Create a Crusher Bottleneck : The majority of the plants today suffer from a lack of screening Greater

crusher capacity could further overload the screens

Mark F. Krause

Superpave is a national specification guideline with a lofty goal: improve the quality of our roads. There have been
many articles written about the basic specifications themselves, and following are some ideas about producing quality
aggregates.

Screen first

Instead of focusing on crushing, take a look at the all-too-forgotten screen. The challenge is to make the crusher the
bottleneck of your plant. Too many times when it comes to improving plant output quality and/or quantity, the
seemingly easy answer is to change crushers. While a crusher change may be warranted, a screen change or
adjustment may prove more valuable.

How many plants have the screen as the bottleneck today? Adding a new crusher with greater capacity may only
cause the screen to be even more overloaded (if that is possible). Now, how many of your plants have the crusher as
the bottleneck? How many have more screen than they need today?

Look at the screen as the Ocash boxO of the plant. Obviously, nothing ends up in the correct product pile without
being properly sorted (screened). While the crusher makes a gradation, it is the screen that makes the specification.
While this is a simple principle to understand, it is difficult to practice.

While the focus is on speed, stroke and angle in the new generation cones, it is those same three elements that are
critical to screening. Unless you are operating single-deck screens, your screening operation is a compromise. While
the top deck, or coarse separation, is best run with a large stroke, slower speed and forward angle, the bottom deck
operates most efficiently with little stroke, higher speed and a more vertical angle.

The screen is often set at mid-point, which helps the middle deck, but may penalize the top and bottom decks. Many
screens that run separations of about 1 in. on the top deck, 1U2 in. on the middle and 4 mesh on the bottom are real
compromises. Which deck should be maximized? Check your screen set-up and determine whether it is still
appropriate for your current operation. It's possible that your screening requirements are different than when the
screen first went in.

Wider is better

It is also appropriate to look at the bed depth on each deck. There are two functions to every screen: sorting and
conveying. While the length of the screen affects the efficiency of the deck, the best way to solve a bed depth problem
is by utilizing a wider screen. Think of it as a conveyor system. If there is a small problem with capacity, operators
may try to speed it up. However, for more serious problems, wider is better. The particle must first see the opening
before it can fall through (stratification). Too deep of a bed depth will prevent the particle from seeing this opening
(separation). Stratification must occur before separation can occur.

Again, the ideal strategy is to make the crusher the bottleneck of the plant. The majority of the plants suffer from a
lack of screening. To obtain top performance from a new generation cone, it is important to keep the cone full of the
right feed. It is understood that keeping a cone choke fed assures maximum throughput and the best particle shape.

With a better understanding of the new particle-on-particle layered crushing, consider the input feed gradation. Proper
or improper screening directly aids or hinders the cone from providing the optimal output. After the manufacturer has
done its best to set up your crusher for your application, what you feed the crusher on a daily basis affects the output
in quantity and quality.

Fractionated circuits
A fractured plant blends narrow-sized materials to meet customer specifications. Because the material is being
screened to similar sizes (i.e.: 1U2, 3U8, 1U4 on one screen), the operator can more easily set the proper stroke,
speed and angle.

However, be careful to watch bed depth (too little) and the amount of near-sized material. In a fractionated plant,
screening can be more difficult than at a blended operation. Be careful of your screen sizing.

European operations have examined the flakiness of material for many years, any many operations there have a Ode-
flakingO screen. The idea is to separate the quality material from some of the flat and elongated pieces. This makes
screening an aggressive and positive operation.

While crushing may be necessary to improve your overall performance, look carefully at your screening. Don't increase
crushing capacity without considering screening capacity. While it may take some changing of chutework, conveyors
and even support structure, it may be the best and most cost-effective change you can make. It can also make the
difference between producing a properly shaped material and a poorly shaped one.

New technology cones

The new breeds of cones have had modifications made to their stroke, angles and speeds in an attempt to provide
better particle-on-particle layered crushing. This was done to increase the quality, as well as the quantity, of the cone
output. As material is squeezed in a compression crusher, it breaks to fill the voids or air pockets of the chamber.
Operators who are used to setting their cone at 1/2 in. for 1/2-in.-minus material and letting it run, should learn a
little about the new cones before buying.

Also, it is important to install surge and process controls before spending money on a new crusher. The controls may
provide enough shape improvement that a new crusher won't be necessary. And, even if a new cone is required, the
controls will be needed for it.

After the purchase

With the proper feed gradation and the correct liner configuration, the size and amount of voids will help particle
shape. Chamber design, utilization of the full crushing chamber, and full choke feeding are concepts and practices that
have been understood for years. The concept of multi-layered vs. traditional cone crushing is something that is much
more difficult.

What you feed the cone and how much you feed the cone will affect both throughput volume and shape. Speed control
with a cone is similar to working with an impactor. Run the cone faster for more fines, better particle shape, and
generally less throughput. The crusher is not a pump. The material must be allowed to flow before the next
compression. Normally, the coarser the feed, the slower the speed.

The vertical shaft impactor (VSI) is a great tool for creating quality output material. It is also a rather confusing tool
since there are so many factors affecting performance: configuration of crusher, speed, feed type, feed gradation and
wear rate. However, feed rate is not a major factor. Though feed rate affects wear costs and does somewhat affect
crusher efficiency, a VSI does not require surge control or choke feeding to produce a quality output material.

Consider a VSI

It is always desired in any operation to have surge control (it helps the screening, as well as the crushing), but it is
not necessary. Output shape will be different depending on the crusher configuration. Some material will be cubical,
some will be more rounded. Reduction potential will be different in the various configurations. Some are crushers and
shapers in one, others are basically shapers. Many VSIs allow for easy change out from one configuration to the other.
At approximately one third the cost of a compression machine, a VSI should when considering a crusher purchase.

The down side is always the wear cost. New metallurgy and configurations have lowered wear costs in all applications.
Test your material, because it is the only way to know. One misconception about the VSI is that it makes a lot of fines.
There are installations today where the VSI will make less fines than the new breed of cones.
Reduction ratio is the common thread between these two very different crushers. Though the VSI can create a higher
ratio than the cone crusher, keeping the reduction at 4 to 6 to 1 is critical for quality output. It would be nice to
accomplish all reduction in one stage. Sometimes, this is possible. But, for the rest of you, keeping all of the
aforementioned parameters in check will lead to producing the right quantity of quality material. Follow your instincts.

Producers continue to look for ways to make quality material. Look first at your screening, then at your surge or
process controls and, finally, at your crushers. It is a systematic approach that should yield the best results. PQ

Mark F. Krause is the product management director at Cedarapids Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

CHALLENGE

Producers look to meet strict Superpave specifications.

SOLUTION

Look first at your screening, then your surge or process controls and finally at your crushers.

TIP

Don't make the mistake of increasing crushing capacity without considering screening capacity.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Questex Media Group, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning