2/28/2018

Optimizing Cone Crusher

Performance
Jeff Gray

Three Focus Areas

• Part 1: Compiling application data

• Part 2: Cone Installation characteristics
• Part 3: Symptoms and solutions

1
 2/28/2018

Part 1: Compile Application Data

• Feed Gradation
• Desired Output Gradation
• Finish Product Specification, if applicable
• Operating Modes and Frequency of Use
• Material Characteristics
• Replacing an Existing Crusher

Good Input data via sampling

creates a reliable simulation and
helps expose opportunity for
enhanced performance.

T-400 C-10 Sampling

DATE 2" 1 1/2" 1" 3/4" 1/2" 3/8" 1/4" 1/8" #20 #40 #80 #200 TPH Setting
7/21 100.0 100.0 99.5 95.0 66.8 50.5 34.6 21.9 10.1 7.3 5.1 2.6 263 0.62
7/22 100.0 100.0 100.0 96.0 67.0 49.3 33.1 19.6 8.6 6.3 4.6 2.3 267 0.62
7/22 100.0 100.0 100.0 98.0 72.2 54.0 36.2 24.5 12.3 9.1 6.4 3.1 255 0.59
7/23 100.0 100.0 100.0 96.2 67.0 50.4 33.8 24.3 12.2 9.0 6.4 3.0 266 0.62
AVG 100.0 100.0 99.9 96.3 68.2 51.1 34.4 22.6 10.8 7.9 5.6 2.8 263

Feed Gradation
• Average of 3-4 belt
cuts in each mode
– 3’ minimum
(tertiary crusher
feed)
– Longer cut on
coarser material
(secondary
crusher feed)

2
 2/28/2018

Feed Gradation
• Special attention if a common bin feeds two
crushers.
• May need to put cone in clear mode to let feed
pass through to discharge belt for sampling.

Feed Gradation
• Be conscious of screen efficiency in
replacement crushers
– Sample the raw feed and the
recirculating load off of the sizing
screen
– AggFlow may provide a higher
screening efficiency than reality. Verify
by sampling the overs from the deck
feeding the crusher if possible
– Urethane, rubber media effect
– Screen may have mechanical
limitations that prohibit using the ideal
speed and stroke
• Does moisture or rain affect feed to cone?
– Fine crushing

Desired Output Gradation

• What are target

products?
• What do you need
more of?
• What is the best
selling product?
• What are you making
that you don’t need?

3
 2/28/2018

Finish Product Specification

• Verify required specifications of finish products

• Confirm if state specifications are modified to meet
specific customer requirements
– Concrete rock

Finish Product Specification

• Define cubicity
requirements
– ASTM D 4791
– Superpave spec for
hot mix asphalt <10%
flat & elongated
particles using a 5:1
ratio
– Are they being met in
existing equipment?
– Sample existing
process

Finish Product Specification

Understand the
operational variables
in the plant that affect
cone feed and
ultimately finish
product gradation.

4
 2/28/2018

Operating Modes
• Define operating scenarios that affect feed to cone
– Maximum base mode or no base
– Maximum concrete/asphalt rock mode
– Pulling rip-rap
– Pulling 3”x1” gabion rock
– Railroad ballast
• Pulling a small percentage of a low volume product is
always better that turning it on and off

Operating Modes
Production Recipe

Max Concrete Rock Max Asphalt Rock

• Secondary 1.30” • Secondary 1.20”
• Tertiary cone 0.87” • Tertiary 0.62”
• Finish screen downhill • Finish screen uphill
• All base pull for product • 25% base forward
• Wire cloth: • Wire cloth:
– Top 1.00” – Top 0.75”
– Middle 0.50” – Middle 0.38”
– Bottom 4mesh – Bottom 8mesh

Material Characteristics
• Compressive strength
• Los Angeles Abrasion test
– Lower number = harder rock
– Limestone 28-34
– Basalt 14-18
• Weight of material lbs./ft3
• Fracture shape tendency
• Geology
• Affect of moisture or rain
• Sand and gravel deposits
– Very round
– Flattened

5
 2/28/2018

Replacing an Existing Crusher

• Gain understanding of
performance in all modes
• Sample before decommission
• Information on liner profile and
countershaft speed is helpful
• The better understanding we
have of the past, the better
chance we can improve the
future

Part 2: Installation Characteristics

• How is feed brought to cone?

• Control of Feed Level
• Recirculating Feed
• Sampling Process
• Centering Feed
• Mixing Feed

How is Feed Brought to Cone?

• Conveyor
• Chute off screen
• Vibrating pan
feeder
• Belt feeder

6
 2/28/2018

How is Feed Brought to Cone?

• What’s the best method in your opinion?
• All can be done successfully but here is my ranking
– Pan feeder from bin
• Quick feedback from level sensor
– Belt feeder from bin
• Second place only because of the moving parts and skirting
• Some like them because they can fix them
– Conveyor
• No other option in portable spreads
• If conveyor comes from a surge tunnel with feeders, not so bad
• Keeping feed centered can be challenging
– Off screen
• Limited level control unless feed is very uniform
• Mays sacrifice optimum cone capacity

Control of Feed Level

• Hopper over cone
– Supported from crusher upper
frame with overflow
– Sits on crusher feed hopper
– Needs to move with upper
frame
• Allow 2’-3’ above the nut cap
• Is visibility needed?
– See material in overflow chute
– See material in hopper

