Lifting Equipment for Lithium Battery Recycling: Shredding & Sorting
Lithium battery recycling (dismantling / crushing / sorting / warehousing) is a key environmental step in the new energy industry. The recommended setup pairs an LD Type overhead crane (5–20t) with a lifting magnet, grab bucket, and an MG Type gantry crane. Kelude's lithium battery recycling solution covers the full process — from dismantling and crushing to sorting and warehousing.
Dismantling Cranes for Battery Pack Disassembly & Module Sorting
The first step in lithium battery recycling is dismantling retired battery packs. Battery packs weigh 200–800 kg (EV packs can reach 500–800 kg). The dismantling process: battery packs are lifted to the dismantling station, the housing is opened, and modules are extracted and sorted by cell type, remaining capacity, and health status. Each module weighs 5–30 kg after removal. Key risk during dismantling: battery packs may still hold residual charge, creating short-circuit, electrolyte leakage, or fire hazards — so the dismantling area requires explosion-proof and fire-suppression measures.
Recommended model: LD Type overhead crane, 3–5t / 12–18m span, plus a BZD jib crane, 0.5–1t. The LD overhead crane handles battery packs (200–800 kg) from the unloading area to the dismantling station, while the BZD jib crane covers module lifting (5–30 kg) at individual workstations.
Price reference: LD overhead crane, 3t / 15m span: approx. $4,500–$9,000 per unit. Kelude's dismantling-stage package comes standard with explosion-proof configuration, given the electrolyte leakage and short-circuit fire risk in this area.
Crushing & Sorting Cranes for Material Feeding & Transfer
After dismantling, cells and modules move to the crushing and sorting line: a crusher (reduces cells to fragments), a pyrolysis furnace (removes organics and binders), and screening (separates cathode/anode powder, copper foil, aluminum foil, and plastic separators). The sorted materials are then transferred to dedicated silos or packing areas. Material forms in this stage vary widely — lumpy (crushed fragments), powdery (cathode/anode powder), and sheet-like (copper/aluminum foil pieces).
Recommended model: LD Type overhead crane, 5–10t, with a lifting magnet (for pre-magnetic-separation handling of ferrous fragments) and a grab bucket (for loading powdery or fragmented materials). Dust levels are high in the crushing and sorting workshop, so motors must meet IP55 or higher protection ratings.
Price reference: LD overhead crane, 5t / 15m span, IP55: approx. $9,000–$18,000 per unit. Kelude's crushing-and-sorting package includes dust-explosion-proof motors and a sealed control box.
Warehouse Cranes for Pallet Handling & Container Loading
Sorted materials (cathode powder, anode powder, copper foil, aluminum foil, plastic separators) are packed and stored in the finished-goods warehouse, awaiting shipment to downstream processors. Packaging formats: ① bulk bags (500–1,500 kg per bag — for cathode/anode powder); ② pallets (500–1,000 kg per pallet — for copper/aluminum foil fragments); ③ containers (20–28t per container — for bulk shipments).
Recommended model: LD Type overhead crane, 5–10t (for pallet and bulk-bag handling inside the warehouse), plus an MG Type gantry crane, 10–20t (for outdoor container loading). The warehouse crane is equipped with remote control, allowing the operator to handle stacking and retrieval from the ground. The gantry crane features variable frequency hoisting for slow, controlled lifts during container loading — minimizing material vibration and dust generation.
Price reference: LD overhead crane, 5t / 18m span: approx. $7,500–$15,000 per unit; MG gantry crane, 16t: approx. $27,000–$45,000 per unit. Kelude's total investment for the warehousing stage is approximately $34,000–$60,000.
Lithium Battery Recycling Crane Configuration at a Glance
| Workshop Section | recommended model | Capacity | special requirements | reference price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dismantling | LDoverhead type+BZD | 3~5t+0.5~1t | Explosion-proofconfiguration | 3~6Ten Thousand |
| Crushing and Sorting | LDoverhead type+Suction cup/Grab (grab bucket) | 5~10t | IP55/Dust Explosion-proof | 6~12Ten Thousand |
| Warehousing | LDoverhead type+MGGantry Crane | 5~20t | remote control/Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) | 23~40Ten Thousand |
Key Parameters for Lithium Battery Recycling
Kelude Service Advantages for Battery Recycling
① Explosion-Proof Certification: Kelude's lithium battery recycling solutions come standard with Ex tb IIIC T135°C Db dust explosion-proof certification, covering all dust explosion risk zones across the entire process — dismantling, crushing, and sorting.
