Capital Equipment News April 2022

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

Advanced vibration analysis systems such as Haver & Boecker Niagara’s Pulse allow the user to measure the health of a vibrating screen and spot irregularities invisible to the naked eye.

Embrace diagnostics technology to maximise plant productivity

Increasing infrastructure and construction needs create a demand for constant innovation in howmaterial is collected and processed. Mines and quarries must stay on the cutting edge to keep up, maximising productivity and profits in a rapidly changing industry. One way producers are doing this is by embracing advanced technology and diagnostics processes. By Wilm Schulz , service manager, Haver & Boecker Niagara

M ining and quarrying are deep-rooted busi nesses. The oldest known mine is located in southern Africa and was active during the Stone Age – some 43 000 years ago. Possibly even more incredible are the ancient mines that are still producing. Fast forward to today, where we find an industry with a long history now characterised by advanced technology and innovative processes. The product hasn’t changed, but increasing infrastructure and construction needs create a demand for constant innovation in how material is collected and processed. Mines and quarries must maximise productivity and profits in a rapidly changing industry. Predict and optimise digitally Plant simulation software helps operations to spot and fix bottlenecks and take some of the guesswork out of plant design. This tool provides an overall view of the

efficiency of the entire operation in order to optimise processes and look at opportunities for improvement, both in the case of existing sites and new mines or quar ries for all mineral processing applications. Such programs analyse dozens of different process equipment pieces, from crushers and vibrating screens to material washers and conveyers. Beyond equipment, the systems use scientific-based methods to monitor the operation’s input, output and waste piles. Plant simulation software is used by OEMs to diagram plant flow by calculating the mass and volumetric flow rates with machine-specific operating parameters when looking at machine placement. The software is also ideal for product pre-calculations when changing products or production rates, including dry and wet crushing, screening and sorting processes. While several brands of plant simulation software exist, few are created by equipment OEMs. Software functionality is certainly a critical element, but perhaps

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