Control of Feed Level

• Sensor types
– Laser
– Radar
– Ultrasonic
– Tilt Switches
– Presence detector

7
 2/28/2018

Control of Feed Level

• Variables that determine what level sensor

is used
– Distance from target
– Range of measurement
– Lump size of particles
– Flow of material into bin or chamber
– Dust
• Radar common in bins
• Laser common in crusher chambers

Control of Feed Level

Control of Feed Level

Tilt Switch – overflow
protection

Radar Sensor used for

bin level

8
 2/28/2018

Recirculating Feed
• Where is it introduced?
– Conveyor
– Bin
– Both into cone hopper
• Blending with raw feed
– How is it mixed
• Ratio to raw feed
– High recirculating load crushing (fine)
• Account for variation during start-up
– Takes time for circuit to stabilize
• Role recirculating feed plays in total feed gradation
– Sometimes needed to get a well graded feed

Sampling Process
• Planning for sampling
– Logistics of crashing the plant for sampling
• Understand shutdown timing sequences
• Any transfer point issues?
• Room under crusher for crusher to crush out load in hopper
• What will need to be shoveled off prior to start-up?
– Feed sample out of bin
• Lift upper frame
– Feed sample out of surge pile
– Feed & discharge sample off conveyor
– Coarser material feed sample
– Safe access for sample
– Transport of buckets

Centering Feed
• Design in ability to center the feed
– Left to Right
– Front to Back
– Vibrating feeder with circular discharge spout
– Stop and Start feed to understand how crusher
loads up and empties out
• Illustrates distribution around head and segregation

Crusher load up Crusher empties

9
 2/28/2018

Mixing Feed

• Cones are not mixers

• Well graded & distributed feed = maximum production
• Simple test Fine Coarse
Shovel Calibration

Mixing Feed

• Deflectors

Part 3: Symptom - Solution

• Symptoms – operational or mechanical problems that

exist

• Solutions – changes or checks to eliminate or reduce

symptoms

10
 2/28/2018

Upper frame bounce

– Why do manufacturers allow the

upper frame to lift?
– Feed gradation sudden change (loss
of voids)
• Screen cloth blinding
• Setting may be tighter than you think
• Hole worn in chute, flop gate opened
– Hydraulic relief cylinder or
accumulator issue
– Steel in crushing circuit
– Feed off center
• Most obvious when feed is first brought
to crusher

Upper frame bounce

– Liner profile to coarse or to fine for feed gradation

Upper frame bounce

• Well Graded Feed:
– 90 to 100 percent passing the closed
side feed opening.
– 40 to 60 percent passing the mid
point of the crushing chamber.
– 0 to 10 percent passing the crusher
setting.

Inter-Particle Crushing

11
 2/28/2018

Inconsistent finish product gradation

– Variable crusher loading

• In and out of choke feed
condition
• Choke feed height
variation
– Variable feed gradation
to crusher
• Coarse products pulled
ahead of crusher
– Crusher auto adjusting
open

Poor Cubicity

– Not able to consistently choke feed

crusher
– To High of reduction ratio
• Ideally 3:1 to 5:1 Open Side Feed
• Higher reduction ratios = less inter-particle Closed Side Feed Opening CSFO
crushing = poor cubicity Opening CSFO
– Poorly graded feed
• Ideally feed gradation should have material
from CSFO down to closed side setting
– Watch affect of base product being sent
to finish plant
• May not see a crusher
Closed Side
Setting
CSS

Poor Cubicity
• The further in the process elongated
particles carry, the harder they are to
remove
– Look at each stage of crushing
– Choke feed on secondary is as
beneficial as tertiary
– A trickle fed jaw in slabby
limestone
– Not uncommon in older crushing
circuits to just send +3” to a
secondary

12
 2/28/2018

Poor Cubicity
The wrong chamber with the ideal reduction ratio
may not produce the best cubicity because inter-
particle crushing is less prevalent.

Poor Cubicity

• Geology
– Rock have differing strengths in different directions
due to cleavage which is a tendency to break along
smooth planes parallel to zones of weak bonding can
present cubicity challenges
• Limestone - sedimentary
• Slate – metamorphic, fine grained homogeneous

High Amp Draw

– Reduce fines or near size in

chamber
– Speed crusher up
– Change liner to crush higher
in the chamber

13
 2/28/2018

Want a finer output gradation

• Adjust CSS
• No CSS adjustment
– Adjust choke feed height higher
– Increase speed (within MFG limits)
– Re-crush more material around the CSS
– Reduce throw of crusher (if possible)
– Lengthen parallel zone on liner

Want a coarser output gradation

• Adjust CSS
• No CSS adjustment
– Adjust choke feed height lower
– Decrease speed (within MFG limits)
• Shorter parallel cone on liner

Poor throughput new liner

• Wrong feed opening

most likely
– Usually low amp draw
even when choked
– Poor shape
• Ensure feed is well
distributed/centered
• Ensure feed is blended

14
 2/28/2018

Pockets wear into upper liner

• Material not entering

feed opening easily
• Head spin can
enhance
• Coincide with low amp
draw and poor cubicity

Belly at bottom of liner

– Excess near size

• Tighten CSS
• Look at screen
efficiency
– May coincide with
upper frame
bounce and high
amps

Proper CSS for liner

– Mantle and
concave wear
and same rate

15
 2/28/2018

Concave curls over – TPH drops

– Liner is not designed

to run at tight setting

3/8”
CSS

Mantle “ski slopes” – TPH drop

– Liner is not
designed to run at
coarse setting

What issues do you have?

16
 2/28/2018

Thank you!

17