OPTIMUM CONTROL OF CONE CRUSHERS UTILIZING AN ADAPTIVE STRATEGY FOR WEAR COMPENSATION

The aggregate industry is a major industry worldwide. In the aggregate industry cone crushers are widely used to produce the final saleable product. Rigorous specifications, set by the standards authorities, ap ply to the size and shape of the aggregates utilized in the constructi on industry. Poor control over system parameters and drift in crusher setting due to liner wear can cause considerable inconsistency in prod uct quality. The high cost associated with re-processing or discarding unsaleable material calls for the employment of more effective method s of control. A collaborative project between Pegson Ltd, one of the m ain UK manufacturers of jaw and cone crushers, De Montfort University Leicester and Transfer Technology pie was established in 1992, to deve lop a new generation of systems for automatic control of cone crushers . Aspects of the work are now continuing at the University of Technolo gy, Loughborough. Innovative wear sensors for direct measurement of li ner wear and a model-based adaptive control strategy are used to maint ain an optimum crusher setting to ensure product quality The benefits of the automation, in terms of improved crusher efficiency, enhanced q uality and reduced re-circulating load, is expected to result in estim ated savings of around 10%.