SMI?s new crusher blockage clearance apparatus significantly reduces the industry-wide frequency of clearing bridged material from a machine to resume production.
Much of the problem is the result of the wide range of loaders and excavators loading oversize or non-aligned material into tracked portable crushers. The material then clogs or bridges the inlet to the crushing chamber.
To overcome this, pry bars, slings and hydraulic or pneumatic hammers are utilised to free the bridged material. This practice causes delays of 30 to 90 minutes with the potential loss of production of hundreds of tonnes of aggregate. Of more concern is the danger the blockage imposes on personnel who must manually clear the bridging.
Loading operators wishing to avoid the problem will either slow the feed down to 50 to 75 per cent of the rated capacity of the crusher or spend excessive time pre-breaking material into smaller sizes.
SMI?s advanced crusher blockage clearance apparatus is a wireless remote controlled pivoting device between the chamber lid and the chamber housing. At the push of a button, the lifting lid of the chamber will rise and lower vertically relative to the housing opening without having to shut down the machine. The cycle creates a temporary increase in the height, permitting the bridged material to pass freely through the chamber without loss of time or productivity.
The new device is standard on SMI?s 4043T and 5256T mobile impact crushers.
Source: Screen Machine Industries