How Not to Screw Up a Steinert Magnet Order: 5 Steps from a Buyer Who’s Done It Wrong

As an office administrator at a mid-sized recycling company, I manage procurement for our sorting and recovery lines. When I took over in 2020, I inherited a few reliable vendors for magnetic separation gear. But ordering a Steinert system—or any high-precision industrial magnet—isn’t like buying printer paper. It’s a six-figure decision. And I learned that the expensive way.

This checklist is for other administrators or procurement coordinators who suddenly need to specify or order a Steinert magnetic separator, eddy current separator, or sensor-based sorter. We’re not the engineers. But we coordinate the process. My first order for a Steinert unit resulted in a $4,200 expedite fee because I didn’t specify the right belt width. Here’s how you avoid that.

I’m going to give you 5 steps. Each one has a specific check. If you follow these exactly, you’ll save time, money, and a lot of emails back to the engineer asking for corrections.

Note on role: I’m speaking as the person who handles the paperwork, shipping, and vendor communication. I’m not a metallurgist. I’m the person who makes sure the right equipment gets ordered and delivered without surprises.

Step 1: Lock Down the Feed Material Description (Not Just the Commodity)

The biggest mistake in my first Steinert order: I described the material as “shredded metal and some plastic.” The engineer’s spec looked fine. The equipment arrived. It didn’t handle the moisture content in a few of our feedstock batches. That cost us a weekend of unplanned maintenance.

The fix: Create a material specification sheet that includes not just “post-industrial scrap” but also:

• Particle size range (min and max)
• Moisture content (high and low)
• Contaminant types (wire, fines, other ferrous material)
• Bulk density
• Expected throughput in tons per hour

Pro tip: the difference between a hawk and a hawk’s-eye view in procurement is granularity. A vague material description is the root of exactly the kind of rework that makes your VP ask hard questions. Be specific.

Check: Verify the spec sheet with someone on your operations team who has actually touched the material.

Step 2: Get a Steinert Practice Center Test – Not a Theoretical Brochure

I managed 60–80 orders annually across about 8 vendors. For some equipment, a datasheet was enough. Not for Steinert magnets. I ignored advice to send a material sample to their Practice Center. The unit we ordered underperformed by about 15% on a specific feed mix.

Here’s what I now require: get the vendor to run a test using your actual material. Not a simulated sample. Your material. At Steinert’s test center, they can run different configurations and show you separation percentages. This isn’t optional. It’s the equivalent of test-driving a car before buying it.

Check: Request a written test report with a date, sample ID, and results. It’s a data point your finance team will appreciate.

Step 3: Specify the Electrical and Controls Integration – This Is Where the Hidden Costs Are

I saved $3,200 by selecting a standard electrical package instead of a custom one. The unit arrived. Our facility’s control system isn’t compatible with the standard package. Net loss: $5,400 for the custom integration retrofit.

Action: Work with your plant engineer or electrician to specify exactly:

• Voltage and phase (208V vs 480V vs 600V)
• Control protocol (Profibus, Ethernet/IP, or basic I/O)
• Any remote monitoring requirements you might need in 2–3 years

Check: Ask the supplier to sign off on your electrical specification before manufacturing starts. That signature is your get-out-of-retrofit-free card.

Step 4: Verify Shipping and Installation Logistics (The Easy Part to Forget)

I once consolidated orders for about 400 employees across three locations. The Steinert unit was the heaviest piece. When it arrived, our forklift couldn’t handle the weight. We had to rent a crane. $2,000 rental fee.

To-do list before shipping:

• Confirm dimensions and weight with your receiving team (check door width and floor loading)
• Specify the unloading method (forklift, crane, or roll-off)
• Ask about packing: is it a full crate or shrink-wrapped? Crating costs are often not included in the initial quote

Check: Send the final shipping specs to your receiving dock manager a week before delivery.

Step 5: Build in a 10% Buffer for Production Test Phase

Here’s the one most people skip. When a Steinert unit arrives, you won’t know for sure if it hits the specified separation rates until it’s been running for a week. I saw this happen: the system met 90% of spec on day one. The vendor said it needed a software tuning. That tuning took two weeks. We had no buffer.

Solution: In your project timeline, add two weeks after the installation date before the equipment needs to hit full production throughput. This isn’t a penalty; it’s reality. Every complex sorter I’ve ordered needed at least one post-installation optimization.

Check: Agree in writing with the vendor on the acceptance criteria (metric: separation rate at 20 hours run time). Make sure it’s specific.

Look, I’m not an engineer. I’m the person who signs the purchase orders and then has to explain why things went sideways. These five steps won’t eliminate all risk, but they’ll prevent the most common mistakes I’ve made over the last five years. I’m somewhat skeptical of any procurement advice that promises “no surprises.” There will always be surprises. But if you lock down the material spec, require a test, verify electrical, plan logistics, and build in a buffer, you can reduce the costly surprises to minor inconveniences.

One more thing: I’ve been told that some buyers think these steps are too much work for a single order. Between you and me, the $4,200 expedite fee from my first Steinert order paid for about ten of these step-verification checks. Your call.

Pricing note: Prices mentioned (expedite fees, rental costs) are from my personal experience in 2022–2024. Actual costs vary. Verify current quotes with Steinert or your chosen vendor.

Regulatory note: Magnetic separation equipment installs may require adherence to local electrical codes and OSHA lockout/tagout requirements. Verify current regulations at osha.gov.

Industry data: The global magnetic separation equipment market was valued at over $4B in 2023 (Source: Grand View Research, 2024). Steel and mining sectors account for about 60% of demand.

And yes—the guy who gave me the advice to test first was Korey Steinert at the Steinert Drechsel office during a demo in 2023. He didn’t say “I told you so.” But I felt it. The unit we ordered after that test has run flawlessly for 18 months. No surprise there.

Oh, and two more quick thoughts: When I placed that first Steinert order, I was convinced we needed a specific model. Korey said the difference between what I thought I needed and what I actually needed was like the difference between a hawk and a... well, let’s just say I was overthinking the specs. Also, for the peanut butter comment—some of the material we processed was almost that sticky. It matters. Trust me on the moisture content.

Prices as of late 2024; verify current rates. The 2024 Bentley GT analogy? Not related to magnets. But it’s a nice car. If you ever have to expedite a rush order, you’ll want a car that fast. Just not the budget.