Rock Breaker Monitoring System

Aplik developed a “Rock-Breaker Condition Monitoring System” that increases its availability for breaking down oversized rocks in gyratory and cone crushers.

This project began as part of BHP-Billiton’s “World-Class Supplier Program” for Pampa Norte’s Spence Operation. The first stage consisted in the design and implementation of a monitoring prototype for a Rammer XL1200 rock breaker in the Spence Operation’s primary crusher. Aplik worked with Ingeniería Computacional Teccen to make the finite element analysis of the rock breaker, and with Dr. Luis Perez Pozo of Universidad Técnica Federíco Santa María’s Mechanical Engineering Departament to make the basic computational mechanical models.

After the success of the prototype, Aplik began the project’s industrial stage. This stage consists in the implementation of the full system for a new BTI TTX45 rock breaker. This stage will add a valuable tool for predictive maintenance to BHP Billiton’s Spence Operation.