Jody Beck— Manager Crush and Convey
The arched spider is a new style of spider for crusher 3, this arched spider was made specifically for this crusher. The spider on the primary crusher sits on the very top in the dump pocket where the rocks enter the crusher from the haul trucks when they dump. Its main function is to fix the position of the upper end of the main shaft of the mantle and has two arms that extend out to keep it in position. The older style was a flat arm spider, this new style is an arched arm spider, which creates a larger open area in the transition, where the spider arm (curved portion) meets the spider rim.
“It’s a little early to speak to, but so far a couple things that stick out are the easy installation of new arm liners and rim liners compared to the old spring bolt style [and] also [the] new style heavy duty arm and rim liners. There is no welding block necessary compared to the old style, which saves on time and preparation” says Joseph Chavarria, Sr. Supervisor Crush and Convey In-pit Maintenance.
The benefits of this larger transition area and being raised at the spider to rim joint can significantly decrease the probability of rocks bridging over the spider openings, which can occur with different shapes of rock coming together and can stop flow to the crusher. It also then reduces the use of the rock hammer needed to break the rock, which is needed with larger rocks that cannot fit. When coarser ores are present, the increased flowability and acceptance of larger material (especially multiple large rocks dumped from the same truck) allows the ore to slide into the crusher easier. Less bridging, less rock hammer time and more flowability will then lead to less wait time of trucks at the crusher, allowing more material to be moved and a more consistent throughput through the crusher. Overall, these benefits can increase the total capacity of the crusher, benefitting both downstream and upstream processes.
“I am excited to see what this new arched spider can do. With the many different sizes and types of material that we can possibly get at the crusher, this new arched spider will definitely allow us to be more adaptable and more efficient” Jody Beck, Manager Crush and Convey.