Challenge Summary
An automated detection and inspection system is required to prevent production disruptions and damages to the primary crusher caused by tramp metal and foreign objects in the mined ore, ensuring smooth operations and avoiding unplanned stoppages and downtime.
Challenge Scenario
The primary challenges arise from the presence of tramp metal and foreign objects in the mined ore, leading to disruptions and downtime for the primary crusher. Tramp metal originates from old underground workings, while metal and foreign objects from the mining process, such as drill bits and excavator teeth, pose significant concerns.
Regarding the ore flow process, ore is trucked from the open pit and deposited on various ore stockpiles. Subsequently, the ore is loaded onto trucks and tipped at the primary jar crusher tip grizzly. The undersize material passes through the grizzly, while the oversize material is broken by a mobile rock breaker to pass through the grizzly screen into the rock box. The ore is drawn from the rock box by an apron feeder, discharging onto a vibrating grizzly screen. The undersize bypasses the jaw crusher, reporting to the sacrificial conveyor below it, while the oversize is fed to the jaw crusher and crushed down to less than 150mm, combining with the vibrating grizzly undersize on the sacrificial conveyor. The sacrificial conveyor feeds the stockpile feed conveyor. A belt magnet at the discharge end of the sacrificial conveyor removes metal, and a metal detector is installed over the stockpile feed conveyor. If metal is detected on the stockpile feed conveyor, the belt is stopped, and the metal is manually removed before restarting the belt.
The primary challenges arise from the presence of tramp metal and foreign objects in the mined ore, leading to disruptions and downtime for the primary crusher. Tramp metal originates from old underground workings, while metal and foreign objects from the mining process, such as drill bits and excavator teeth, pose significant concerns.
Addressing these challenges is crucial for smooth and uninterrupted operation, ensuring optimal productivity and efficiency. Detecting and removing foreign objects and tramp metal before they enter the crushing stream is essential to minimize downtime and optimize the performance of the primary crusher in the ore mining process.
