Capital Equipment News August 2021

CRUSHING

Trio cone crusher installed at a sand and aggregate plant in South Africa.

The evolution of crushing equipment The evolution of crushing equipment continues apace, with safety, modularity and versatility among the key drivers of change in design. Additionally, experts from Pilot Crushtec International and Weir Minerals Africa tell Capital Equipment News' Munesu Shoko that improvements in technology have seen automation finding its way in new crushing equipment, with the latest developments in IoT set to usher in new levels of live and remote monitoring capabilities. M anufacturers offering crushing equipment have over the years contin- ued to evolve their offerings in response to the ever-changing needs of the market. Mobility, versatility and safety have been some of the key factors in the development of new models, with many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) also offering new options in the form of electric and hybrid drive systems. Safety is one of the key parameters influencing the design of new crushing gear. Theodore Hendricks, product manager, Comminution at Weir Minerals Africa, tells Capital Equipment News that safety has always been a key focus for Weir Minerals as part of its crushing equipment designs, coupled with the fundamental goal of engineering crushing plants that meet both the production requirements and the need for cost efficiency (CAPEX and OPEX).

“Given the ever increasing energy costs, OEMs are always under pressure to be innovative at reducing power consumption, while remaining cost effective. With safety rules becoming ever more stringent on sites where crushing equipment is operating, OEMs are challenged to balance cost- effectiveness and maximising safety of the equipment and plants,” says Hendricks. Jorge Abelho, director technical support at Pilot Crushtec, says that as an OEM, and having designed both modular and mobile machinery for mining, Pilot Crushtec strongly believes that there should never be a compromise on safety. However, in reality, he says, materials handling and crushing applications are dangerous processes that involve risk. Machines are large, heavy and powerful so there will always be a risk for the people operating, servicing and repairing this type of equipment. “In our experience, the best safety features are mechanical aspects designed into the machine from the conceptual stage. Doing this tends to be more challenging and requires creativity and technical engineering skills from the equipment designer. Key examples include providing easily accessible lifting points, walkways in hard to reach areas and keeping items that have to be handled by hand lightweight. One of the current trends is to use smart sensors that can control process elements

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