② Lifting Magnet + Grab Bucket: The crushing and sorting area is equipped with a lifting magnet (for ferrous scrap separation) and a grab bucket (for handling cathode/anode powder and fragmented materials), enabling rapid transfer and classification of crushed and sorted materials.
③ Integrated Indoor-Outdoor Operation: LD overhead cranes (indoor dismantling, sorting, and warehousing) work in tandem with MG gantry cranes (outdoor unloading and shipping), creating a seamless material handling system that maximizes logistics efficiency across the entire recycling facility.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Why is an explosion-proof crane required in a lithium battery recycling workshop?
A: The dismantling and crushing stages of lithium battery recycling present three major hazards: ① Electrolyte leakage — LiPF₆ electrolyte decomposes on contact with moisture, releasing HF (a corrosive gas that is harmful to health at concentrations above 3 ppm); ② Short-circuit ignition — if residual charge remains in the battery pack, metal tools contacting the cathode and anode during dismantling can trigger a short circuit and fire; ③ Dust explosion — both cathode materials (NCM/LFP, etc.) and anode materials (graphite) are combustible dusts. Suspended dust is generated during crushing and sorting (graphite dust has a lower explosive limit of approximately 30–50 g/m³). For this reason, all electrical equipment in the recycling workshop must comply with dust explosion-proof standards — GB 15577/GB 12476, rated Ex tb IIIC T135°C Db. Kelude's lithium battery recycling solutions come standard with Ex tb dust explosion-proof certified cranes.
Q: How is the lifting magnet used in lithium battery recycling?
A: During the crushing and sorting process, the shredded and pyrolyzed material contains ferrous fragments (from battery casings, tabs, and connector plates). These ferrous fragments must be removed by magnetic separation before downstream sorting — otherwise they contaminate the cathode/anode powder and compromise final product purity (which must be ≥98%). The crane-mounted lifting magnet picks ferrous fragments from the material pile at the crusher discharge and transfers them to the ferrous scrap bin. Kelude's lifting magnets feature residual magnetism control (automatic demagnetization after power-off, causing ferrous fragments to release automatically), with magnet diameters from 300 to 800 mm and lifting capacities from 50 to 500 kg.
Q: How are the LD overhead crane and MG gantry crane divided in a lithium battery recycling plant?
A: In a lithium battery recycling facility: ① LD overhead cranes (indoor) — handle indoor lifting and transport across the dismantling workshop and crushing/sorting workshop (battery pack transfer, crusher feeding, sorted material transport), as well as stacking and dispatch in the finished goods warehouse; ② MG gantry cranes (outdoor) — handle outdoor raw material unloading (retired battery packs offloaded from trucks) and finished product shipping (bulk bags, pallets, and containers loaded onto trucks). The two crane types hand off materials at the indoor-outdoor interface (the LD crane delivers materials to the loading dock at the workshop entrance, where the MG crane picks them up for truck loading). Kelude provides a fully integrated LD + MG indoor-outdoor material handling solution.
Q: What is the typical investment for cranes in the lithium battery recycling industry?
A: Taking a lithium battery recycling plant with an annual throughput of 10,000 tons as an example: ① The dismantling workshop uses one LD 3t explosion-proof crane plus four BZD hoists (approx. $66,600); ② The shredding and sorting workshop uses one LD 5t IP55 crane with a lifting magnet (approx. $83,300); ③ The finished goods warehouse uses one LD 5t crane (approx. $58,300); ④ The outdoor area uses one MG 16t gantry crane (approx. $208,300). Total investment: approximately $416,500. Returns: dismantling efficiency improves by 50% (rapid lifting and transport of battery packs); shredding line automation rate increases by 80% (crane + lifting magnet replaces manual feeding); powder packaging efficiency improves by 60%. Payback period: approximately 14–18 months.
