YUXI waste refrigerator recycling line combines pre-treatment, refrigerant and compressor handling, cabinet shredding, secondary crushing, foam collection, magnetic separation, non-ferrous recovery and dust control. It is designed to recover steel, copper- and aluminum-bearing fractions, plastics, polyurethane foam and separately dismantled parts from waste refrigerators and freezers.
A waste refrigerator recycling plant is a complete household appliance recycling system for safely dismantling and processing used refrigerators, freezers and appliance cabinets. It combines pre-treatment, refrigerant recovery, compressor removal, cabinet shredding, foam collection and multi-stage material separation.
Waste refrigerators contain metals, plastics, polyurethane insulation foam, copper tubes, wires, compressors, circuit boards, glass shelves and refrigerants. Direct crushing without pre-treatment may reduce recovery quality and create safety risks. A complete recycling line first removes hazardous and reusable components, then crushes and separates the remaining refrigerator body.
YUXI can design the refrigerator recycling line according to incoming appliance type, feeding size, refrigerant handling requirement, target capacity, workshop layout, dust control standard and final product requirement.
The mechanical section starts after refrigerant recovery, compressor removal, oil draining and removal of unsuitable loose parts. It covers feeding, primary shredding, secondary crushing, foam extraction and metal-plastic separation.
An integrated project adds the upstream receiving, dismantling, refrigerant recovery, compressor handling and oil collection stages required before the refrigerator body enters the shredding line.
YUXI refrigerator and household appliance recycling equipment can process different bulky appliances and dismantled appliance components. The final line configuration depends on material structure, impurity content and required separation effect.
| Incoming material | General suitability | Preparation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-treated refrigerator and freezer cabinets | Recommended feed | Confirm maximum cabinet size, remaining loose components, foam structure and average unit weight. |
| Complete refrigerators with intact cooling systems | Integrated pre-treatment required | Refrigerant, compressor oil and unsuitable components must be recovered or removed before mechanical shredding. |
| Washing machines and selected white goods | Project-specific | May share some downstream machines, but the feed preparation and material balance differ from refrigerators. |
| Televisions, computers, batteries and mixed small WEEE | Not standard feed | These materials usually require different dismantling and sorting routes. |
Waste refrigerators have bulky volume, mixed material composition and special pre-treatment requirements. A professional recycling line helps improve dismantling safety, material recovery and workshop efficiency.
Used refrigerators and freezers occupy large storage space and increase transportation and handling cost.
Refrigerant should be recovered before cabinet crushing to support safer and more compliant appliance recycling.
Steel shell, plastic liner, copper tubes, aluminum parts, foam insulation, glass and electronic parts are tightly combined.
Manual removal of circuit boards, wires, copper tubes, shelves, drawers and compressors requires stable workflow design.
Polyurethane insulation foam can generate light particles and dust, requiring airflow collection and dust control.
If the line is not properly configured, plastics, foam and non-ferrous metals may remain mixed and reduce material value.
The complete process can include manual pre-treatment, refrigerant recovery, compressor removal and oil draining, primary shredding, secondary crushing, foam air separation, magnetic separation, eddy current separation, gravity separation, dust collection and material discharge.
Low-speed, high-torque intermeshing cutters grip and shear pre-treated refrigerator cabinets into approximately 10–25 cm pieces, preparing the material for secondary liberation.
The shredded refrigerator material is crushed again to release steel, plastics, non-ferrous metals and insulation foam, making the downstream sorting stages more effective.
A drum magnetic separator removes ferrous steel from the mixed material stream before non-ferrous metal and plastic separation.
The eddy current separator recovers conductive non-ferrous metals, including aluminum and copper-bearing pieces, from plastics, foam and other non-metal fractions.
Identify appliance type, dimensions, damage, remaining parts and cooling-circuit condition.
Remove glass, drawers, circuit boards, wiring and other parts unsuitable for cabinet shredding.
Recover refrigerant, remove the compressor and collect or drain compressor oil before crushing.
A low-speed double-shaft shredder opens the bulky refrigerator cabinet into manageable pieces.
The crushed stream is further liberated to separate metal sheet, plastic liner and insulation foam.
A magnetic separator removes ferrous metal from the mixed refrigerator material.
Eddy current and airflow separation recover conductive metals and remove light foam fractions.
Dust and light particles are collected while separated materials discharge into dedicated bins.
The original YUXI process combines shredding, crushing, magnetic separation, eddy current separation, wind separation and dust control. Each machine is selected according to the actual appliance condition and the required final products.
