In the comminution industry cone crushers are widely used for secondary
and subsequent stages of size reduction. Traditionally cone crushers have
been operated and monitored manually. Alteration of discharge setting is
now commonly achieved via hydraulic means, however, compensation of
liner wear can still involve plant shutdown and loss of production. Drift in
discharge setting due to liner wear is still a major problem that must be
addressed to improve product quality, consistency and reduce
recirculating load. The continuous demand for better quality products and the high cost of
reprocessing or discarding unsaleable material, highlights the need for
re-examination of the technology associated with the crushers to ensure
optimum control and system efficiency. A collaborative project between
Pegson Ltd, one of the leading UK manufacturers of jaw and cone
crushers, De Montfort University Leicester, and Transfer Technology plc
was established to address the technological requirement for automation
of the control of cone crushers. The machine chosen for the study is a 900
Autocone cone crusher manufactured by Pegson Ltd. The design philosophy is based on a mechatronic approach providing a
complete solution through a distributed network of intelligent sensors,
artificial intelligence technology and adaptive control. The modular
design of the system ensures a progressive sophistication in technology
that allows the automation to be phased in as required. This will ensure
maximum benefits to all sectors of the aggregate industry. It is estimated
that the automation will result in savings of around ten per cent. The
savings will result from minimising the production of unsaleable products
by reliable condition monitoring and automation of the control and
maintenance of system parameters to optimise system efficiency. Extension of the methods and principles into the mining sector is
anticipated. The control over the size of crusher product will offer great
benefits to the mining industry with significant implications for
subsequent milling and beneficiation processes.