Comparison of Crushing Equipment for Gold Mining

Understanding Gold Ore Properties

Gold ore is usually hard rock. It contains silica. This makes it abrasive. The Bond Work Index is often 13-18 kWh/t. This means it is hard to break. You cannot use soft stone crushers.

You must know the hardness. Also check the moisture. Wet ore sticks in the machine. Dry ore creates dust. Knowing this helps selection. Why? Because wrong machines break fast. ZENITHengineers test your rock first.

We look at feed size too. Big rocks need big openings. Small rocks need precision. This dictates the process flow. So; we start with rock analysis.

Primary Crusher: The Jaw Crusher

The jaw crusher is the first step. It is a “tiger mouth”. It eats big rocks. The working principle is simple. A moving jaw squeezes rock against a fixed jaw. This is reliable.

The reduction ratio is huge. It is usually 4:1 to 6:1. This means big rocks become medium rocks. The key technical parameter is OSS. OSS stands for Open Side Setting. It controls the output size.

ZENITH uses high manganese steel. This metal gets harder as it works. It resists wear well. The flywheel design is heavy. This stores energy. Why? To smooth the crushing peaks.

For gold mining; we use the PE series. Or the C6X series. C6X is modern. It has a bolted frame. It is stronger than welded frames. Maintenance is easier too.

Secondary Crusher: The Cone Crusher

After the jaw; you need a cone. The cone crusher makes stones smaller. It prepares ore for the ball mill. The principle is “lamination crushing”. Rock breaks rock.

The mantle spins inside the concave. The gap gets small then big. This crushes the stone. The key parameter is CSS. CSS means Closed Side Setting. It sets the final size.

Gold ore needs a hydraulic cone. ZENITH suggests HPT or HST series. They utilize hydraulic pressure. This protects the machine. If iron enters; the top lifts. Then the iron passes through.

The speed is high. The throw is large. This creates fines. Fines are good for milling. More fines mean less milling work. This saves electricity. Why? Because mills use more power than crushers.

Key Technical Comparison Data

We compare the two machines here. Look at the data carefully. It helps you decide.

Pain Point 1: Why is my liner wear so fast?

This is a common question. Gold ore is abrasive. It eats steel quickly. Many users lose money here. The liner cost kills profit.

The reason is often wrong profile. The crushing cavity must match the feed. If the feed is too fine; it wears the bottom. If it is too coarse; it wears the top.

ZENITH solves this with optimized cavities. We have distinct designs. Fine, medium, and coarse. We mix manganese with chrome. This alloy is tougher. It lasts 20% longer.

Also; check the feed arrangement. The stone must drop in center. Not to the side. Side feeding causes uneven wear. Why? Because pressure is not balanced. Correct feeding saves liners.

Pain Point 2: How to lower energy bills?

Mining uses lots of power. Electricity is expensive. You need to cut costs. Old machines waste energy. They generate heat; not broken rock.

The solution is “more crushing; less grinding”. The ball mill is the energy eater. It uses 70% of plant power. You must feed it small rocks. 10mm is better than 20mm.

ZENITH HPT cone crusher does this. It makes a lot of fines. We call this “fine content”. High fine content helps the mill. The mill works less. Your bill goes down.

We also use efficient motors. Siemens or WEG motors. They have high efficiency ratings. We match power to load. No wasted horsepower. This is smart design.

Project Case Study 1: South Africa Gold Mine

A client in South Africa needed help. They had hard granite gold ore. The capacity target was 200 tons per hour. The old plant was slow.

Project details are clear. Location: Barberton area. Material: Gold bearing quartz. Input size: 600mm. Output required: <12mm. This is a strict requirement.

We installed ZENITH equipment. 1. Primary: PE900x1200 Jaw Crusher. 2. Secondary: HST250 Single Cylinder Cone. 3. Tertiary: HPT300 Multi Cylinder Cone.

The result was great. The HPT300 produced very fine product. 80% was under 10mm. The customer was happy. Why? Because mill throughput increased 15%. They made more gold.

Customer feedback: “The ZENITH crushers are beasts. They run 20 hours a day. No overheating. The hydraulics make setting changes easy.”

Project Case Study 2: Peru High Altitude Mine

This mine is in the Andes. 4000 meters high. The air is thin. Motors get hot easily. The rock is extremely hard basalt-gold mix.

They needed 300TPH. They worried about maintenance. It is cold and remote. Parts take weeks to arrive. Reliability was the main goal.

ZENITH designed a modular plant. We used the C6X Jaw Crusher. It has no welded frame. It survives the cold. For secondary; we used two HST160 cones.

We oversized the motors. This compensates for altitude. Why? Because thin air cools less. We added synthetic oil heaters. This helps start in winter.

Result: The plant has run for 2 years. Downtime is under 5%. The client trusts ZENITH. They bought a second line recently.

Installation and Maintenance Logic

Installation must be solid. A good foundation prevents vibration. Vibration kills bearings. ZENITH provides detailed drawings. We guide your civil team.

Maintenance should be planned. Don’t fix it when it breaks. Fix it before. Check oil daily. Check liner gap weekly. Record the amp draw.

Spares availability is key. ZENITH has warehouses globally. We keep mantles and jaws in stock. You don’t wait long. This reduces risk.

Our crushers have sensors. They track temperature. If it gets hot; it alarms. This saves the shaft. It is smart protection.

FAQ: Common User Questions

Q1: How often do I change the oil? A: Change it every 2000 hours. Or every 6 months. Check filters often. Clean oil means long life.

Q2: Can the cone crusher start with load? A: The HST series can. It has a heavy duty hydraulic starter. But it is better to clear the chamber first. It reduces stress.

Q3: What if uncrushable metal enters? A: The release cylinder opens. The metal drops out. Then it resets automatically. No damage occurs.

Conclusion and Selection Advice

Choosing the right crusher is vital. For gold; use a strong Jaw and a fine Cone. Don’t buy cheap toys. Buy industrial tools.

ZENITH offers value. We give you high tech at good price. We support you forever. From design to install.

Contact ZENITH today. Send us your rock analysis. We build a flow chart for you. Let’s dig gold together. Success waits for you.