Applicable Materials: Prepared aluminum beverage cans, used beverage cans, tinplate cans, steel cans, flattened can scrap, light-gauge metal packaging and selected thin metal containers. Sealed, pressurized, flammable or contaminated containers require separate preparation before processing.
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The can crusher is a high-speed hammer crushing machine used to reduce prepared aluminum cans, used beverage cans, tinplate cans and other suitable light-gauge metal containers into smaller, screen-controlled pieces for conveying, sorting, storage and recycling.
Loose cans, flattened cans and prepared light metal containers may be fed directly into a suitable crusher. Dense can bales, tightly compressed packaging scrap or bulky mixed material may first require bale opening or primary processing by a twin shaft shredder.
A high-speed rotor drives the hammers to repeatedly impact, deform and break the cans inside the crushing chamber. The hammers, liner plates and screen grate work together to reduce the material, while the selected screen opening helps control the discharge size.
Aluminum cans and steel or tinplate cans require different recovery processes. After crushing, a magnetic separator can recover steel cans, iron pull tabs and other ferrous components from the processed material.
After ferrous metal removal and suitable material preparation, an eddy current separator may be used to recover aluminum and other conductive non-ferrous metals from an appropriate non-metallic material stream. It does not normally separate different non-ferrous metals into individual high-purity products.
A can flattening machine may be used before crushing when the primary objective is to reduce the volume of loose cans and improve feeding, storage or transportation. Flattening and hammer crushing are different processing methods and should be selected according to the required output.
The can crusher can operate as an individual machine or form part of an aluminum recycling line with controlled feeding, magnetic separation, optional screening, non-ferrous sorting, airflow separation and dust collection.
The final equipment configuration depends on the can material, loose or baled condition, contamination level, required capacity, expected output size and downstream recycling process.
The can crusher is used when loose, flattened or otherwise prepared cans require further impact crushing and a smaller discharge condition. The feed opening, can type, contamination and required output should be confirmed before selecting the rotor, hammers and screen.
Flattening reduces the volume of loose cans. Coarse shredding opens dense bales or interlocked packages. Hammer crushing further reduces prepared material and can use a screen to control the maximum discharge condition. These stages should be selected from the incoming form and downstream requirement, not installed automatically as one fixed sequence.
Aluminum beverage cans and tinplate steel cans should be identified separately. When both occur in the feed, magnetic separation can remove sufficiently exposed ferrous cans or fragments after suitable processing. Paint, labels, plastic, moisture and residual contents can affect housekeeping and downstream product quality.
Screen opening, can compaction, rotor speed, hammer arrangement, feed rate and recirculation affect output. A smaller screen may improve size control but reduce throughput and increase wear. Fixed capacity or product purity should not be promised without representative material testing.
Cans and light metal containers should be inspected before crushing. Sealed containers, aerosol cans, pressurized cans, flammable residues, batteries and other hazardous materials must be removed or prepared separately.
The material should be identified as aluminum, tinplate, steel or mixed packaging scrap because the downstream separation process depends on the metal composition.
Loose or prepared cans are transferred into the crushing chamber by a conveyor or suitable feeding device. Flattening may be added when loose cans need volume reduction or more stable feeding before crushing.
Dense can bales or tightly compressed material may require bale opening or primary shredding before entering the hammer crusher.
A high-speed rotor drives the hammers to repeatedly impact, deform and break the cans inside the crushing chamber. Friction and compression between the hammers, liner plates and screen grate further reduce the material.
Material that meets the selected screen opening is discharged from the crusher, while oversized pieces remain inside for further crushing. The actual output depends on the can material, feeding condition, hammer arrangement and screen opening.
After crushing, magnetic separation can recover steel cans, tinplate fractions, iron pull tabs and other ferrous components. Aluminum and non-magnetic material continue to the next processing stage.
After ferrous metal removal, screening and suitable material preparation, eddy current separation may be used to recover aluminum from appropriate non-conductive residues.
Airflow sorting can be considered when the processed material contains labels, plastic film, paper, foam or other lightweight impurities.
