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Unique Principles of Sizer Technology
The unique principles of SIZER TECHNOLOGY are incorporated in the
MMD SIZER. Whilst the application of these principles produces a
simple, robust and compact machine; the breaking action is very
complex.

Initially developed for underground applications, the MMD Twin
Shaft Mineral Sizer had to be capable of processing high volumes
of material in a compact and reliable design. These parameters are
also a great advantage in any plant design but produce the highest
returns when used for Mobile or Semi-Mobile installations. The fact
that the breaking forces are all contained within the framework
of the machine is also a great advantage from the construction standpoint,
allowing a simple support structure even in a static application.
THE PRINCIPLES OF SIZER TECHNOLOGY
The basic concept of the Sizer is the use of two rotors with large
teeth on small diameter shafts driven at low speed by a direct high
torque drive system. This design produces the three major principles
which all interact with each other when breaking materials using
SIZER TECHNOLOGY.
The three unique principles are: -
1. The Three-Stage Breaking Action.
2. The Rotating Screen Effect.
3. The Deep Scroll Tooth Pattern.
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1.THE THREE-STAGE BREAKING ACTION
1.1 The First Stage of Breaking.
This takes place as the large rotor teeth grip the material as
it falls on to the shafts. These teeth subject the rock to multiple
point loading, which induces stress into the lump causing any natural
weakness present in the material to be exploited. |
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1.2 The Second Stage of Breaking.
The secondary breaking, takes place close to the centre line of
the rotor, where the three point loading created between the top
face of the tooth on one rotor and the top of the two opposing teeth
on the other rotor, induces tensile stress in the rock. As the tensile
strength of most materials is approximately 10% of the compressive
strength, it reduces the amount of power consumed at this stage. |
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1.3 The Third Stage of Breaking.
Fitting a breaker bar below the centre line of the rotors allows
any over size lumps carried by the scroll through the rotors to
be broken, again exploiting the weaker tensile strength of the material.
The breaker bar, which forms a comb through which the rotor teeth
have to pass, can be adjusted up or down to modify the product size.
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2 The Rotating Screen Effect.
The interlaced toothed rotor design allows free flowing undersize
material to pass through the continuously changing gaps generated
by the relatively slow moving shafts. Undersize material fed to
the Sizer or produced during the first and second stages of breaking
flow through the rotors with the assistance of gravity and the constant
agitation caused by the rotating shafts. If the machine is fed from
one end, this feature gives the added benefit that the smaller material
is deposited on the belt first followed by the larger material forming
a sealing layer above the dust giving environmental benefits on
conveyor systems. |
3 The Deep Scroll Tooth Pattern.
The deep scroll conveys the larger material to one end of the machine
and helps to spread the feed across the full length of the rotors.
This feature can be used to reject oversize material from the machine.
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There are obviously other contributing effects in the breaking
and passing of material through the Sizer, which have yet to be
quantified, and most of the development work is done in the field
by carefully selecting opportunities which widen the range of materials
that are handled by MMD SIZERS. This programme of application-based
development has driven the rapid advance of Sizer Technology and
produced a wide variation of proven designs which can be applied
to future projects. This practical approach is complemented by sponsored
university study and the application of the latest computer technology
in design and analysis of the forces that the equipment has to withstand.
MATERIALS HANDLED
As described in the approach above, MMD SIZERS have proved that
they can handle a large variation of materials. An outstanding feature
of these machines is their ability to handle very wet sticky and
hard material either separately or together through the same unit.
The changes required for the sticky material can be simply incorporated
at the manufacturing stage and many can be added to existing machines
if the material to be handled is changed. |