LOAD AND HAUL
TACKLING TRAMP METAL
A magnetic separator can help mine operators identify and remove tramp metal in the early stages of a project
T
ramp metal exists in all mining and quarrying operations and the problematic contamination is
diff icult to avoid. The nature of mining and quarrying - extracting ore and aggregate using large heavy equipment - results in a wide variety of tramp metal contaminating the mined material. Such metal needs identifying and removing before potentially causing costly damage to processing equipment (such as crushers, screens, and conveyors). Additionally, for many mining operations there is a maximum metal contamination content in the mined ore specifi ed by the end- customer (especially in coal supplied for power stations).
ORIGIN OF TRAMP METAL Understanding the source and nature of the tramp metal is the fi rst stage in the process of eff ective removal. The defi nition of ‘tramp metal’ is any item of rogue metal not naturally present in the mined ore or quarried aggregate. Such contamination includes digger teeth, pit props, blasting caps, nuts and bolts, and metal originating from the wear and tear at the process plant.
STOPPING TRAMP METAL DAMAGE The nature of the rock, the process, and the tramp metal dictates the optimum metal contamination solution. The two technologies commonly used in mining and quarrying operations to prevent processing plant damage from tramp metal contamination are magnetic separators and metal detectors.
MAGNETIC SEPARATORS Magnetic separators parse magnetically-susceptible tramp metal (e.g., steel and iron), automatically removing the problematic contamination from the rock. Selection of the optimum magnetic separator design for any given application is determined by the process and material specifi cations.
METAL DETECTORS Whereas magnetic separators fi nd and remove tramp iron, metal detectors focus on identifying all metal contamination. The detection of metal occurs through the disturbance of a magnetic fi eld produced by a metal detector’s coil. Detection of the presence of tramp metal sends a signal to the remotely located control.
Tramp metal
On receiving the signal, the control either stops the conveyor and initiates an alarm; sets off a diverter gate to reject a batch of material; or turns on the following overband or suspension magnet. In many large volume mining
operations, stopping the conveyor is not an option.
In such installations,
a section of metal-contaminated ore diverts into a collection area, where the rock is either manually checked for metal or sent through a separate secondary system for tramp metal location and removal.
BESPOKE ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS The removal of tramp metal is often critical since damage to crushers, screens and conveyors disrupts and even stops production, at a huge repair and downtime cost. Failure to meet end-customer specifi cations for tramp metal content, especially in coal-fi red power stations, may result in costly fi nancial damages or even the rejection of shiploads of material.
For more information visit:
www.buntingmagnetics.com
www.engineerlive.com 15
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