Installing a new crusher rotor has helped Serbia-based PZP Valjevo to ramp up production. ABE reports
Delivering higher production rates from existing equipment fleets is the aim of most quarry producers with the current limitations on capital expenditure for many sites in Europe. And that is exactly what one Serbia-based aggregates producer managed to do through installation of a new crusher rotor.
Sand and gravel producer
PZP's crusher was producing just 12 to 18tonnes per hour of 0-11mm material when working to capacity but the company was confident a higher production rate should be possible.
Sandvik's initial inspection of the sand manufacturing process found that the current VSI was operating at a relatively slow speed. This combined with the hardness of the natural gravel - together with the feed size of 8-20mm - were major contributory factors to the customers' production problems on site..
Sandvik look at the operating parameters of the existing rotor and suggested that it should be replaced with a retrofit Sandvik 85LP rotor and the speed increased to 55m/sec. The new system was quickly seen to be an improvement - with feed rate increased until the power consumption matched that of the previous set-up, the crusher was able to produce 36tonnes per hour.
Further testing showed that reducing the feed size from 16 to 32mm to 11 to 32mm allowed the production rate to be increased to 46tonnes per hour.
In addition to tripling the production rate, the new rotor also improved particle shape and reduced maintenance with lower vibration levels and a longer tip plate life.
PZP director Jasmin Gabribovic said he was very pleased with the result..
"Everything that Sandvik promised was true," he said. "Increased production, reduced maintenance downtime, no increase in power consumption and better quality aggregate."
