Production Process of Sized Iron Ore; From Pre-Processing to Grade Improvement in Dry Processing Lines
Raw iron ore extracted from mines must undergo processing to be used in steel production. The processed product can be either concentrate or sized iron ore. The production of sized iron ore is carried out through a dry process. The feed for the processing lines comes from the separator products of pre-processing units.
After the Quality Control Unit confirms the percentage of product loss in pre-processing, with proper planning and management by the Processing Unit, the ore is loaded and transported using heavy machinery to the processing lines for crushing, sizing, and grade improvement.
The Role of Machinery Maintenance and Management in Ensuring Stable Production in Iron Ore Processing Lines
The production of fine-sized products is carried out through five processing lines. Currently, in order to create added value, the majority of sized ore products are delivered by the Processing Unit to the company’s iron ore concentrate plants.
The separator products from pre-processing units, sized at 0–50 mm with an average loss of 30%, are transported by company-owned or contracted trucks to the processing lines for feeding. After crushing, the material is graded into 0–10 mm and 10–30 mm fractions and upgraded through beneficiation.
High-grade products typically contain iron content ranging between 57% and 62%, while low-grade products contain between 25% and 30%.
Monthly Production Capacity and Feeding to Concentrate Plant
According to the reported capacity, this unit sends 210,000 tons of fine-sized products (0–10 mm and 0–8 mm) per month to the concentrate plant. To achieve the production of the 0–8 mm fraction, the lines equipped with Hydrocone size 2 crushers are fed with material sized 10–30 mm for further crushing.
Due to the low grade of the low-quality product, and its unsuitability for direct feeding into the concentrate plants, it is stockpiled at a designated site. When it becomes economically viable, this low-grade ore is re-fed into the processing lines for beneficiation and crushing, after which the final product is delivered to the concentrate plants.
Maintenance and Repair of Processing Lines
To prevent production loss, unplanned shutdowns, and unnecessary costs, this unit performs daily and weekly preventive maintenance and servicing of the processing lines.
Management of Loading and Hauling Machinery
To ensure a steady supply of feed for the processing lines and concentrate plants, as well as transporting conveyor underflow products, this unit carries out dispatching of loading and hauling machinery based on haul distance, feed tonnage of processing lines, and requirements of the concentrate plants.
