August 2011 www.Agg-Net.

com 13
All in the Wash
A
s the requirement to process
increasingly difficult materials grows,
the specification of log-washers has
become more prevalent. With the exploration
of deposits containing higher levels of clay
contamination than has previously been the
case, log-washers allow operators to consider
the processing of materials that would
otherwise not be viable.
As well as applications in the processing of
materials such as crushed rock to produce
construction aggregates, the increase in
construction and demolition waste recycling
applications, particularly in the UK market,
has resulted in an increase in the specification
of log-washers. The high level of
contamination within construction and
demolition waste material is the influencing
factor, with a requirement to remove a large
proportion of lightweight contaminants in
addition to clay necessitating the introduction
of this type of attrition technology.
There are also applications for log-washers
in the processing of a variety of mineral
ores, and CDEs specific experience in this
area lies in the processing of iron ore. In this
application attrition is required to remove the
fine particles of alumina and silica from the
ore to increase efficiencies in the steel
production process. The net effect of removing
the silica and alumina contamination in iron
ore washing is to increase the Fe value while
also eliminating contamination which can
build up as a waste product in the kilns
(alumina) or take very high energy
consumption to burn off (silica).
KEY ISSUES
The function of a log-washer is to break down
insoluble or plastic clays through a high-
attrition scrubbing process to, ultimately,
produce a clean final product. In determining
which log-washer offers the best option for a
particular application, there are a number of
issues to be considered, including:
1. Design of the shafts and paddles.
2. Shell design.
3. Drive assembly.
Log-washer specification in mineral-washing applications
Washing & Drying
By Kevin Vallelly, product development manager, CDE Global
14 www.Agg-Net.com August 2011
Design of the shafts and
paddles
There are many important issues relating to
the shaft and paddle design that have a great
impact on the effectiveness of the machine.
The first consideration is to ensure maximum
distance between the shafts to reduce impact
from the feed material. The feed point should
deliver material to the centre of the log-
washer to prevent material impact on the
shafts. As well as minimizing wear, this also
maximizes the attrition applied to the feed
material, thus ensuring maximum removal of
fines and unwanted contaminants from the
final product.
The configuration of the paddles on a log-
washer is also important, as various set-ups
are employed. CDEs Rotomax unit, for
example, utilizes a spiral configuration, which
is considered to be the most efficient choice
for a number of reasons:
It allows the paddles to inter-mesh and
ensures that a greater level of attrition is
applied to the material, compared with a
standard set-up.
It offers superior protection against plant
failure by eliminating intermittent shock
loading on the shafts, bearings and
gearbox. Rather than shocks occurring as
the paddles and material connect at
regular intervals, the impact of material
on the paddles is more evenly distributed.
It is also important to consider the design
and construction of the paddles themselves in
order to avoid unnecessary wear. The material
used to construct the paddles is largely
dependent on the material to be processed but
because, more often than not, either hard rock
or mineral ores of a highly abrasive nature will
be processed through a log-washer, CDE
have opted for a high cast chrome iron (600
Brinell), which is the same specification as that
used on impact crushers. A variety of other
options are available, but this selection is based
on trying to ensure the longest possible
processing life, while also offering the lowest
cost per tonne of material processed.
Using high cast chrome iron paddles may
require a higher capital investment relative to
other less-durable materials, but there is
extensive evidence that high-specification
paddles offer the lowest cost per ton of
material processed by a considerable margin.
This is not only the result of a reduced
requirement to replace worn paddles than
would otherwise be the case, but also the
reduction in plant downtime that is enjoyed as
a result of less time spent on plant
maintenance.
Following installation of a Rotomax log-
washer, Paddy Lynch (Dundalk) Ltd, of Co.
Louth, Ireland, first replaced the paddles on
their unit after they had processed between
240,000 and 280,000 tonnes of sand and
gravel over a three-year period at a cost of less
than 4p per tonne. Site manager Gerry Malone
commented: The paddle specification on the
Rotomax is far in excess of others on the
market. We were initially concerned with
what seemed like a high cost for the paddles,
but the experience we have had shows them
to be the most cost-effective option available,
in my opinion.
Although the above example is an
application where the feed material is not
particularly abrasive, on hard rock or
construction and demolition waste recycling
applications, the Rotomax paddles will still
comfortably process in excess of 100,000
tonnes of material before they need to be
replaced. This compares with approximately
Rotomax rubber-lined feed chute
View showing Rotomax paddles in their spiral
arrangement
Close-up showing Rotomax paddle depth
Washing & Drying
August 2011 www.Agg-Net.com 15
20,000 tonnes for some of the lower-grade
materials that may be used in such
machines.
