1286 SMe Mining engineering handbook

LHD Trams to Pass Headframe

Rock Breaker at Grizzly

Conveyor to
Mill Stockpile

Winder House
Train Loaders Dump Station

Rail Haulage Level RL –640 m

800-t Ore Bin No. 3
Shaft
Gyratory Crusher

Fine Ore Bins

Weigh Flasks
Skips
RL = Reduced level (depth below sea level).

Courtesy of BHP Billiton Olympic Dam.

figure 12.8-14 ore-handling system at olympic Dam mine

• Expected operational life
• Expansion potential
• Safety and environment
• Operability and maintainability
Figure 12.8-14 describes the ore-handling system at the
Olympic Dam mine, including the primary cone crusher.
Underground Crusher Location
In underground operations, the excavations required for the
installation of crushers and associated infrastructure can be
substantial and are often the largest (unfilled) excavations
within the mine. When considering an underground crusher
layout and location, consideration should be given to
• Local and regional ground conditions,
• Proximity to planned and potential future production areas,
• Current and future stress conditions within the excava-
tion, and
• Proximity to planned and potential future mine
infrastructure.
Good geotechnical information is essential in the selection
of a crushing plant location and the extent of ground support
required.
Life of Mine/Expansion Plans
Planning for expansion should be considered in the design
stage for underground crushing facilities. Expansion plans for
most crushing plants can be incorporated in the early planning
stages at much lower cost than waiting until the mine is up
and running, particularly if the cost includes an interruption to
normal production activities.
Crusher Selection
Crusher selection is dependent on many operation-specific
variables including throughput rates, planned utilization, ore
characteristics, material feed size, and required discharge
product size. Many of the factors influencing underground
crusher selection are common to surface crusher selection and
are not covered in detail in this section.
As a guideline, the following can be applied: For a hard-
rock mine application below 600 t/h feed rate into the crusher,
a jaw crusher is the preferred option as the primary crusher.
For feed rates more than 1,000 t/h, a gyratory crusher is the
preferred option. Between these capacities, the choice will be
dependent on other factors (Ottergren 2003). An example of a
primary cone crusher is presented in Figure 12.8-15.
equipment overview
The major equipment in a primary crushing circuit usually
includes a crusher, feeder, and conveyor. Secondary and ter-
tiary crushing circuits have the same basic equipment items,
along with screens and surge storage bins.
Grizzlies
A grizzly is a sizing device used to ensure a maximum passing
size of material and to protect the crusher. Square mesh griz-
zlies get a more accurate maximum size of material than other
shaped grizzlies but can be prone to plugging. Rectangular
and nongrided grizzlies are less prone to plugging but can
allow material of larger size to pass. Many grizzlies are rigidly
mounted so that material must flow through them or be pushed
through with equipment. Some grizzlies vibrate to encourage
material on the grid to reorient and pass through. Grizzlies can
be fed using a loader, truck, or conveyor.
Grizzlies also act as a metal scavenger to trap rock bolts,
wire mesh, drill steels, and cables, removing them from the
ore stream periodically by a loader from the top of the grizzly.
Rock Breakers
Fixed or mobile rock breakers are often used in conjunction
with a grizzly. A modern rock breaker uses a hydraulic arm