How To Maintain Your Mineral Sizer

Introduce

Mineral Sizer, as a core crushing equipment for the mining, construction materials, and energy industries, can efficiently process medium-hard and hard materials such as coal, ores, and rocks. Its simple structure and stable operation are inseparable from scientific maintenance and care.

Mineral Sizer

The mineral sizer is a widely used primary crushing and secondary crushing equipment. It is mainly used to crush various medium-hard and hard materials, such as coal, ores, rocks, salt, etc., through the squeezing, splitting and grinding effects of the toothed rollers, into products of the desired particle size.

This equipment has a relatively simple structure, stable and reliable operation, high crushing efficiency, and convenient maintenance. It has been widely applied in multiple industries such as mining, building materials, energy, and chemical engineering.

Working Principle

The mineral sizer is mainly composed of a feed hopper, a crushing chamber, two rotating discs facing each other, a driving device, and a discharge port adjustment device, etc. During operation, materials enter the crushing chamber from the feed hopper.

Under the drive of the two discs, the materials are subjected to compression and shearing, thus being crushed. The crushed materials then exit through the discharge port, enabling continuous production. The tooth shape design on the surface of the discs helps enhance the crushing effect and guides the materials to move downward.

Main structural components

The key components of the mineral sizer include the disc rollers, liners, bearings, transmission device, frame, etc. Among them, the disc rollers are the core component directly involved in the crushing process, and their surface tooth shape and material have a direct impact on the crushing effect and the lifespan of the equipment;

the liners are used to protect the frame and withstand the impact of the materials; the bearings are responsible for supporting the rotation of the disc rollers; the transmission device provides power; and the frame constitutes the overall skeleton of the equipment. Each component works collaboratively to ensure the efficient and stable operation of the equipment.

Appearance of the equipment

The overall appearance of the mineral sizer is in the form of a cuboid structure. It is mainly composed of the crushing chamber, the transmission system, the feed port, the discharge port, and auxiliary components.

Its appearance features directly reflect the operating status and maintenance requirements of the equipment. When describing the appearance of the equipment, the following key parts should be given particular attention:

Crushing Chamber

This is the core working area of the mineral sizer, consisting of two pairs of rotating disks and the frame. When observing the interior of the crushing chamber, one should pay attention to the wear condition of the disks, whether the tooth shape is intact, and whether there are cracks or deformations, etc.

It is recommended to measure and record the wear data regularly. At the same time, the parallelism and center distance of the two disks should be checked. Deviations that are too large will affect the crushing effect and the lifespan of the disks.

Transmission system

Usually located on one side or at the top of the equipment, it includes motors, gearboxes, reducers, etc. It is necessary to check the lubrication condition of the transmission components and the meshing condition of the gears. Abnormal vibration or noise may originate from this part.

Feed inlet and discharge outlet

The design of the feed inlet should facilitate the entry of materials into the crushing chamber without significant obstruction. At the discharge outlet, a screening device or adjustment device may be equipped. Check for any blockages, wear, or whether the adjustment mechanism is flexible.

Safety protection

Necessary safety guards, emergency stop buttons, etc. should be equipped on the exterior of the equipment. The guards should be installed firmly without any damage to ensure the safety of operators. The emergency stop buttons should be prominent and easy to operate.

Frame and support

The frame is the skeleton of the equipment. It is necessary to check whether it is deformed or cracked, and whether the support legs are stable. The strength and stability of the frame directly affect the operational safety of the equipment.

Daily inspection

Before starting the machine

Power supply and circuit: Check if the wire connections are secure, for any damage or aging, and avoid short circuits or leakage.

Lubrication system: Check the oil levels in the gearbox and bearings, ensuring they are within the scale lines and the oil is clear (free of impurities or emulsification).

Safety devices: Confirm that the guardrails, emergency stop buttons are in good condition, and there is no debris blocking the feed and discharge ports.

Monitoring during operation

Sound: Normal operation should be a uniform “buzzing” sound. If there is a metallic rubbing or impact sound, it may be that the toothed rollers are caught with foreign objects or the gears are worn.

Vibration: Slight vibration is normal. If the machine body shakes violently, stop the machine for inspection to check if the toothed rollers are parallel and if the anchor bolts are loose.

Temperature: Use an infrared thermometer to measure the bearings and the motor housing. If the temperature exceeds 60℃, be vigilant (it may be due to insufficient lubrication or overload).

Post-shutdown inspection

Gear roller cleaning: Remove any residual materials on the surface (especially sticky materials such as wet coal) to prevent blockage that could affect the next feed.

Outlet port inspection: Ensure there is no material accumulation. If there is any blockage, it should be cleared promptly to prevent clogging upon next startup.

Fasteners: Quickly check the bolts of the bearing housing and the motor base. If any are loose, tighten them immediately.

Regular maintenance

Daily maintenance

Cleaning: Use a high-pressure air gun or brush to remove dust from the crushing chamber, the surface of the toothed roller, and the equipment shell.

