The product of 100 years of cone crusher evolution, Metso’s new MX is designed to redefine the way we think about cone crusher performance, with claims of previously unimagined efficiency, wear parts utilisation, safety and automation. The company unveiled the machine along with a number of other innovations at this year’s CONEXPO-CON/AGG global trade show in Las Vegas. Metso recently announced it will launch MX4, the first model of the innovative new MX cone crusher series, in Australia at the end of May.
According to Metso, the MX is the first ‘multi-action’ cone crusher on the market. It combines the very high reduction ratios of the most demanding mining applications with a refined, in-spec end product shape and consistency critical in aggregate applications. The machine’s engineering team says the MX cone crusher was designed with one objective in mind – to make the machine owner’s business more profitable than ever. The company says the MX has the potential to reduce the total cost of ownership while supercharging productivity.
‘Multi-action’ technology
Metso Australia’s head of marketing and communications Peter Newfield says the company’s patented ‘multi-action’ technology is an innovative way to automatically optimise crusher operation.
The MX can simultaneously adjust its setting, with a rotating bowl above its cavity and a hydraulic piston inside the machine’s fixed shaft. Dynamic setting adjustments can be made when the crusher is operating under full load conditions without the need to stop production.
Both rotating bowl and piston adjustments are fully automated, so no human intervention is required. The MX also provides a maximised tramp release distance, delivering high levels of protection against uncrushable objects and overloading. Protection is optimised under all conditions, even with completely new wear parts.
According to Newfield, the MX, with its multi-action technology, is the most cost-efficient crusher on the market. It enables operational cost savings of 10 per cent or more compared with traditional cone crushers.
Savings in wear components, coupled with effective and continuous crushing action, provide a valuable starting point to bring down the cost per tonne in any quarrying or mining application.
{{image2-a:r-w:200}}The new machine’s uptime is significantly improved on traditional cone crushers. The MX’s multi-action design allows dynamic setting adjustment and wear composition with its hydraulic piston, minimising interruptions to production. It also provides rapid, fully automated protection via its rotating bowl. The combination of rotating bowl and piston adjustment enables optimised wear part utilisation.
The MX features a very robust design based on Metso’s experience over the years with its Nordberg MP, HP and GP series cone crushers. The new crusher is designed for the most challenging operating conditions with very hard and abrasive feed material. From the start, the MX was engineered to minimise downtime and allow 24/7 crushing in the harshest applications.
One big advantage of the MX is its quick and easy wear component change-outs. All the wear parts are accessible from the top of the machine, allowing a complete change-out in just two to three hours.
Wearparts utilisation
Metso says the MX delivers effective wear parts utilisation rates. The crusher can use up to 70 per cent of the mass of new wear parts.
Optimal cavity design, stroke direction and an effectively distributed crushing action are combined to provide a highly optimised rock on rock crushing motion. Together with the machine’s multi-action technology, this results in extended intervals between maintenance and higher production rates. Quality characteristics of all sized end product fractions stay consistent throughout the lifetime of the wear parts.
Newfield says the smart optimisation of Metso’s multi-action technology is the key to reaching the desired end product shape and particle size distribution, while eliminating waste. End products can be measured as often as 10 times per second and shown directly on the crusher’s automation display. Operators can easily control and automate parameters such as material cavity level, crusher speed, power setting and piston pressure.
Crushing quality can be monitored via Metso’s optional VisioRock program, which measures real time production through a photo particle size analyser connected to the crusher’s automation system.
VisioRock is compact in design and easy to install. Its Modbus interface enables quick access to particle size distribution from cameras mounted above the crusher’s output conveyor.
Operator safety, environment
Fewer human machine interactions for adjustment and maintenance naturally means a safer working environment for machine operators and maintenance staff. Combined with purpose-made lifting components and wear part tightening tools, the MX is said to be a big win for operator safety.
{{image3-a:r-w:200}}The machines have also been designed with the environment in mind.
No lead is used in the MX’s counterweight design and no backing is required to set the liners. The machine’s lubrication system has been optimised to use up to three times less oil than previous models. Machines can be equipped with Metso’s offline oil filtering system that keeps oil clean for extended periods.
As part of its MX development program, Metso included a pre-launch field-testing period. Machines were secretly tested in four countries. By the time of the global launch in Las Vegas, the test machines had completed a combined operational time of more than 10,000 hours.
“Our prospective customers can be confident that our new machines already have a proven track record in some really challenging applications,” Newfield said.
Source: Metso Australia