Maintenance of Crushing Plant

Efficient maintenance is the best way of maximizing the return on capital from a crushing plant. The following points list the basics of good maintenance:

Access and Lifting Gear

Provide sufficient space to work around crushers and to use the large tools. All inspection and lubrication points should be easily accessible. Plant should be designed with suitable lifting gear included or structures capable of supporting mobile lifting machines.

Manuals

Personnel should understand and be familiar with all the manuals supplied for the particular crushers purchased.

Training

All maintenance personnel must be qualified and properly trained.

Cleanliness

Dust can be hazardous to health. Piles of spillage can obscure areas of machines so that incipient failures cannot be seen. The most profitable crushing plants are the cleanest.

Oil Analysis

Most lubricant suppliers provide an oil analysis service. Used regularly it will indicate trends and show up any lubrication problems which may be developing. It can give advance warning of accelerated wear.

Pre-Planned Manganese Replacement

A set of crusher liners will give full capacity output for a period of time and then wear will reduce output. At some stage in the wear it will be more economical to change plates than to operate at an increasingly reduced capacity.

Spare Parts

Where possible the use of standard basic machines for a new plant is recommended as this will reduce the spare part inventory. A spare parts stock at the plant is necessary to minimize downtime in the event of a breakdown.

Operation and Maintenance Log

Written records of operation and maintenance for each crusher will make it easier to spot repetitive problems and may give clues to an otherwise inexplicable failure. A regular log will soon indicate when liner changes are due.