Dust collection can be configured around the crushing chamber, conveyor transfer points and separation equipment according to the contamination level and site requirements. Processed materials are transferred to separate collection areas according to the selected sorting process.
The can crusher uses a high-speed rotor and hammer system to crush aluminum cans, tinplate cans, beverage cans and other lightweight metal containers into smaller fragments.
The machine can process used aluminum cans, beer cans, beverage cans, tinplate cans and similar thin metal containers. It is suitable for recycling stations, metal recycling yards and can recycling lines.
The bottom screen grate can be selected according to the required output size. Different screen openings are available for different recycling and sorting requirements.
When processing mixed cans or tinplate cans, the crushed material can pass through a magnetic separator to separate ferrous materials such as steel and iron.
For aluminum can recycling, an eddy current separator can be installed after magnetic separation. It helps separate aluminum from non-metallic materials and other impurities according to the material condition.
A dust collector or cyclone separation system can be configured according to the site layout and material condition. It helps collect dust and fine particles generated during crushing and conveying.
The machine has a compact structure and can be connected to conveyors, separators and control systems. Wear parts such as hammers, liners and screen grates can be inspected and replaced based on actual use.
The crushing line can be customized according to the can type, required capacity, output size and site layout. Available customization options include:
Feed opening size
Motor power
Hammer configuration
Screen opening
Conveyor layout
Separator configuration
Control system
Parameter description diagram for Can Crusher | Aluminum Can Crushing Machine for Recycling | Haoxing Machinery:
Note: Specifications are for reference only. Actual capacity depends on can type, feeding method, material moisture, screen opening, output size requirement and production line configuration.
Custom configurations are available according to material condition, required capacity, site layout and sorting requirements. The can crusher can work with feeding conveyor, discharge conveyor, magnetic separator, optional eddy current separator, optional air cyclone separation system, pulse dust collector and electric control cabinet.
Used aluminum can recycling
Beverage and beer can crushing
Tinplate can recycling
Aluminum can recycling lines
Can manufacturing scrap recovery
Scrap metal recycling yards
Lightweight metal container crushing
Aluminum and steel can sorting lines
Can material preparation for downstream separation and recycling
Find common questions about scrap metal crushers, shredders, recycling lines, equipment selection, capacity configuration and operation requirements.
Regular maintenance includes checking blades or rollers, bearings, belts, fasteners, lubrication points, screen or discharge parts, and electrical components. Stable feeding and timely replacement of worn parts can help reduce downtime and keep the can crusher running efficiently.
Yes. Aluminum cans and iron cans can be processed together if the machine configuration is suitable. For mixed materials, magnetic separation equipment can be added after crushing to separate iron from aluminum and improve the recycling value of the final material.
Selection depends on can material, can size, required capacity, output size, feeding method, motor power, and whether the material will be baled or remelted later. Small models may handle about 0.5-1 t/h, while larger models can reach several tons per hour.
Yes. A can crusher can be combined with a feeding conveyor, magnetic separator, discharge conveyor, baler, dust collection system, and control cabinet. For aluminum can recycling, eddy current separation can also be added if mixed non-ferrous materials need sorting.
The main purpose of crushing waste cans is to reduce material volume, improve storage and transportation efficiency, and prepare the cans for recycling, sorting, melting, or further crushing. Crushed cans are easier to handle and can help reduce logistics costs.
A can crusher can process aluminum cans, tin cans, light metal cans, food cans, and some thin-wall metal containers. If the material includes sealed cans, liquid residue, or paint buckets, pre-treatment and dust or odor control should be considered.
Yes. This equipment is mainly used to flatten or crush waste cans, reduce material volume, and make transportation and recycling easier.
Yes. Used cans can be processed by a can crusher or can flattening machine to reduce volume, improve transportation efficiency, and prepare the material for recycling.
Can crushing is part of metal recycling, but compliance depends on local environmental regulations, dust control, noise reduction, wastewater treatment, and production permits. It is recommended to configure suitable dust removal and environmental protection equipment according to local requirements.
The capacity of a can crusher depends on the machine model and feeding method. Small models can usually process about 0.5 to 1 ton per hour, while larger models can reach 1 to 5 tons per hour or more.
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