. “They worked with us to spread the cost over 3 years with low interest,” the Iowa recycler added. “That made it easy to justify the investment.” For recyclers who want a solid, no-frills system without breaking the bank, HRM’s ValueLine is a smart pick.