thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Australia says it recently signed a contract that will see the world’s first “double-mouth” jaw-gyratory crusher supplied to China Molybdenum majority-owned Northparkes underground copper-gold mine in New South Wales.
The new crusher has been developed in consultation with Northparkes to meet its specific operating objectives, according to thyssenkrupp.
The company explained: “This unique jaw-gyratory crusher is a modern machine based on the proven BK 63-75 design. thyssenkrupp has developed a new, patented, spider to give the opportunity to feed the crusher from both sides – the “double mouth” jaw configuration, thus removing the need for a primary crusher feed (buffer) hopper and primary apron feeder.”
This dramatically reduces excavation requirements in an underground operation like Northparkes leading to a sizeable reduction in installation cost, according to thyssenkrupp.
The delivery of this latest crushing innovation follows the recent release of the company’s Eccentric Roll Crusher, the modular Variopactor impact crusher and the KB 63-130 gyratory crusher, the company said.
Northparkes is one of the most modern underground block cave mines in the world, with the majority of its loading and haulage operations carried out autonomously. Mining started up at Northparkes in November 1993, with 80% owner China Molybdenum now processing around 6.4 Mt/y of ore of high-grade copper-gold concentrate, which is shipped to its clients overseas for smelting.
Northparkes was the first mine to use the standard indirect fed Jaw Gyratory crusher type BK 63-75 for its newly developed block caving mine concept, thyssenkrupp said, with this primary crusher design becoming the “state of the art solution for block caving mines”.
Ian Smith, Engineering Superintendent of the E26L1N Block Cave Mine project at Northparkes, said: “As a long-time owner, operator and maintainer of the thyssenkrupp jaw gyratory crushers for primary crushing underground, Northparkes is pleased to be installing its third BK 63-75 in the new E26L1N block cave mine underground crusher station.
“The first BK 63-75 crusher of its kind was commissioned underground at Northparkes in 2003 followed by a second installation in 2009. Northparkes has worked closely with thyssenkrupp over the years to develop and make improvements to these crushers and has developed great confidence in the reliability and robustness of the BK 63-75 crusher.”
Smith said the first two crushers installed are of a single mouth design with the latest crusher being a double mouth design that is “ideal for our direct tip underground crushing station dump pocket that negates the use of a large run of mine bin and primary feeder thus reducing the mass excavation underground”. He said the ability of this crusher to handle a very large feed size and a high reduction ratio has also negated the need for the use of a pre-screening grizzly.
He concluded: “Northparkes’ innovative culture is again highlighted as shown in their initiation and involvement in the development of the double mouth feed shell with thyssenkrupp with the aim that the performance of this crusher will not only meet but will exceed expectations.”