Winter Crushing Tips: Keep Your Operation Running Smoothly
There’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate preparation. Crushing during winter can be challenging, but with some planning and smart strategies, it doesn’t have to be miserable.
Here are some essential tips for preparing your crushing spread for winter:
1. Conveyors
In cold temperatures, rubber compounds in conveyor belts can stiffen, causing tracking issues until they warm up. This is especially true for belts containing neoprene. Before these belts function properly, they need to be warmed to a temperature above freezing.
Watch out for frost, snow, and ice—they can cause load slippage, clog chutes, and lead to material buildup that damages conveyor components. Ice on the troughed side of the belt can obstruct flow, while ice on conveyor hardware can result in increased power demands, freezing up of mechanical parts, and stalled drive motors.
De-icing Tips:
- Use ethylene glycol or calcium chloride solutions to de-ice; however, note that calcium chloride may corrode parts.
- Remove ice buildup before starting the conveyor. Cover and heat the hopper if possible to prevent icing.
- In extremely cold conditions, consider keeping the conveyor running (either at full speed or with a creeper drive) to avoid ice buildup.
When temperatures hover around freezing, thawing and refreezing cycles can cause wet material to stick to screens and conveyors during the day, only to freeze overnight. This creates issues for the next day, but operators can use various tools to address these problems.
2. Belt Heaters
Conveyor belt heaters come in different varieties and are crucial in severe winter conditions. They apply the right amount of heat to key areas where ice typically accumulates, such as drive rolls, bend pulleys, and idlers. Positioned close to the driver roll, these heaters prevent ice accumulation by heating and drying the belt and roll simultaneously.
Benefits of Belt Heaters:
- Prevent material slide-back and belt scraper issues.
- Eliminate ice on drive rolls, reducing slippage and the need for increased belt tension, which leads to less belt wear and lower power consumption.
3. Belts and Belt Scrapers
Keeping conveyor belts clean and moving is the biggest winter challenge. Various belt scrapers and brushes are available to help prevent buildup and keep the belts functional.
For portable plants, pay special attention to conveyor tail pulleys mounted close to the ground. This requires clean belts to prevent debris from accumulating underneath, which could mis-track the belt or damage pulley bearings. Regular maintenance of belt scrapers can significantly reduce buildup issues. Always check that skirting rubber and plough scrapers aren’t frozen to the belt before starting. Additionally, switch to synthetic oil in conveyor gearboxes for better winter performance.
4. Self-Cleaning Screen Media
For screening, consider using engineered self-cleaning media. This minimizes blinding and enhances dry separation of fine particles, even under cold conditions.
5. Cones & Jaws
When shutting down the plant overnight or for the weekend, cover the jaw or cone with a tarp to prevent snow buildup. Switch to synthetic oil for cones, and change grease from EP1 to EP2, which has a lower freezing point. Running two shifts instead of one can also help keep equipment warm and operational during colder months.
6. Critical Hydraulic Lines
Wrap critical hydraulic lines, especially the cone accumulator line, with heat tape for additional protection in winter.
7. Winter Efficiency
One advantage of winter crushing is improved screening efficiency when the weather is cold and clear. In sub-zero temperatures, the absence of free water prevents particles from binding together. This allows fine particles to separate more easily from larger ones, enhancing screen output and finished product cleanliness.
Prepare for Success
Effective winter crushing demands proper maintenance and the right accessories. Implementing these winter-specific practices can keep your operation running smoothly and avoid costly downtime.