With the introduction of the new HRX 1000 hard rock crusher, Komatsu has expanded its product offering of primary and secondary sizers.
The company noted that many mines struggle with crushing run-of-mine materials which can consist of a combination of clays, marls, other sticky materials and hard stones.
Traditional hard rock jaw and gyratory crushers work well with hard material but can pack and clog with soft, sticky, or wet feed. In the past, material hardness has limited where sizers can be used, and mineral abrasiveness has made sizers expensive to operate in some applications.
Komatsu said that the HRX 1000's high capacity and compact package make it an excellent choice for hard rock underground or mobile applications. Utilising Joy pick technology, the HRX 1000 is designed to cut through abrasive materials that traditional sizers cannot.
Having been used in an installed base of more than 10,000 pick-utilising machines, including feeder breakers, longwall shearers and continuous miners, Joy pick technology has evolved to deliver good productivity in a variety of environments.
Charles Anderson, director, crushing systems at Komatsu, said: "There are several different types of crushers, and each has its merits. Sizers have been successful for many customers, because they perform well where other types of crushers struggle. The HRX sizer is designed to crush harder, abrasive minerals, while providing all the benefits inherent to sizers: fines reduction and the ability to pass muddy, sticky material with no over-crushing."
He added: "The HRX 1000 utilises pick technology that has been proven with Joy and Komatsu crushing and mining products."
Recently, Komatsu entered into an agreement with Metso Outotec to provide sizers for their stationary or mobile crushing stations. The first project involved the installation of a Joy HRX 1000 on the Metso Outotec Lokotrack LT1510RC track plant. The sizer can crush minerals used for cement production ranging from wet and sticky to hard rock.
Julius Mäkelä, vice president, mid-size and mobile crushers at Metso Outotec, said: "The first HRX 1000 sizer has been operating at a cement plant in Thailand and has been working well, crushing a variety of mineral feed to include grey, black and brown shale, limestone, andesite and overburden.
"In Thailand, the feed can change from dry to saturated and the HRX 1000 can deal with these variations, broadening the range of applications where sizer-based Metso Outotec Lokotrack mobile units can successfully be used."
