New feeder for Meldon Quarry
Skako Comessa have recently replaced an old damaged feeder grizzly with a new heavy-duty feeder at Bardon Aggregates’ Meldon Quarry, near Okehampton, Devon. The vibratory equipment specialists were appointed to custom design and manufacture a new unit to fit into the existing plant, which includes a D440 single-toggle jaw crusher that processes material at a rate of 300,000 tonnes per annum, and a new dump hopper supplied by Devon-based Centristic Engineering.
The 1,100mm x 4,750mm replacement feeder features a tapered grizzly bar scalping section, which consists of three 600mm parts, each incorporating fall steps to provide efficient undersize removal of –100mm.
Designed to operate up to 500 tonnes/h, the feeder currently works at around 300 tonnes/h, handling an abrasive Hornfells material with lumps up to 900–1,000mm. The feeder grizzly has a complete heavy-duty compression fit construction, eliminating any weld stresses and, as all the contact parts are made of Hardox 400 plates, the body is able to accept the maximum sized feed material from a height of 5m.
Drive is provided by a synchronous mechanized geared exciter with direct drive from a 30kW, six-pole industrial motor. Offering the required oscillation, the exciter consists of two precision counterweighted shafts, mechanically synchronized by high-precision helical gears, which run in a shallow oil bath, all supported by cylindrical roller bearings.
The exciter is also a self-contained monoblock unit that bolts directly to the feeder. During maintenance, it can be easily removed from the feeder without the need for a major strip-down; the replacement box can normally be fitted in less than 2h.
‘Skako Comessa and Centristic worked well together on the design of this installation and the project went to plan,’ commented Alan Evans, the quarry manager. ‘The new feeder has proved to be a very robust piece of kit and is easily capable of delivering sufficient tonnage to the crusher in all conditions. Operators at the quarry have been very impressed with its performance and ease of operation.’
