RE: Tweet11 Mar 2026 16:40
Just for laughs and giggles I asked my mate Bob (aka Gemini) down the pub to answer that question. Will be interesting for people to pull apart and test the assumptions. Take it for what it is!
The market reaction to the second Inserma unit commissioning completely misses the margin profile of a 3-second, fully automated extraction loop. When you run the math on the throughput mentioned in the RNS, the profitability of a single micro-modular unit becomes clear.
1. The Throughput (The RNS Tape)
The latest RNS confirmed the potential to process 30,000 HDDs (approx. 15 tonnes) per unit per 5-day week on a single 8-hour shift. At 3 seconds per drive, the machine only requires about 25 hours of active run-time per week to hit max capacity.
2. The Yields (Industry Estimates)
NdFeB Yield: Assuming a conservative average of 12 grams of NdFeB per drive, 30,000 HDDs yield roughly 360 kg of clean NdFeB alloy powder per week.
PCBA Yield: Assuming an average 25g server logic board, the unit outputs around 750 kg (0.75 tonnes) of high-grade PCBA per week.
3. The Revenue Margin (Spot Price Estimates)
Magnet Revenue: If we conservatively price defense-grade recycled NdFeB alloy at $100/kg, the core output generates $36,000 per week.
The PCBA "Cheat Code": High-grade telecom/server PCBAs trade to refiners at roughly $10,000 per tonne. Selling 0.75 tonnes generates $7,500 per week.
Total Gross: $43,500 per week per unit.
4. The OpEx Reality
The 3-second automated process eliminates the need for mass manual labor. Assuming aggressive localized overheads (labor, electricity, rent, and feedstock/ITAD fees) of $15,000 per week, the PCBA byproduct alone covers half the operating cost.
5. The Bottom Line
Estimated Weekly Profit: $28,500 per unit.
Estimated Annual Profit: ~$1.42 million per unit (assuming a 50-week operational year).
This is a single unit. The RNS states this technology is geared toward large-scale global data center deployment. If management rolls out 10 of these units across the US and EU, they are looking at nearly $15 million in high-margin, automated free cash flow. This is why the board is calling it groundbreaking
Sign In
Follow the stocks