Lubrication: Add lubricating grease to the moving parts such as bearings and transmission gears (add according to the model specified in the manual, avoid mixing)

Weekly maintenance

Toothed roller wear detection: Use a caliper to measure the tooth height. If the wear exceeds 30% of the original height, record it and plan for replacement; check if the tooth shape is intact, and whether there are broken teeth or cracks.

Liner plates and frame: Check if the liner plates are loose or worn, and if the frame is deformed or has peeling paint (peeling areas should be promptly painted to prevent rust).

Hydraulic system: Check for leaks in the oil pipes, and ensure the hydraulic rods at the discharge outlet are flexible.

Monthly/Quarterly maintenance

The long-term stable operation of the Mineral Sizer cannot be achieved without in-depth maintenance on a monthly and quarterly basis. This includes:

Component replacement: Replace severely worn toothed rollers, bearings, and other wear-prone parts (it is recommended to have spare parts of the same model to reduce downtime).

Transmission system maintenance: Open the gearbox to check the gear meshing condition. If there is abnormal noise or excessive clearance, adjust or replace.

Toothed roller calibration: Use a level gauge to detect the parallelism of the toothed roller. If the deviation exceeds 0.5mm, adjust the position of the bearing seat to ensure uniform crushing size.

Gear Roller Maintenance

Analysis of Wear Causes

The gear roller is the component that wears out the fastest. Common causes include:

Material characteristics: When processing materials with high hardness (such as granite) or high abrasiveness (such as quartz sand), wear accelerates.

Improper operation: If the feed size exceeds the equipment’s limit (for example, 1000mm material entering an 800mm feed port), the gear roller will be subjected to uneven force, leading to localized wear.

Insufficient lubrication: Poor lubrication of the bearings can cause slight wobbling of the gear roller, intensifying local wear.

Wear Monitoring and Handling

Daily Monitoring: Use a profilometer to measure the tooth shape every week, record the wear data, and create a wear trend chart (to predict replacement time in advance).

Mild Wear: When the tooth tip becomes slightly rounded, it can be restored by grinding, extending the usage by 1-2 months.

Moderate Wear: When the tooth height wears by 20%-30%, if the tooth roller body is intact, the tooth shape can be re-repaired by overlay welding (selecting wear-resistant welding rods).

Severe Wear: When the tooth shape is incomplete or cracks appear on the roller body, the entire part must be replaced (to avoid excessive fragmentation size).Severe Wear: When the tooth shape is incomplete or cracks appear on the roller body, the entire part must be replaced (to avoid excessive fragmentation size).

Techniques for extending the lifespan of the toothed rollers

Select the appropriate toothed rollers based on the hardness of the material (e.g., high-chromium alloy toothed rollers for hard rocks, ordinary alloy for coal).

Maintain uniformity of the feed to avoid concentrated impact on a certain section of the toothed roller.

Regularly clean the debris between the teeth to prevent hard particles from getting stuck and causing local wear.

Common Fault Handling

Emergency Faults

Sudden shutdown: This may be due to motor overload or circuit tripping. At this point, check if the feed volume is overloaded. After confirming there are no abnormalities, reset the tripping switch and restart the machine.

Smoke from bearings: This is usually caused by dry lubricating oil or stuck bearings. Immediately stop the machine, replace the bearings and clean the old oil. Then add new oil.

Blockage at the discharge port: This is usually caused by the high viscosity of the material or the small size of the discharge port. First, remove the blockage, and then adjust the discharge port size according to the material condition (for wet materials, a heating and drying method can be used for auxiliary treatment).

Complex faults

Hydraulic system leakage: It is necessary to check the degree of aging of the sealing ring or diagnose the fault of the hydraulic valve. The technician will replace the sealing parts and adjust the pressure.

Electrical control system failure: If the motor frequently trips, or the PLC program is incorrect, professional electricians need to troubleshoot the circuit or reprogram.

Safe operation

Shutting down and power disconnection: Before maintenance, make sure to cut off the main power supply and hang a “Under Maintenance, Do Not Close Switch” warning sign.

Tool specifications: Use insulated tools to handle electrical components. When cleaning the broken cavity, use a dedicated long-handled tool (do not reach in your hands).

Personnel protection: Wear safety helmets, protective gloves and slip-resistant shoes. Avoid inhaling dust (a dust mask can be worn if desired).

Test run requirements: After maintenance, run the machine without load for 5 minutes first. Confirm there are no abnormalities before feeding materials (leave someone to watch the emergency stop button during the first run).

Conclusion

The efficient operation of Mineral Sizer is inseparable from the concept of “prevention first and timely maintenance”.Conclusion Through daily inspections, regular maintenance, and targeted handling of tooth roller wear, not only can the equipment lifespan be extended, but also the crushing efficiency and particle size stability can be guaranteed.