Matching crushers and screens for best results

Achieving the best results in the process circuit starts with matching the crushers and screens, argues Kenny Mayhew-Ridgers, regional business director at Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions South Africa. With the Kwatani product now being part of the global Sandvik group, this alignment becomes easier as customers get the benefit of one supply partner who is focused on both the screening and crushing parameters when designing a solution.

“The Kwatani product can now give their vibrating screen customers added benefits in this regard, being part of the global Sandvik group – which is well known for its crushing solutions,” says Mayhew-Ridgers. “The advantage is that the Kwatani screens can be specified and optimised with Sandvik’s range of crushers – ensuring that the key elements of the circuit are perfectly matched.”

Earlier this year, Kwatani and the mining related business of Schenck Process Group (SP Mining) were incorporated into the Sandvik group within Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions South Africa. Mayhew-Ridgers explains that the screens and crushers in any mineral processing plant are two critical lines of equipment – and they need to be well integrated to optimise the performance of both.

“There is a risk that operators and service technicians may focus on the one item without taking into account the impact of the other,” he says. “The settings and parameters on both the screens and crushers must suit the mined material and must be perfectly aligned for best results.”

If the crusher is not delivering the required size distribution of material, for instance, the screen will not perform to expectation. The Kwatani product is now able to specify a vibrating screen along with the optimal Sandvik crusher specification, he explains.

“With Sandvik as the OEM for both equipment lines, we bring our in-depth product insight into how the different equipment will best serve the customer’s specific requirements,” he says.

An integrated solution is based on a careful assessment of the nature and size distribution of the material which will be fed into the crushing and screening circuit, says Gavin McLaggan, Lifecycle Services Manager for Africa at Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions South Africa. This opens the door to increased efficiency and bottom-line profitability.

“Among the improvements that can be achieved are reduced energy consumption and less wear on the crusher liners – while gaining more throughput,” says McLaggan. “Where there are changes to the orebody and resulting material, there may be an opportunity to change the particle size distribution (PSD) and raise the throughput further.”

The Kwatani product’s inclusion into Sandvik has facilitated a valuable two-way sharing of knowledge on screening technology, says Mayhew-Ridgers. This is a considerable benefit for customers as decades of research and development are combined.