New HP5 high-density crusher gives French quarry replant flexibility
Modernization of Société des Carrières de l’Est plant in France includes Metso’s latest range of high-performance crushing and screening products
La Société des Carrières de l’Est, a Colas group subsidiary, have recently renovated the plant at Lepuix-Gy in France. The plant is designed to produce an average of 450,000 tonnes a year, with the capacity to produce up to 600,000 tonnes, if required, to meet demand from special markets such as the supply of ballast for the Rhine-Rhone high-speed train line.
Metso say that the HP5 is the very latest in crushing technology able to provide aggregate producers with a marked change in the possibilities of optimizing a wide range of operational modes, far beyond previously thought possible with classic types of cone crushers.
The modernization of the plant at Lepuix-GY includes a Metso LT125 track-mounted jaw crusher for primary crushing at the face and fixed installation Metso secondary and tertiary crushing stages, comprising of:
- HP 400 secondary cone crusher
- HP5 high-density, tertiary cone crusher
- Large TS screens (high-capacity triple-angle) in a single line of final screens.
Process Design
Key in the process design is the ability of the HP5 cone crusher to produce high-quality aggregates in the first pass and without the need to stream materials to separate crushers, thus reducing initial plant investment and the respective ongoing repair and wear costs.
HP5 crusher
Metso have used their years of experience in crusher design to develop a cone crusher that has the optimum relationship between cone head angle, eccentric stroke and speed, together with the necessity to ensure a fully choked chamber to the point of exit.
The new HP design on the surface doesn’t appear to have changed, however, major changes have been made to the crushing kinematics and the strength within the crusher to absorb the higher crushing forces.
The HP5 is now part of the Metso’s HPX range, which also includes model sizes HP3 and HP4.
High-density cone crusher in practice
The principle of high-density crushing is reserved for the tertiary stage, where optimization of high-quality small aggregates is required. Cone crusher technology provides high chamber stone density where no ‘flaky stones’ survive the process.
The application of this type of heavy-duty tertiary crusher is no longer reliant on an operational CSS that ensures good shape, the new kinematics ensure shape is excellent throughout the full range of settings available.
This is said to now offer aggregate producers the ability to optimize premium, high-value fractions without the risk of sacrificing good shape, which also reduces the yield of waste/low-value products.
At Lepuix-Gy, the shape on the 10mm x 6mm fraction (normally the most difficult to achieve), is now 15% and is achieved with a 16mm CSS. Metso also have a further installation where the mode of operation optimizes aggregate yield and reduces dust, with the crusher running with a CSS of 28mm. The resultant shape and flake values are between 12% and 13%, respectively.
Environmentally friendly
As the Lepuix-Gy plant is located close to a built-up area, environmental protection is a prime concern and all screens and conveyors are equipped with dust encapsulation.
Simple and correctly sized
To simplify operations and save money the tertiary station uses a single large crusher – a Nordberg HP5 - rather than two medium-size crushers. This choice allows a less complex layout as there are fewer screens, conveyors and hoppers, and also reduces power consumption.
Guaranteed capacities
Since the plant was commissioned in October 2009, the various machines have all achieved the initial hourly throughput specifications, for all finished products (ballast, fine gravels and aggregates). The production of the HP5 is 390 tonnes/h yielding a net 240 tonnes/h of -14mm prime aggregates with a flake value of 15% on the 10mm.
Tertiary crushing
The Lokotrack LT125 mobile crushing unit is fed with 0/800mm material containing 15% of waste. The Lokotrack features a feeder and a TK-series scalper to separate and crush +30mm material utilizing a C125 jaw crusher. The 0-270mm material fed from the primary station is then fed to a HP400 cone crusher, which feeds 0-60mm to a TS4.3 screen to produce ballast. This product is then washed on a CVB1845 screen.
Any material smaller than the ballast is sent to a 100m3 silo that feeds an HP5 cone crusher with 6-31.5mm or with larger grades recycled from the HP400 (ballast or 31-60mm).
The HP5, the most recent addition to Metso’s new cone crusher range, replaces three crushers from the former plant. It produces 0-20mm material, which is then sent to a TS5.2 screen. This can be set to 10-14mm or 10-20mm; the 0-10mm material is sent to a secondary TS5.2 screen for 6mm and 4mm cuts.
The finished products, apart from the ballast, are 0-65mm or 0-30mm, 4-6mm, 6-10mm, 10-14mm and 10-20mm. The 0-4mm material can be added to the 0-6mm or 0-30mm.
