More production, less milling through optimized wears and improved fine crushing
During the wear parts and fine crushing development with Metso, KMARuda’s productivity figures went up, while milling time and energy costs decreased. The mine was able to process over 420,000 tons more iron ore per year, resulting in 193,000 extra tons of iron concentrates.
Thanks to the longer lasting wears and more efficient fine crushing, the grinding performance increased by 30%. The total grinding time needed went down by over 11,000 hours and energy consumption by 2.95 kW per grinded ton.
“Actually, thanks to our improved productivity, we could change the technological scheme and move one grinding mill from the primary stage to the secondary one,” says Main Grinding Specialist
Vladimir Saveliev.
Of the iron ore mines in the Stary Oskol region, KMARuda is the only one that employs the underground mining method.
Metso chosen as wear and process expertise partner Across from its huge open-pit iron ore mines, KMARuda runs a rather small-scale, but efficient underground iron ore operation in Stary Oskol, southwestern Russia.
The mine’s present ore extraction amounts to 4.8 million tons per year, of which 2.1 million tons of 66% iron concentrate is processed.
“A few years ago, we faced difficulties with our processing equipment, mainly caused by the wet, extremely wearing, quartzite-containing ore. Then we learned about Metso and its crushers, pumps and wear expertise,” says KMARuda’s Main Chief Engineer
Alexander Munkh.
“Our cooperation began with cone and jaw crushers and now extends to pumps and wear parts development. Today we can well thank Metso for its support in constantly developing our mining processes. Any problems have been resolved quickly, and we have an excellent relationship,” he adds.
During the extensive cooperation on crusher wears, different manganese steel grades and alloys were tested on site. Today, the jaw crusher is operated with Metso MX jaws of a two-piece design. Metso MX technology is a new material solution for high-wear applications. Three cone crushers benefit from extra thick XT720 manganese liners, thus requiring less backing materials than normal.
“The results are amazing. With Metso special wears, we could increase the lifetime with cone crushers by some 30% and with the jaw crusher even more,” says Munkh.
Finer crushing makes grinding easier
Another significant achievement has been made at KMARuda with the HP series cone crushers, used at the fine-crushing stage after the Russian KMD secondary cones.
“With our old cones, we could achieve fines smaller than 13-14 mm. With the HP200 and HP500 cone crushers, the corresponding size is 6-7 mm. This has significantly added to our grinding capacity and decreased electricity and grinding wear costs,” explains
Alexander Borodin, Head of the crushing and grinding shop.
“With our wet fines and very abrasive iron ore feed, this can be considered an excellent result,” he adds.
Extended lifetime with Metso pumps
KMARuda has built a new, modern stowing complex for its main pumping operations in 2009. Today, the whole pumping process at the mine site is steered at a state-of-theart automation centre.
The six Sala vertical slurry pumps, placed under water, feature a long
lifetime and save 30% in energy costs compared to the old pumps.
“With our old pumps, we could achieve a lifetime of 2,500–2,800 operational working hours. In 2010, we consulted Metso specialists and installed 6 vertical pumps for underwater use; today we can achieve a total lifetime of 9,000–13,000 hours,” says
Andrew Pisarev, Main Engineer at the stowing shop.
“In addition to the longer life, Metso pumps save 25–30% in energy at the same capacity. Metso pumps are easy to service. We are cooperating further and studying the possibility to use some plastic parts at our underwater application,” he adds.
Deeper with a new shaft KMARuda is planning to almost double its iron ore production by building a new shaft, reaching a depth of 160 meters.
By 2020, the iron ore production should exceed 7 million tons per year. The mine has reserves to operate for 40 years. The majority of the mine’s iron ore concentrate is transported by train to the Tulachermed steel mill.
One of the world’s largest iron ore centers
Situated at the border of the Kursk magnetic anomaly, the Stary Oskol region falls in one of the largest iron ore deposits worldwide. Several huge iron ore producers operate within a 300-kilometer radius of the city.
The iron ore is mainly extracted from open pits, enriched at iron ore processing plants, and shipped by train to the steel mills.
Russia’s biggest iron ore mine, Lebedinskiy GOK, extracts 54 million tons of ore per year and processes 21.8 million tons of iron ore concentrate. The corresponding mining amounts of Mikhaiylovskiy GOK are 48/17 million tons, and Stolenskiy GOK 38/15 million tons.
In 2008, Lebedinskiy GOK made an agreement with Metso on the delivery of 10 HP100 cone crushers, four of which are already in operation.
Members of KMARuda iron ore mine’s main management, from left
Alexander Munch, Alexander Borodin, Andrew Pisarev, Sergey Borchevsky
and Vladimir Saveliev.
KMARuda iron ore mine
location: near the city of Stary Oskol, southwestern Russia
– pure iron ore 28%
– common iron ore (in quartzite) 33-34%
mine depth: 125 m (present), 160 m (future)
ore extraction per day: 14,500 tons
number of employees: 2,300
metso equipment:
- 1 Nordberg C140 jaw crusher
– quarry profile jaws
– Metso MX jaws for high wear applications
– css 140 mm
- 1 Nordberg HP200 cone crusher
– XT720 standard fine liners
– css 13 mm
- 2 Nordberg HP500 cone crushers
– XT720 short head fine liners
– css 13 mm
- 6 Sala VSMM350 vertical slurry pumps, underwater application
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