Cement Energy and Environment

Mine operators have high stakes riding on the suitability-for-purpose, reliability and efficiency of their crushers, particularly those used in primary crushing applications. The economic forces currently in play across the hard rock mining sector put additional pressure on operators to get the most out of their equipment in terms of performance, cost of ownership and safety. Are crusher manufacturers meeting the challenge? Here's a brief rundown on recent product announcements from the industry's leading suppliers. thy!l!lllllll.rupp'll now KB 63·130 I)TMory 111 301J6 tl!Dm pmduethltt, In termani thrnuahput, thAn Ita l'redM:MJnr. 1 Modt!l~ Ill lhJ.! Uf1dShtd Kubtlll eont CfU!ihtH lin§ Clift bl.l DQUIPilCid With tho Kubrtrlm"tlll COilttol i¥1111111 Oj)tiOit, Which lliiiOIIOrl ~liP wlc.Jlh. OlltJ}III !lnd IJHIIJ!JUfOLUI Wllfl ~~~ lllntf)f1fl'tlllt@W sntl oil tluw, Giant Gyratory At the bauma 2016 trade fair held earlier this year in Munich, Germany, thyssenkrupp's Industrial Solutions group introduced the industry's largest gyratory crusher. The KB 63-130 features a design, which , despite a roughly 14% larger mantle diameter of 130 in. (3.3 m), weighs less than its predecessor, the KB 63-114, at 490 tons. Its rated throughput of up to 14,000 metric tons per hour (mUh) is more than 30% higher than that of the preceding model, said the company. It also noted that the new unit achieved this level of compactness and performance because thyssenkrupp's crushing technology specialists moved beyond customary design principles during its development. The increase in throughput and significant weight reduction was made possible by combining proven Finite Element Method (FEM) with advanced Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations. "In the past, the rule of thumb was the bigger the diameter, the taller the crusher," said Detlef Papajewski, head of mineral processing at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions. "But, because users generally only need a bigger diameter to increase output, the KB 63-130 is exactly the same height as the other crushers in the 63-in. series despite the larger mantle diameter." Technical highlights of the new crusher include a rotatable countershaft assembly for setting tooth clearance, and an eccentric bearing assembly with top bevel gear. Along with enabling better balancing of the machine, the new bearing system permits a much more compact design as well as maintenance-friendly assembly and disassembly. The KB 63-130's housing exhibits the "fish belly" design seen on other large thyssenkrupp gyratory crushers, intended to reduce stress and increase the overall strength of the housing. However, when used in a semimobile crushing plant (SMCP), for example, crusher weight can be reduced by around 200 mt prior to relocation by removing certain parts. These parts, such as the heavy main shaft fitted with crushing tools, can also be easily removed for maintenance purposes. Introduction of the gyratory follows the company's revision and standardization of its Kubria line of cone crushers. On display at bauma was the Kubria F/M 90, whose nomenclature stems from the size of the machine's lower cone 43