The operation of large machines is often associated with an increased danger potential. This also applies to crushing and screening plant, where large pieces of rock are crushed to small grains by immense forces. This is why German premium crushing and screening plant maker Kleemann says personal protection is its highest priority. However, safety must not impede the operator but must be integrated unnoticeably in the work process. As the complexity of modern plant increases, parallel to this, the Kleemann development team ensures that operation and maintenance remain as simple as possible – and without long-drawn-out instructions.
The control system is the interface between human and machine. The entire Kleemann PRO line and the MOBIREX MR 130 Z EVO2 impact crusher can be comfortably operated via the intuitive SPECTIVE control concept. The 12-inch touch panel simplifies work as all functions are visible at a glance and clear symbols point the way. The user interface is not affected by dust, is splash-proof and can be easily read in difficult lighting conditions. Simple menu guidance guarantees that only the information which is currently required is displayed on each page. This concept makes it possible to use the crushing plant properly in a simple manner and fully utilise its functions.
In everyday operation, however, not only a simple control system is important but also easy access to the machine. Thanks to the well-thought-out machinery design, all areas relevant to service are easily accessible. For example, it is possible to refuel Kleemann’s MOBICONE MCO 11 PRO cone crusher comfortably from the ground, and the prescreen coverings for the MOBIREX MR 110 and 130 Z EVO2 impact crushers can be easily changed via an extra platform. Other service work on the machine can also be completed quickly and comfortably, thanks to the good accessibility.
Kleemann’s EUROTEST-certified ‘Lock & Turn’ system provides the highest level of safety during rotor ledge change at the mobile impact crusher and when releasing bridging. Special keys are used here in combination with the machine control system that only permits work in danger areas when they are locked. Only then can the operator open service flaps or move and exchange components. If the user wants to work on another area, the keys must be removed, which automatically blocks the area worked on previously. A real highlight in this system with regard to safety and convenience is the rotating device of the rotor. It allows the rotor of the crusher to be turned and blocked manually via a gear unit in any position from the outside. The exchange of rotor ledges and the elimination of bridging can be carried out even more safely.
The new option package for noise reduction ensures comfortable and safe work close to the impact crusher. Noise protection flaps mounted on the side at the same height as the engine deflect sound upwards. These flaps are folded in for transporting the plant and therefore have no influence on the transport width. The bottom of the unit is also sealed off from noise. The volume perceived by the user is thus reduced by six decibels. A reduction of three decibels has the effect of halving the amount of noise perceived by the human ear. This not only allows noise-reduced work for operators in a significantly smaller radius around the machine but also protects the environment and makes the use of the plant in urban areas possible. For this solution, Kleemann received the Baden-Württemberg Environmental Technology Award in 2019.
Metso Outotec is introducing a unique drag-and-drop 3D crushing and screening plant configurator that enables professionals in the mining and aggregates industries to design more productive and efficient plant through real-time insights. The design and simulation tool, called My Plant Planner, is available on metso.com and is free for anyone to use.
“We are really excited about My Plant Planner. Our aim is to help our customers easily test different configurations and operating conditions to see how they affect process performance. The tool allows you to either design and simulate a new crushing and screening plant in 3D or test how upgrading your current equipment can improve performance,” explains Guillaume Lambert, vice president, Crushing Systems at Metso Outotec.
My Plant Planner is packed full of unique features and insights to help in the planning of optimised crushing and screening circuits. It is also possible to download a detailed report of the designed plant. The tool is based on proprietary Metso software VPS and Bruno. Unique to My Plant Planner is the possibility to design and simulate the ideal crushing and screening circuit in the same tool in 3D. The configurator makes it easy to predict the general power consumption of the system and to see the footprint of the circuit - a feature exclusive to My Plant Planner.
With the tool, you can pick and choose different types of crushers, screens and conveyors to get the perfect balance for the circuit and easily identify bottlenecks to understand where extra capacity is needed. Important factors, such as capacity, load, and power draw are updated in real time as the circuit is designed and the parameters updated. At any point, it is possible to download a report that gathers together all the details about the plant being designed. It includes details on the chosen crushers, screens, conveyors and their parameters, including power consumption.
Sand manufacturer Kasprs Build Mate inaugurated a new plant for processing off-spec particles in Pune, India, in mid-2019. The centrepiece of the plant is the rotor impact mill from BHS-Sonthofen, which, in contrast to conventional VSI (vertical shaft impactor) rotor crushers, even further reduces fine grain sizes. Kasprs can thus make use of off-spec material from other companies to produce high-quality plaster sand and dry mortar sand for the construction industry. High economic efficiency goes hand in hand with the conservation of natural sand reserves.
Kasprs Build Mate is a company based in Pune in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The range of products includes sand, mortar, and concrete as well as bricks for the steadily growing Indian construction industry. Major projects in the mega-cities also require sand of the highest quality. Unregulated mining of this basic raw material leads to numerous environmental problems such as erosion, water pollution, and increased risk of flooding and drought. It is, therefore, essential to use this resource as efficiently as possible.
Sand production using conventional VSI rotor crushers, as they are often used in India, produces a large volume of off-spec particles, which are 10 to 15mm in size and remain in the circuit without being crushed any further. These off-spec particles can account for up to 35% of the total volume. As they are of no more use to the sand manufacturers, they are backfilled. Kasprs Build Mate was looking for a way to turn this surplus material into high-quality sand as well.
Himanshu Mavadiya, production applications manager at BHS India, identified the RPM 1513 rotor impact mill as the perfect tool for this task: “Our RPM 1513 delivers a targeted and very high crushing ratio, which has a consistent grading curve over the entire tool lifetime. It is, therefore, able to produce sand of the highest quality with an excellent particle shape from the surplus material of conventional rotor crushers.” The producer benefits considerably from this and, in addition, every tonne of sand that can be produced from off-spec particles slows down the depletion of natural sand deposits.
BHS-Sonthofen has a modern test centre where the material to be processed can be tested in advance in various machines. “In this particular case, we are dealing with basalt – a magmatic rock that presents some challenges,” says Mavadiya. “The BHS experts in Germany were able to carry out tests using a rock sample, allowing them to select the ideal machine and determine the best settings, too.” The customer did not want to leave anything to chance in this project and therefore inspected the machine at the German production site. The key goal was not only to find the right technology for the application but also one that stood out from competing suppliers in the Indian region in terms of quality.
The selected RPM 1513 rotor impact mill fulfilled all expectations right from the start. In total, several hundred thousand tonnes of high-quality sand have already been produced. Anup Karwa, project manager at Kasprs Build Mate, is satisfied: “For our company, efficient value creation and thus resource savings is an enormously important decision factor when it comes to choosing a new technology. BHS-Sonthofen convinced us on-site with their modern test centre, experienced shredding experts, and robust, high-performance machines.”
In the meantime, the sand produced by the BHS rotor impact mill has become a brand in its own right. “Customers have taken to calling this high-quality product Kasprs Sand. This name stands for optimal, homogeneous particle shape. And despite the somewhat higher price, it has become a sought-after construction raw material, especially for ambitious projects,” reports Karwa. In contrast to naturally occurring sand, which often has to be shipped over vast distances and is sometimes of dubious origin, this sand is also a local product. The basalt rock mined in the vicinity of the plant has been made fully usable by BHS technology