The primary shredder grips and tears pre-treated refrigerator cabinets using low-speed, high-torque rotary shearing. Chamber size, cutter thickness and drive power are selected around the largest incoming cabinet.
The shredded pieces receive further impact and liberation so that attached sheet metal, plastic liner and insulation material can be separated more effectively.
A drum or overband magnetic separator recovers ferrous steel. Stable particle size and controlled material depth improve magnetic recovery.
The eddy current separator ejects conductive non-ferrous material, including aluminum and copper-bearing pieces, from plastics and other non-metals. Additional sorting may be needed to separate copper and aluminum into individual products.
Airflow removes light polyurethane foam and dust, while optional gravity or other fine-separation equipment can improve the non-metal and mixed-metal fractions.
The dust system collects airborne particles. The central PLC system coordinates machine start-up, load monitoring, interlocks, alarms and emergency shutdown.
The recovery production line can be equipped with dust removal, foam collection and gas-handling equipment selected for the confirmed feedstock and local requirements.
Temperature, load, gas concentration and other monitoring devices can be integrated with graded alarms and safety interlocks where the project requires them.
A centrally located control system gives operators visibility into the operating status of the shredder, crushers, conveyors and separators.
Cutter material, blade thickness, hook profile and spacing can be selected according to cabinet dimensions, sheet structure and required primary output size.
The project can begin with cabinet shredding or include upstream refrigerant and compressor handling, depending on the buyer's existing facility.
The line is designed to collect steel, non-ferrous metal, plastics, PU foam and removed components as separate downstream material streams.
After pre-treatment, crushing and physical separation, waste refrigerators can be converted into multiple reusable materials. The final purity and particle size depend on raw material condition and equipment configuration.
Steel shells and magnetic iron materials can be separated by magnetic separator for easier recycling and sale.
Copper tubes, aluminum parts and other non-ferrous metals can be recovered as a mixed conductive fraction for further sorting.
Plastic liners, drawers and panels can be collected as recyclable plastic fractions after size reduction and separation.
Insulation foam can be extracted by airflow separation and collected through the foam collection system.
Compressors can be removed during pre-treatment and drained for oil before further metal recovery.
Circuit boards, wires, copper pipes, glass shelves and compressor oil can be separately collected for downstream handling.
A meaningful quotation requires more than a requested motor power or headline capacity. YUXI needs to understand the appliances, the pre-treatment already completed and the material products the buyer expects to sell.
YUXI can provide project solutions for WEEE recycling plants, appliance dismantling factories, scrap metal processors and integrated solid waste recycling projects. The following cards retain the original application scenarios while presenting them as typical configurations rather than unverified completed case studies.
A complete processing line for refrigerator pre-treatment, cabinet shredding, foam collection and metal-plastic separation.
A customized recycling system for mixed bulky household appliances and appliance cabinets.
A physical recycling solution for pre-treated refrigerator bodies after refrigerant recovery and compressor removal.
A supporting solution for compressor removal, oil draining and downstream metal recovery from appliance dismantling.
A dedicated configuration for extracting polyurethane foam from crushed refrigerator cabinets.
A complete solid waste recycling solution for refrigerators and selected household electrical appliances.
Complete appliances normally require inspection, refrigerant recovery, compressor removal, oil handling and removal of unsuitable components. Pre-treated cabinets can then enter the mechanical shredding and separation line.
It can be included in an integrated project, but the quotation must define the supply boundary. A cabinet shredding line and a complete refrigerator depollution plant are different configurations.
Freezers can usually be included after confirming dimensions and construction. Washing machines and other white goods may share selected machines, but their preparation and material balance differ from refrigerators.
Removed copper tubes and wires can be collected during pre-treatment. After shredding, an eddy current separator recovers a conductive non-ferrous fraction. Extra sorting may be required to produce separate copper and aluminum products.
Secondary crushing liberates insulation material from steel and plastic. A controlled airflow system extracts the lighter foam and transfers it to the foam collection and dust-control section.
Use both appliances per hour and tonnes per hour, together with average appliance weight and feed condition. This avoids comparing complete refrigerators with already evacuated cabinets.
Provide appliance photos, size and weight range, pre-treatment condition, desired throughput, required final products, workshop layout, electrical supply and local safety or emissions requirements.
Send YUXI your refrigerator and freezer samples, pre-treatment condition, required capacity, target outputs and workshop dimensions. We will use this information to prepare a suitable process and equipment configuration.
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