How long can the mantle and bowl liners of a cone crusher last? What factors influence their lifespan? And how do you replace them?
2019-08-28
In a cone crusher, the crushing chamber is formed by the space between two liners—specifically, the gap between the mantle (fixed cone liner) and the bowl liner (moving cone liner). As you can see, the crushing wall and the mantle are the components that come into direct contact with the material, making them the primary wear-resistant parts in the cone crusher. But how long can the crushing wall and mantle last? What factors influence their service life? And once they’re worn out, how should they be replaced? This article will address these key questions.
How long can broken walls and crushing walls last?
The mantle and the bowl liner are the primary components that work together inside a cone crusher to crush materials. As the cone crusher operates, the mantle undergoes eccentric motion, alternately moving closer to and farther away from the bowl liner, thereby compressing and breaking the material. Some of the crushed material is then discharged through the open discharge opening. In a cone crusher, the mantle and bowl liner are the main parts directly in contact with the material—and after prolonged use, wear is inevitable. So, how long do the mantle and bowl liner typically last?
(In general)
Factors Affecting the Service Life of Broken Wall and Rolling Jaw Walls
Generally, the following factors influence the crushing efficiency and service life of the mantle and concave liners: stone powder content and moisture level, hardness and particle size of the material, feeding method, as well as the quality of the mantle and concave liners themselves.
Stone powder content and moisture content
When a cone crusher is operating, if the material has high levels of fines and moisture, it can easily stick to the crushing walls and mantle walls during the crushing process. Over time, this not only reduces production efficiency but also leads to corrosion of the crushing walls and mantle walls, ultimately shortening their service life.
For materials with a relatively high stone powder content, it’s advisable to first pass them through a sieve before crushing, which helps prevent excessive fine powder during the crushing process.
For materials with higher moisture content, certain measures should be taken to reduce the moisture level before crushing, such as natural air-drying or mechanical drying.
The hardness and particle size of the stone material
Depending on the hardness of the material being crushed by the cone crusher, the degree of wear experienced by the crushing wall and the mantle liner also varies. The harder the material, the more difficult it is to crush, resulting in greater impact loads exerted on the crushing wall and mantle during operation—and consequently, a shorter service life. Meanwhile, when the hardness of the ore remains the same, the larger the particle size of the ore entering the crushing chamber, the more severe the wear on the lining plates, further reducing their lifespan.
Feeding Method
The feeding method of the cone crusher also significantly affects the service life of the crushing wall and the mantle. If the feeder of the cone crusher is improperly installed, or if excessive material is fed into the crushing chamber, it can lead to uneven feeding, material blockages within the chamber, and other malfunctions. These issues cause one side of the crushing wall and mantle to bear excessive stress, intensifying the cutting and abrasive wear on the material, ultimately resulting in severe damage to the lining plates and a substantial reduction in their service life.
The quality of the broken wall and the crushing bowl wall itself
The above are the external factors affecting crushing walls and mantle liners, but the quality of the crushing walls and mantle liners themselves remains the primary factor. A high-quality wear-resistant component demands stringent surface requirements during casting—specifically, castings must be free from cracks as well as inclusions, sand defects, cold shuts, porosity, shrinkage cavities, looseness, and other casting flaws that could compromise performance. Currently, cone crushers on the market typically use high-manganese steel to manufacture their crushing walls and mantle liners. As technology continues to advance, the performance of wear-resistant materials is steadily improving. Overall, the ideal material should exhibit rapid surface hardening under impact loads, forming a layer that is both hard and highly wear-resistant, while still retaining the inherent toughness of the underlying metal. Only then can the service life of crushing walls and mantle liners be effectively extended.
How to replace the broken mantle and concave liner?
When replacing the mantle and bowl liner of a cone crusher, it is essential to inspect the wear condition of the fixed cone, adjustment ring, locking threads, counterweights, and counterweight guard plates. If significant wear is found, these components should be replaced with new ones before installing the liners. This approach helps minimize the time required for repeated disassembly and reinstallation, saving both time and effort. After the liners are installed, be sure to verify that their centers are properly aligned; otherwise, collisions during operation could lead to severe liner wear.
Replacement of the Grinding Wall
The crushing wall can be replaced on-site. Loosen the adjusting screw sleeve installed on the upper frame (remember to turn counterclockwise), then remove the upper chamber hopper assembly. Use lifting equipment to carefully lift the adjusting screw sleeve, and after removing the bolts securing the adjusting screw sleeve support plate, you can take out the crushing wall for replacement. Before reassembling, thoroughly clean the outer surface and apply grease to the threaded areas of the adjusting screw sleeve. Finally, follow the reverse sequence to securely reinstall everything in place.
Attention
The crushing wall is secured to the adjusting ring with U-shaped screws, and a zinc alloy is injected between them to ensure a tight bond. When installing or replacing the crushing wall, inspect the tightening condition after 6 to 8 hours of operation, and then retighten the U-shaped screws again.
Replacement of the Broken Wall
The broken mantle can be replaced on-site. Lift out the main shaft assembly and place it securely on a sturdy support platform, taking care not to damage the moving cone or the spherical surface. At the same time, cover all oil holes with cloth to prevent dust and debris from entering. Next, remove the distribution plate, followed by the lock nuts and lock washers, and finally the fusible shims.
Once two lifting lugs are welded onto the old mantle at positions 180° apart, you can carefully lift out the broken mantle. To install the new mantle, weld two identical lifting lugs onto it at the same 180°-spaced locations. Then, reassemble the components in the exact reverse order of disassembly. Finally, once installation is complete, simply cut off the two newly added lifting lugs.
Attention
The conical crushing wall is fixed to the conical body using a conical head, with a zinc alloy cast between them. After the newly installed or freshly replaced conical crushing wall has been in operation for 6 to 8 hours, its tightness should be checked; if any loosening is detected, it must be tightened immediately.
The mantle and bowl liner are critical components in cone crushers. During operation, it’s essential to ensure that the material fed into the equipment meets the crushing requirements. Absolutely no materials with excessive hardness, high moisture content, or other non-crushable items should be allowed to enter the crushing chamber, as this could lead to issues such as the detachment of the mantle and bowl liner, or even equipment shutdowns. Additionally, the feed to the cone crusher must be uniform, with ore properly directed toward the center of the distribution plate. Direct contact between the material and the mantle or bowl liner should be avoided to prevent uneven wear.
Duma Machinery's main products include: mantle and concave liners, crushing walls, and distribution plates for cone crushers; jaw plates, side guards, and pressure bars for jaw crushers; lining plates for ball mills, autogenous mills, and other equipment; impact crusher hammers and impact plates; as well as hammer heads, screen bars, liner blocks, and other wear-resistant alloy steel components for metal shredders.