Vibrocone - Cone Crusher

Vibrocone’s crushing capacity and product size are determined by three factors: the rotational speed, the hydraulically adjustable discharge opening and the unbalanced weight setting.

While the unbalanced weight is set just once for a certain application, the rotational speed and discharge opening can be changed as the crushing proceeds. This makes it possible to have a much larger discharge opening, which increases the crushing capacity with the same minimum product size. Vibrocone should be choke fed and can at any time be easily started and stopped with material in it.

What if a crusher could also handle the first stages of grinding? The whole comminution process would be much more streamlined, with great savings in investment, workload, energy and consequently, money.

Upgrading for downstream efficiency

The Vibrocone crusher is the next generation of crushing technology, combining the best of conventional crushing and grinding principles to produce an unprecedented amount of finely crushed product. The particles are not only crushed between the liner surfaces in the crushing chamber; they are also to a higher degree crushed by each other in a high pressure inter-particle crushing action. The result is a crusher moving into the grinding performance area. This breakthrough gives Vibrocone extraordinary potential. Just think about how much more efficient the grinding phase will be with a P50=3mm (1/8″) mill feed.
 
For a better future

The Vibrocone crusher is in operation at copper, gold and iron ore mine sites, and provides highly increased efficiency in the comminution process. Substantial amounts of energy are saved – greatly benefitting both the environment and your bottom line. Vibrocone from Sandvik opens the door to a better future in mining.

• Crushers are typically ten times more energy efficient than mills
• By producing a much finer mill feed, Vibrocone also handles the first stages of grinding – in a dry process
• Off-loading work from the downstream milling process saves up to 30% energy
• Meeting increases in energy prices and environmental regulations
• Greatly benefitting the bottom line

As the world demand for energy is rising, there is a need for more energy efficient processes and products. The mining industry consumes about 5% of the world’s electrical energy and will have to play its role in reducing energy consumption. When it comes to the different phases in mining, it is the comminution process that uses by far the most energy. Today crushing and grinding requires about 40% of a mine site’s total energy consumption. What if there were a more energy efficient way?

Save up to 30% energy

Crushers are more energy efficient than mills. By also taking care of the first stages of grinding, Vibrocone provides increased efficiency, which leads to reduced energy usage by up to 30% for the downstream process. The crushing process is dry, also reducing the overall need for water. This is not only benefits the bottom line, but also lowers the production unit’s CO2 footprint – making a contribution to the environment.

A greener investment

A case study by Ausenco of a 10 million metric tonnes per annum copper operation in South America has shown the Vibrocone™ alternative to be the lowest cost option providing an energy saving in the range of 20% relative to the SAG mill alternative.

The product from the Vibrocone crusher is so fine that it enables new alternatives for eco-efficient comminution.

1. In an existing circuit with a rod mill stage, the rod mills can be replaced by Vibrocone crushers and the product can be sent straight to a ball mill stage.
2. In an existing 3-stage crushing plant with ball mills,
3. Vibrocone crushers can be installed as replacement of tertiary crushers and/or added as a quaternary (pre-grinding) stage and the performance of the ball mills will be considerably improved. Throughput of the mine can be increased; energy consumption and total cost per ton can be decreased.
4. In a greenfield project, a Vibrocone solution could be the best alternative if evaluated against SAG mill or high pressure grinding roll.

Vibrocone benefits from state of the art rock breaking technology. Material is crushed by means of multiple compressions and a large top size in the feed is accepted just as with a traditional cone crusher. Material is crushed in a thick material bed and exposed to optimal controlled force that can be adjusted, as in high pressure grinding rolls. Material is crushed against material, as in AG and SAG mills.

Using existing infrastructure

In mining operations, Vibrocone can fit in and replace an existing crusher. Feed arrangements and discharge with product conveyor belts require minimal changes in most cases. Vibrocone can be adapted to the same footprint as a conventional 7′ crusher so there is no need to rebuild the entire concrete foundation. The installation of Vibrocone is therefore relatively easy, cost effective and enables the quick start of operations.

Material is exposed to a controlled maximum force that can be adjusted. This force is applied to every sector of the crushing zone as the movement is not restricted.

• Material is crushed by means of multiple compressions and between each compression the particles are free to relocate their positions.
• Crushing chamber has an increasing diameter that gives more surface area as process goes finer.
• Material is crushed in a thick material bed.
• Material is crushed against material in an autogenous process.

Safety has always been one of the cornerstones in Sandvik’s values and safety considerations come first. When developing Vibrocone, we identified a number of issues that we worked on to achieve our ambition of providing the safest equipment on the market.

The Vibrocone design makes it possible to automatically detect and safely react to uncrushable objects like tramp metal. As uncrushable objects restrict the movement of the mantle the power input will drop immediately. Crushing will continue until the object has passed through. If by chance it gets stuck inside due to its size, the feed will stop. Operation can continue gently at reduced speed and force in order to empty the crushing chamber of material, so that the unwanted object can easily be removed.

The Vibrocone doesn’t normally need any human involvement once operating conditions are set up for the specific application. Crusher performance and power input as well as wear compensation is supervised and regulated around the clock by the automation. The warning system will monitor the crusher and alert the operator if, for example, an uncrushable object is stuck because it couldn’t pass. In addition there is a historical database with all operating parameters in the control to assist with performance analysis.

Maintenance procedures from conventional cone crushers are well recognized. For wear liner change, the regulating ring is hydraulically unscrewed and the mainshaft  is lifted out. In support of achieving Sandvik’s safety ambition, Vibrocone has no backing material for fixing the mantle and concave.

Additionally, all crushed material areas are separated from any mechanical parts of the machine and the crusher product is discharged via an outlet chute of just 500 x 500 mm.

There is also a 360° access to the crushing chamber and dust seal from six hatches.