The size of the paddles on any log-washer
will influence the effectiveness of the system
larger paddles are best, as they ensure
maximum transfer of energy to the material
within the unit. This ensures that attrition is
maximized as it is the material-on-material
impact that generates the attrition required to
effectively clean the material.
However, the paddles are only as good as
the protection they are given to prevent them
from becoming loose or being exposed to
unnecessary wear during plant operation.
The Rotomax log-washer has multi-stage
paddle protection, which begins with the
paddle bracket. This is constructed from
20mm plate and the paddles are connected to
it by means of a countersunk high-tensile bolt
connection, which minimizes the risk of the
paddle becoming disconnected. Additional
protection is provided by a high chrome wear
shoe fixed on the leading face of each bracket,
which further protects gussets and bolts
from wear.
Shell design
Ensuring maximum attrition through the
highest level of material-on-material impact
is carried through to the design of the shell of
the log-washer. This should allow material to
form its own bed within the unit, thereby
minimizing wear and maximizing plant life.
Management and control of the water level
within the log-washer is another critical
factor in ensuring optimum performance,
and by integrating the water connection and
control valve the operator is able to effectively
regulate the water supply to ensure both
effective cleaning of material and efficient
removal of fines and unwanted contaminants
from the feed material.
The design of the outlet weir for waste water
containing fines and lightweight contaminants
also needs to be carefully considered. Any
oversight in this area can be a cause of
unnecessary plant downtime, because if the
discharge chutes are not able to remove
waste water efficiently they can become
blocked.
By including a large outlet weir at the rear
of the Rotomax, in combination with steep
discharge chutes, waste water, fines and
lightweights are efficiently removed. This not
only has a positive impact on plant production,
but also maximizes the efficient recovery of
fines and removal of lightweight contaminants.
Drive assembly
Key to the success of the drive assembly is the
motor and gearbox set-up. CDE consider a
single motor and gearbox to drive the dual
shafts within the log-washer to be the most
efficient configuration. This not only reduces
the number of wearing parts, but also allows
for reliable synchronization of the shafts.
CDE have opted for a planetary gearbox with
a hydraulic clutch to allow for start-up under
full load. The ability to provide gradual
acceleration during start-up ensures that
the drive is protected against overloads and
also minimizes the time spent on maintenance.
When a log-washer without a hydraulic
clutch has been shut down it will need to be
cleaned out before it can be re-started, which
not only adds considerable time to the
maintenance regime, but also creates waste
material that has to be re-processed.
Also, by using a belt drive CDE have allowed
for simple adjustments to be made to the
rev/min to increase or decrease cycle time,
depending on the specific nature of the
material being processed. The companys
experience in tackling heavily clay-bound
materials has shown that, when dealing with
such deposits, there is an inevitable variation
in the level of contamination to be dealt with
as different sections of the deposit are
extracted. It is often the case that clay
contamination is present in large seams and
there may be some areas where the clay
content is considerably lower than others.
By decreasing the rev/min of the machine,
it is possible to increase the retention time
when processing very heavily contaminated
material to ensure effective removal. Equally,
the rev/min can be increased when the
contamination level is lower. This functionality
is further enhanced by the ability to adjust the
operating angle of the log-washer to take
account of variations in feed composition.
Bearing protection
Given the potential for increased maintenance
and spares costs as a result of bearing
contamination, it is also important to consider
the level of protection given to the bearings.
A variety of simple design adjustments can be
made to ensure that this protection is provided,
the most obvious being the location of the
bearing housings.
These should be located above the water
level to reduce the risk of contamination
from the sand and waste water discharged at
the rear of the log-washer. On the Rotomax
there is a dual-seal bearing arrangement and
a temperature sensor that monitors the back
bearing temperature. This acts as an early
warning indicator for bearing failure and
represents another example of the proactive
steps that can be taken to reduce the time
required for plant maintenance.
LOG-WASHER
SPECIFICATION
Given the likely increasing specification of log-
washers in the years ahead, it is essential that
a full cost of ownership calculation is carried
out alongside any capital investment
comparison, to ensure specification of the most
efficient unit possible.
The design and construction of the shafts
and paddles within any log-washer are critical
to the machines success and should be
carefully evaluated prior to any decision.
CDE can assist in this process through the
provision of extensive return on investment
calculators.
Plant maintenance time and the cost of
spares is critical to the operational cost of any
equipment log-washers in particular, due
to the potential for high wear if the correct
components are not included at the
outset.
The Rotomax has proven to be a unit with
the flexibility to cope with the differing
demands of a wide range of materials,
including sand and gravel, crushed rock,
construction and demolition waste, iron ore
and other mineral ores.
For further information, search the Internet
for: CDE Rotomax
Rotomax paddle height
Rotomax bearing housings