Three tips to optimize your processing plant

Operators should forecast their production needs by meeting with their sales team and customers to talk about trends in the marketplace – what customers are buying and what customers aren’t – to determine a production schedule. The production schedule will be a combination of the sales forecast and what the plant can actually produce.

Additionally, work with a complete management team to establish a realistic sales forecast, and review it regularly.

3. Maintain circuit performance

The key to maintain the circuit’s production performance is to establish procedures that identify how each component is operating. Each piece of equipment has its own operating parameters.

To maintain crusher performance, for example, operators should follow these steps:

• Understand crusher design limits

• Keep a daily operator’s log

• Maintain a proper, well-blended feed to the center of the crusher

• Minimize feed segregation

• Select the proper crusher liners

• Change liners when a 10 percent decrease in productivity is noticed

• Maintain proper feed top size to the crusher

• Adjust crusher closed-side settings frequently

• Maintain proper crusher drive belt tension

• Maintain clean crusher lubricating oil.

Separately, operators should do the following to maintain screen performance:

• Check and maintain proper screen media and stroke

• Select the proper screen media

• Inspect screen media for wear or failure frequently

• Inspect media tension

• Make sure the screen is fed correctly

• Maintain adequate clearance around the screen body

• Maintain proper drive belt tension

• Lubricate screen bearings per the manufacturer’s instruction

• Check the spring condition and the snubber adjustment

Conveyors also need to be maintained, so operators should do the following to keep those running smoothly:

• Inspect conveyor idlers, including the carrying and return

• Inspect conveyor pulleys, including the head, tail and gravity take-up

• Inspect conveyor belt condition and tension

• Inspect belt splice

• Check and maintain proper drive belt tension

• Change the reducer oil per the manufacturer’s instruction

• Lubricate conveyor bearings per the manufacturer’s instruction

Preventive maintenance programs

Scheduled maintenance is the only way to ensure the circuit continues to produce. Taking time each shift, week, month, quarter or year to inspect components can prevent unexpected and, often, costly breakdowns.

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