Mining: 5 tips to help you choose the right dryer and calciner

The choice of the type of dryer, calciner and rotary cooler to be implemented in a mining plant must take into account the cost-benefit. Equipment performance, quality in the final product and low production cost guarantee the return on the investment made by the mining company.

In this article, you will learn about the main items for choosing a machine.

The results will also come from choosing an equipment supplier with experience in projects of this type. Máquinas Furlan, which has been in the business for 61 years, has the necessary requirements for any type of project, including wear and replacement parts.

Discover the 5 factors that influence the decision to buy rotary kilns

In mining, rotating equipment is used to generate products including limestone, dolomitic lime, coal, bauxite, gypsum, magnesite, alumina, phosphate, vermiculite and blast furnace slag.

Clay processing in the ceramic industry also uses this line, providing a leap in productivity in the project.

Choosing the ideal equipment takes into account at least 5 characteristics, including the type of rock. Check it out.

1. The equipment must have high performance, but also be efficient

Rotating machines in mining prioritize productivity and the quality of the final material, which could be raw material for another process.

Nowadays, productivity is gaining momentum. We need to do more with less, both for environmental reasons, a consumer demand, and for business profitability, an internal challenge for companies.

Therefore, the production desired by the mining company in the project is one of the factors proposed with the supplier.

Quality, in turn, results from a market that is demanding regarding the product it receives from mining companies, in addition to the demand for a homogeneous final product.

At this point, a production line with the so-called “continuous process” guarantees the presence of quality and homogeneity.

2. Ease of operation and maintenance

As a general rule, a mining company should be guided by ease of operation, as time is an important factor.

The same is true for maintenance; downtime for repairs must be planned in advance and carried out quickly.

All this without neglecting safety. The design of rotating equipment within NR 12 is a fundamental factor for operator safety.

3. Always seek to reduce costs

The design format will define specifications such as power, drive assembly and furnace for the dryers and calciners. It will also influence the rotation of the machines and the type of fuel.

These are decisions related to the costs of a plant. Correct choices allow, for example, ceramics to work without interruption, based on small adjustments made to the quality of the raw material, and to produce more and better.

4. Understand the type of rock that will be processed

Knowing the type of rock in the deposit makes it easier to decide on a machine.

The humidity present in the feeding stage and the humidity at the material outlet also influence the choice of model.

5. Choose a supplier with experience and innovation

The market offers several models of rotary lines. As for size, the equipment must be sized according to the customer's needs, by a supplier industry that has experience and innovation.

Therefore, the different configurations available in the company's catalog will allow the mining company to make a more assertive decision.

The ideal profile of a spare parts supplier is related to the quality of the castings. The ability to serve the mining company when replacement is necessary is another factor to be analyzed by those investing in mining.

Furlan machines: internal processes guarantee durability

Máquinas Furlan has been a supplier to the mining industry for 61 years. Its technical proposal adopts the culture of internal execution of processes in the development of equipment and castings. The company is recertified in ISO 9001.

The Furlan line of Rotary Dryers has two configurations, depending on the type of flame. Direct flame is used when the material can come into contact with the burner flame, either in parallel flow or countercurrent flow.

Indirect Flame is recommended when there is no contact between the material and the burner flame.

Furlan equipment has better drying performance, thanks to the use of fins designed to lift and discharge the material into the hot air stream. The continuous process generates a homogeneous and higher quality final product.

Watch the video of our dryers on a customer's production line.

Applications are carried out without contamination of the material, using an indirect double-cylinder flame – which provides processing at an appropriate temperature. In fact, the Furlan catalogue offers a wide range of models when we evaluate the final temperature of the material.

From the industrial unit in Limeira (SP), Furlan has already produced calciners measuring 60 meters in length, but which are easy to operate and maintain.

Another possibility is a set of machines together – the dryer can come with the RR line Rotary Cooler, for example, or the project includes a complete plant.

Flexibility includes fuel type. A summary of this equipment is on our website here . 

Help in finding financing is another Furlan practice. BNDES has a line that covers this type of machine.

Want to know more about dryers and calciners? Contact us here