Scientific Configuration and Efficiency Enhancement of Mineral Processing Equipment: From Selection to System Integration

Mineral processing is a key link in the efficient utilization of mineral resources, with equipment configuration directly determining the technical and economic indicators of processing plants. As ore grades decline and the proportion of complex refractory ores increases, how to improve processing efficiency through rational equipment selection and system integration has become an urgent industry challenge. This article systematically summarizes Zexin Mining's practical experience in scientific configuration and efficiency enhancement of mineral processing equipment, providing valuable technical references for mining enterprises.

Selection Logic of Key Equipment

Equipment selection in mineral processing is a balancing art that requires comprehensive consideration of ore characteristics, process requirements, and economic benefits. Scientific equipment selection not only improves processing indicators but also reduces energy consumption and maintenance costs.

The crushing system is the first process in mineral processing, and its equipment selection directly affects subsequent grinding efficiency:

- Jaw Crushers (Primary Crushing): Suitable for processing large hard rocks, with a crushing ratio typically 4-6, appropriate for feed sizes >350mm. Their simple, reliable structure and low operating costs make them the preferred equipment for primary crushing

- Cone Crushers (Secondary/Fine Crushing): Control discharge particle size through the gap between the gyrating cone and fixed cone. Short-head cone crushers can crush ore to below 10mm, creating ideal feed conditions for grinding and significantly improving grinding efficiency

Grinding equipment selection needs to consider ore hardness, embedded particle size, and subsequent separation process requirements:

- Grate-Discharge Ball Mills: Processing capacity 20-30% higher than overflow-type mills, more suitable as primary rough grinding equipment. Their tail grate plates force discharge, effectively preventing over-grinding

- Overflow Ball Mills: Due to their self-flowing pulp discharge characteristics, they are more suitable for fine grinding or secondary grinding processes, with advantages for process flows requiring fine particle products

- Rod Mills: With line-contact grinding between steel rods and ore, they can protect the integrity of coarse mineral crystals, especially suitable for grinding preparation before gravity separation of tungsten and tin ores

In modern grinding circuits, hydrocyclones have gradually replaced traditional spiral classifiers to become mainstream classification equipment:

- Classification Efficiency Improvement: Hydrocyclones can achieve classification efficiency of 70%, significantly higher than the 40-60% of spiral classifiers

- Precise Control of Classification Size: By adjusting feed pressure and cone angle, classification size can be precisely controlled down to 0.01mm

Case Study: An iron ore mine in Liaoning Province adopted a hydrocyclone-ball mill closed-circuit grinding system, increasing the -200 mesh content from 65% to 85% in the product, with iron concentrate grade simultaneously improving by 3 percentage points, fully demonstrating the significant impact of classification equipment optimization on grinding efficiency.

Selection of separation equipment should be based on differences in mineral physicochemical properties, choosing the most suitable separation method for different ore types:

- Strongly Magnetic Ores (Magnetite): Permanent magnetic drum separators (1200-1500GS) are usually sufficient, offering the lowest cost advantage

- Weakly Magnetic Ores (Hematite, Siderite): Require high-intensity magnetic separators (≥10000GS) or heavy medium separation. The Dahongliutan lithium spodumene project in Xinjiang used heavy medium cyclones (ferrosilicon suspension) for separation, reducing costs by 40% compared to flotation while increasing recovery by 2.48 percentage points

- Complex Ores: Optical sorting technology shows unique advantages in processing complex ores. For example, phosphate ore can be separated using pulse air flow based on mineral reflection spectrum differences, requiring no water medium, increasing concentrate yield to 60% and reducing phosphorus content in tailings to below 8%

Core Maintenance Management Technologies

Scientific maintenance management of equipment is key to ensuring stable and efficient operation of mineral processing plants. Through preventive maintenance and scientific management, equipment life can be significantly extended and operating costs reduced.

Scientific distribution of steel balls in ball mills is an important measure to improve grinding efficiency:

- Multi-level Distribution Principle: Large balls (Φ100mm) account for 30%, mainly responsible for crushing critical particle sizes; medium balls (Φ60mm) account for 50%, undertaking the main grinding tasks; small balls (Φ40mm) account for 20%, filling gaps to reduce over-pulverization

- Efficiency Improvement Case: A copper mine optimized steel ball distribution, increasing the ball mill output coefficient from 0.5 to 0.85 and reducing power consumption by 18%, with significant economic benefits

Preventive maintenance is an effective means to avoid unplanned equipment downtime:

- Customized Lubrication: Select appropriate lubrication solutions for different equipment, such as high-viscosity extreme pressure lithium-based grease for cone crusher main shaft bearings to withstand impact loads

- Liner Life Cycle Management: Establish scientific liner replacement standards, such as replacing high manganese steel liners when thickness wears to 50% of original thickness, avoiding breakage leading to unplanned downtime

- Proactive Vibration Monitoring: Establish equipment vibration monitoring systems, triggering early warnings when ball mill bearing housing vibration exceeds 7.1mm/s, allowing timely intervention to prevent bearing damage

System Integration Case Analysis

A 3000t/d gold mine project in Guinea achieved significant results in processing clay-type gold ore through a system configuration of "cone crusher + grate-discharge ball mill + leaching tank." The key success factors of this project include:

- Rod Mill Pretreatment: Targeted use of rod mills to break down clay agglomeration, improving subsequent processing efficiency

- Precise Hydrocyclone Classification: Ensuring leaching process feed size meets process requirements, optimizing cyanide leaching effects

- Equipment Chain Synergy: Through coordinated operation of equipment at each stage, achieving system overall efficiency greater than the sum of individual machine performances

This case fully demonstrates that system integration of the equipment chain is more important than individual machine performance. Only by maximizing and coordinating the performance of equipment at each stage can the overall process flow be optimized.

Conclusion and Outlook

Mineral processing is the core link in efficient resource utilization, and scientific equipment configuration and efficiency enhancement are key paths to achieving this goal. Whether it's the technological breakthrough of suspended magnetic roasting for refractory iron ores, the ultimate pursuit of comprehensive recovery of multiple metals, or the deep exploration of equipment efficiency, the essence is to awaken "sleeping" mineral resources through technological innovation.

In the future, with the development of intelligent technologies, mineral processing equipment will evolve toward digitalization and intelligence. Through online equipment monitoring, big data analysis, and intelligent control technologies, real-time optimization and adaptive adjustment of equipment operating states can be achieved, further enhancing mineral processing efficiency. Only by integrating scientific process flows, rational equipment configuration, and refined production management can the industrial miracle of "turning stone into gold" be truly realized, providing solid support for sustainable mining development.