Unique crusher distributor plates boost Indian quarry production

Installing new distributor plates has seen a south Indian granite quarry increase its plate operational lifetime by between 400-500%. Panchami Stone has fitted the unique HX900 plates to the 85 HP rotor of its Sandvik Construction CV218 VSI, directly benefitting from the longest wear life on the market today, reducing its replacement costs by 50%.

The Panchami Stone granite quarry is located 60 km from Bangalore, in the south of India. The company originally acquired a Sandvik Construction UH311 Cone Crusher and a UV312 Vertical Shaft Impact crusher (VSI) in 2014 and 2015 respectively. The latter is fitted with Sandvik’s state of the art CV218 VSI which has proved ideal for manufacturing a superior sand product. This new plant operation replaced the company’s old jaw to jaw crusher configuration which had proved unable to produce the desired material fractions and end product quality.

The Sandvik wheeled semi-mobile cone and VSI crusher configuration has proved to be the ideal solution for manufacturing sand. Panchami Stone has also benefitted from improved production, reduced emissions and a lower cost per ton operation with the CV218 providing many real benefits over other autogenous VSI crushers. This has meant that Panchami Stone has had nothing but praise for its CV218 and cone crusher plant, which have delivered optimised production meeting its exacting requirements.

Demanding feed material

The 0-36mm granite feed material at the Panchami Stone quarry is fed from the cone into the VSI, from which the manufactured sand product is produced, at a rate of 40 000 t per month. Due to its shape the sand product has proved to be superior to naturally occurring sand, thereby providing the local construction industry with a highly valued commodity. The problem for Panchami Stone was that with a work index of 18-20, and an abrasion index of 0.5-0.6, as well as a bulk density of 1.6 m³ t, meant that the distributor plates on the VSI had to be replaced at regular intervals. This was not only affecting production, but also proving to be very costly in both time and money.

Losing production

The distributor plates Panchami Stone was using for the 85 HP rotor of the VSI had to be replaced after every 18 000 t. This meant that 2-3 plates had to be replaced each month, with production being affected due to increased down time and longer service intervals which were having a negative effect on production costs.

Panchami Stone raised its problem with the Sandvik Construction team in India. Although very happy with the operation of the VSI, the company was becoming increasingly concerned about the effect the feed material was having on the distributor plate, and the number of replacements having to be made each month. The Sandvik India team suggested changing the type of distributor plate to be used, and suggested one of Sandvik Construction’s latest developments – the HX900.

New solution

Sandvik’s new HX900 distributor plates is a unique wear protection solution that provides lower maintenance and operating costs, as well as resulting in fewer maintenance stops. These factors all result in higher capacity over time. In terms of wear protection solutions, HX900 distributor plates deliver the lowest cost per ton produced and more profit customers. Additionally ease of fitting is inbuilt into the design, with the new HX900 distributor plates being easily locked onto an adapter plate.

The plates possess the longest wear life on the market today. This is due to a patented design, which consists of three different wear materials, and results in wear life being about five times longer than with conventional white iron distributor plates. Longer wear life means a minimum of maintenance stops, saving time on changing distributor plates.

A wear indicator clearly shows when it is time to change plates, and when it comes to changing plates, there is no need to lift off the crusher’s upper section. No crane needed, and no time wasted, resulting in easier and safer installation. This last feature is further aided as the distributor plate is split into three parts, weighing only 5 kg each. This makes handling easier and speeds up installation; a more user-friendly design resulting in safer service routines.

Real benefits delivered

Panchami Stone was skeptical at first that the HX900 plates would be the solution to its problem. Sandvik however convinced the company to trial the HX900 distributor plates and the results were impressive. In fact following the adoption of the HX900, the distributor plates now only have to be replaced after 80 000 t of production; a staggering improvement of up to 500%, with an operational cost saving of 50%.

In addition to the above, the handling of the plates is much easier and speeds up their installation. This is due to its lighter, and more user-friendly, weight which also makes routine service safer. Possessing the longest wear life on the market, the HX900 plates require fewer stops, lower maintenance and operating costs, delivering more production. This resulting higher capacity has ensured that now Panchami Stone is able to benefit from the lowest cost per ton, whilst enjoying peace of mind and improved confidence in its production capabilities.

Adapted from press release by Joseph Green

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/indian-subcontinent/20012016/unique-crusher-distributor-plates-boost-indian-quarry-350/