Crusher Wear Monitoring Through a Retractable Inspection Sensor
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Crushing devices have difficult access to the crushing chamber, making regular checks of wear parts time-consuming and hazardous, and existing sensor-based wear measurements are impractical due to the need for replacement with the wear parts.
Innovation Solution
A detection device is provided that can be moved between a park position and a detection position through an inspection opening using an actuator, allowing safe and reliable wear condition monitoring of wear parts within the crushing chamber without direct attachment, using optical or electromagnetic methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If wear parts are made as cast parts with built-in detection devices, then wear measurement capability is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases significantly and detection devices must be replaced with each wear part
Solution Approach 1:
The detection device is designed as a universal, reusable unit that can be applied to multiple different wear parts without being integrated into each individual component. This allows the same detection device to measure wear on various wear parts throughout the crushing chamber, eliminating the need to embed sensors in each cast part and reducing both manufacturing complexity and cost.
2Measurement precision
If ultrasonic sensors are attached directly to wear parts, then wear measurement is enabled, but the sensor arrangement becomes impractical due to reflection and refraction of sound waves at medium boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of attaching sensors directly to wear parts where sound waves would reflect or refract at medium boundaries, the patent uses an intermediary approach where the detection device measures wear from a distance through the inspection opening. This eliminates the need for direct contact and avoids the acoustic interference caused by medium transitions.
3Measurement precision
If the detection device is placed inside the crushing chamber, then wear detection is enabled, but the risk of damage to the detection device from crushed material and dust increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection device is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to move between a protected park position outside the crushing chamber and a detection position where it can observe wear through the inspection opening. This dynamic arrangement enables the device to perform measurements when needed while remaining protected from damaging crushed material and dust during normal operation.
4Measurement precision
If regular manual checks of wear parts are performed, then wear condition monitoring is achieved, but accessibility difficulties and safety risks increase time consumption and operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automated wear detection through the inspection opening without requiring manual intervention or operator access to the crushing chamber. The detection device automatically monitors wear conditions, eliminating the time-consuming and hazardous manual inspection process while providing continuous or periodic automated measurements.
Data Source
AI summary
A crushing device for crushing mineral material includes at least one crushing chamber boundary delimiting a crushing chamber, the at least one crushing chamber boundary including an inner face facing the crushing chamber and an outer face facing away from the crushing chamber. The crushing chamber boundary includes an inspection opening. A comminution device is received in the crushing chamber, the comminution device including at least one comminution tool. A sensor is configured to determine a state of wear of at least one wear part in the crushing chamber. A mounting is configured to hold the sensor. An actuator is configured to move the sensor at least partially through the inspection opening between a park position wherein the sensor is at least partially outside of the crushing chamber and a detection position wherein the sensor is at least partially inside of the crushing chamber.