Energy efficiency is the key to success at modern mines and quarries. The most potential for energy and cost savings can be realised in the comminution process, where ore is ground and crushed into smaller particles. With the HRC3000, the largest fully operating high-pressure grinding roll (HPGR) in the world, Metso says it provides “an energy efficient solution with an impressive range of industry-leading features, aimed at getting more value from every tonne of ore.”
The HRC3000 was the result of a close collaboration between Metso and Freeport-McMoRan Inc. The goal was to develop a highly efficient HPGR crushing circuit for the newly constructed Metcalf concentrator at Freeport-McMoRan’s copper mine in Morenci, Arizona. In approximately four years, the team went from a design concept to the largest fully operating HPGR in the world.
The HRC3000 started operating at Freeport-McMoRan’s copper mine in May 2014. The installed unit is the largest of its kind in the world, allowing for fewer lines of equipment which reduces the amount of ancillary equipment. To date, the unit has operated for over 8,400 hours and has crushed more than 34 Mt of porphyry copper ore. Metso’s solution has provided the Morenci mine with several benefits, including an estimated 13.5% increase in energy efficiency over traditional HPGRs based on pilot scale testing.
The HRC3000 is the first full scale HPGR to incorporate revolutionary design features like the flanged tire design and the patented Arch-frame. Depending on the application, the total capacity of this HPGR can exceed over 5,400 t/h of ore. “In addition to boosting the equipment’s energy efficiency, our main goal was to innovate and to push the existing boundaries in order to ensure a valuable solution to our customer. This HPGR is not only a larger scale version of what was currently available to the market, but also applies technological solutions to overcome some inherent concerns typically associated with traditional HPGRs, including skewing and edge effect, ” says Victoria Herman, Product Manager, HRC High Pressure Grinding Rolls.
