Spotlight Feature Articles ME Elecmetal Comminution Mar17 | Page 11

COMMINUTION AND CRUSHING deal with harder and more competent materials , and at the same time process higher capacities to compensate for the lower grade orebodies now being developed . This entailed complete redesigns of all models in the range with a focus on safety , increased strength and capacity improvement . “ As a result , increased productivity due to more effective utilisation of the crusher was achieved and due to the Top Service design , safety and serviceability were also greatly enhanced .”
The latest installation of a 1600 x 2400 TSU class machine ( 63 " x 94 " in old parlance ) has recently been completed at ArcelorMittal ’ s Pena Colorada iron ore mine in Mexico . This crusher , the 750 kW Ultra Duty version , is the strongest machine in its size class ( other equivalents being around the 600 kW range ). Designed to work on very competent material and offer long term reliability and performance , the crusher is currently processing iron ore and already achieving in excess of its design capacity , crushing over 3 Mt of iron ore since going into production in November 2016 . The Ultra-Duty machines can be supplied with up to 1,200 kW installed power , making them capable of processing over 8,000 t / h . “ With the revamping project , we strengthen the national steel value chain , which multiplies opportunities for Mexico and its people ,” said Arturo Tronco , General Director of Peña Colorada .
Installation of the Pena Colorada machine began in March 2016 . Using Kepler Construtora SA de CV , a local Mexico contractor , and with supervision directly handled by the Pena Colorada revamping team and with FLSmidth Field Service onsite providing technical advisory assistance , the installation went smoothly and was completed in September 2016 . Commissioning commenced in November 2016 once permanent power was available at the crusher location . The machine was turned over to operations for commercial production at the end of the month ( November ), far exceeding the design capacity . This machine is being utilised to supply both the existing plant and the new expansion as the old crusher was decommissioned in December shortly after the TSU going into operation . “ We fulfilled the challenge of building a new mine , with the integration of the corporate cultures of Peña Colorada , ArcelorMittal and Ternium , with great contractors ,” said Tom Szkut , Project Leader of the revamping project .”
The Project Director at Peña Colorada said : “ Maintaining the safety of our people , minimising our environmental impact , and the well-being of the community have been the top priority of the project .”
From FLSmidth itself , Troy Matter , Sr Field Engineer , FLSmidth Field Installations stated : “ This is my fifth installation and commissioning of an FLSmidth TS / TSU type gyratory crusher .
The durability , production throughput , safety and ease of maintenance truly makes these machines the mine operators ’ smart choice in primary crushers .”
HPGR success at Soledad for thyssenkrupp
In 2014 , thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions received an order to supply a POLYCOM ® High- Pressure Grinding Roll ( HPGR ) for the Soledad Mountain gold-silver project in Southern California . The Soledad Mountain project , operated by Golden Queen Mining Company , is located outside of Mojave , California in Kern County . This application follows the successful operation of a similar installation at the Goldfields Ghana Tarkwa mine , supplied by thyssenkrupp in 2008 .
The POLYCOM ® HPGR prepares feed for the mine ’ s heap-leach operation and features studded rolls with dimensions of 1.7 m x 1.2 m and is equipped with two variable speed drives . Comparative tests in the project phase indicated that the HPGR ensures the most favourable particle size distribution for a stable and successful heap-leach operation , allowing for increased minerals recovery , at a faster extraction rate . The metal recovery is enhanced , in part , by micro-cracks in the machine , which occurs as a result of high-pressure inter-particle breakage , the inherent grinding mechanism in this machine .
Commissioning was successfully completed late in 2015 . During the commissioning period , thyssenkrupp trained the plant staff to operate and maintain the unit . As of July 2016 , the machine had treated more than 1.26 Mt of gold and silver bearing ore . thyssenkrupp reports that
Outotec now offers a 7-Axis Mill Reline Machine
Golden Queen Mining Company has said that the POLYCOM ® HPGR has exceeded its expectations , and is operating steadily at the design capacity , delivering consistent product fineness of 70-75 % - 6 mm , a key requirement for producing highquality agglomerates for optimised porosity and permeability in the leach pad .
New mill relining option from Outotec
Due to confined spaces , hot environments and arduous tasks , grinding mill relining can be a challenging job for even the most experienced crew . The most critical and potentially dangerous part of this process is the operation of the mill reline machine . Outotec says its new 7-Axis Beam Mill Reline Machines ( MRMs ) set a new benchmark for safety and are the only MRMs that fully comply with the European Machinery Directive .
The beam MRMs can be manoeuvered using a conventional rail arrangement or optionally a tyre drive system , which provides increased flexibility for transport around the mill deck . A travelling liner cart with powered slew for rotating liners and a crane with seven degrees of freedom for manipulation of the liners inside the mill ensures safe , efficient , and reliable operation .
“ We wanted to make relining safer ,” says Ruari Soutar-Dawson , Product Manager for Outotec ’ s Mill Reline Machines . “ It ' s one of those high risk environments , so you need to either design out the hazards all together , or implement proper safety equipment and systems to make sure people are as safe as possible .”
The company believes that its Mill Reline Machines are the safest on the market .
MARCH 2017 | International Mining