How Metso Outotec’s Chamber Optimization program can increase crushing efficiency

Metso Outotec has been optimizing crusher chambers around the world for decades, and the success of this program has resulted in dedicating an entire department to cover the global demand. The program is managed from three of its technical hubs, located in Finland, the USA, and Brazil. The company can perform hundreds of optimization cases for its customers every year.

The Chamber Optimization program optimizes the crushing chamber to help get the maximum performance out of a given crusher, enabling it to reduce or eliminate power issues, improve the crushing capacity, and significantly reduce crushing-related costs.

“Our experts can optimize crushing performance from a single crusher to an entire crushing circuit, depending on the customer’s needs,” said Tero Onnela, Metso Outotec’s Director, Engineering and RTD.

“For developing optimal crusher chambers, Metso Outotec uses a state-of-the-art computer-controlled simulation software, which has been developed by Metso Outotec over the course of several decades,” Onnela said. 

Most mining operations can benefit from Metso Outotec’s Chamber Optimization program. The concept of the program includes circular improvement cycles that can start with a single problem-solving event in a certain crushing stage and pass to the optimization of the entire crushing-circuit, one iteration at a time.

“Our program aims to deliver crushing solutions regardless of the operation type, scale, or machine brand. By engaging with the program our customers can achieve higher production, improve safety indicators, and end up with better financial performance at the end,” Onnela said.

“Chamber Optimization can improve the crushing performance by increasing the crusher’s wear life and maintaining the optimal chamber geometry during the crusher’s entire lifespan, significantly reducing production downtime. In parallel, it can improve the safety of site personnel by reducing the inherent maintenance risks that come with a liner change-out,” states Rafael Yanata, Product Manager, Mining Crushing Solutions.

Another benefit is that the crusher’s wear parts can be tailored so that the maintenance schedule is synchronized with other crushers on site or crushing stages to avoid unexpected downtime with isolated liner change-outs.

Increasing production capacity

Chamber optimization often results in improvements to production capacity. However, the total production capacity increase is not only coming from gains from a single crushing stage, but also from the interlinked downstream equipment. Crusher throughput capacity is not the only factor that needs to be considered. The key is to achieve the throughput levels with the proper gradation. 

This can be achieved by designing an application specific crushing chamber and can be combined with crusher parameter changes such as modifying the closed side setting, stroke or countershaft speed. Downstream equipment capacity, coming from crushers, grinding mills or HPRG can be influenced by the feed material produced by the optimized upstream crusher. Finally, taking a holistic approach to the crushing circuit provides the best possible result, as each stage in the circuit has an influence over the other stages. 

By running crusher and crushing process simulation softwares together, Metso Outotec’s experts can identify production capacity improvement opportunities for both the targeted crusher and the complete circuit.   In addition to immediate production capacity gains, taking a broader approach to production improvement can also help to reduce downtime. It can achieve this by extending the life of the wear parts or helping with additional recommendations that can speed up the relining event itself, leading to more uptime.

Metso Outotec has developed software such as Value Optimizer, that calculates the financial benefits for the optimization of a single crushing cavity or even the entire circuit. The software can calculate and project many key figures such as the direct savings, cost per tonne, increased production potential, sustainability contributions, safety and health improvement factors.

Increasing wear life and energy efficiency

Metso Outotec is constantly investing in research and development to improve the wear resistance of its liner offering.”

“The recent launch of the MX Mantles technology for primary gyratory crushers makes doubling the wear life a new reality. For crushing chamber design purposes, Metso Outotec has developed a unique laboratory pilot test methodology. As a result, based on the ore properties, specific chamber parameters can be determined to define an optimal crushing cavity. ”Yanata noted.

Together with the crusher simulation tool, it supports designing a crushing chamber with the best combination of throughput capacity, product curve and specific energy consumption (kWh/ton), helping to achieve a globally optimal result.

Crushing chamber design has a remarkable influence on wear part lifetime and energy consumption, in addition to helping to determine the correct wear part materials to be selected.

“The application of an optimized crushing chamber can reduce the energy consumption of a crusher by up to 30%, while still achieving the same reduction ratio and throughput capacity,” said Onnela. “An optimized crushing chamber profile can also influence the wear part lifetime drastically, further reducing the manufacturing and logistics related energy consumption.” Onnela said.

There are two perspectives to consider regarding energy efficiency improvements when optimizing a crusher chamber:

“First, from the manufacturing perspective, when we optimize parts and double the wear life, we are drastically reducing consumption which helps our products be more sustainable and more efficient. Consumption byproducts such as scrap material, melted steel, and all the energy needed for production can essentially be cut in half,” explained Yanata.

Second, for the customer, extending the wear life equates to a more energy efficient operation, reducing the environmental costs associated with transporting products, and minimizing the maintenance work and consumption related to the liner change-outs.

Optimal wear parts based on the crushing application

In the Chamber optimization program, optimal crusher wear parts are selected and delivered based on the customers’ targets and careful analysis of the crushing application.

“We know that every crushing process is unique. Also, crusher feed material properties are changing over time depending on the ore deposit. The changes can be quite drastic, especially in the ramp up phase of a new operation. These were the driving factors that led to the conception of the Chamber Optimization program,” Onnela added.

“The program is specially designed to deliver customized solutions for our customers, and we have the global capability to tailor wear parts for any crusher type or size regardless of the brand, including third-party equipment.”

Metso Outotec’s experts examine the customer’s set production targets, collect the data, take ore samples and identify improvement areas. After the audit, the ore samples are sent to the company’s laboratories and the process data is analyzed.

By utilizing the collected data and lab test results, Chamber Optimization specialists select the best alloy as per the ore type. They can re-engineer and design customized wear parts based on our simulation software results and the results from the laboratory crushing tests. The customized wear parts are then sent for production in one of the five Metso Outotec owned foundries spread out across the world.

“After manufacturing, the wear parts are installed in the customers crushers. Performance of the new parts is monitored through regular follow-up and wear scanning,” Onnela said. “The first set of liners should yield significant results, however we also continue to develop the design for additional improvements.”

Though the program began many years ago, it has continued to expand its reach over the years.  Today, Metso Outotec’s Chamber Optimization program’s cases are counted in the hundreds per year.

“In many cases, typically after a bigger step change, it is a matter of continuous improvement and adapting to new operating conditions. At the same time, we have gained vast experience on the topic of optimizing crushing chambers and have made wear parts related innovations that really matter,” Onnela concluded. “We have also continuously developed and improved our tools and ways of working.”

Read more at Case studies – Metso Outotec (mogroup.com)

To learn more on the Chamber Optimization Program Visit https://www.mogroup.com/products-and-services/services/process-optimization-connected-services/chamber-optimization/

To attend Metso Outotec’s webinar on April 20th to hear how the uptime of a primary gyratory crusher can be maximized with the help of our Chamber Optimization program, register here. https://www.mogroup.com/insights/webinars/maximizing-primary-gyratory-uptime-and-performance-with-chamber-optimization/

Chamber Optimization Program Video on YouTube