Top Impactor Issues You Can Prevent

 Published on April 20, 2018

Brooke Borek
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Engineering Manager at Hazemag USA Inc
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 Several factors come together to determine the success of an impactor upon installation. How the unit will be fed, for example, is
critical. During installation, impactor manufacturers will take into account things like inlet hood dimensions, feed speed and drop
height. When plant layout and/or capacity changes, or an impactor is introduced into a plant that was not originally designed for, feed
parameters can cause excessive wear and damage.

Here are some of the top issues and how to prevent them. If you have other impactor issues that I haven’t listed here, please post a
comment or get in touch.
Problem: The rotor body tube and discs are getting worn.

Solution: With this kind of wear, it’s likely that material is reaching the rotor too quickly. Feedstock needs to come sliding in, not
bouncing or dumping in. If you can maintain a proper feed velocity going into the crusher, material will hit the blow bars, not the rotor
body.

What’s causing material to bounce or dump? It’s not always the feeder or conveyor—it can be the inlet chute itself. If it is too long or
too steep, the feed material can enter the crusher at a very high velocity, which can cause material to hit the rotor directly with a lot of
force, potentially causing too much wear and possibly damage the bearings. The drop height could also be too high. To solve the
problem, ensure that the drop height is no greater than four feet. Cascading shelves can also help to slow the flow of the material into
the impactor.

If a conveyor is used to feed the crusher, the position of the head pulley is critical. If it’s too high or too deep into the crusher, the
material will bypass the inlet chute and impact directly onto the crusher rotor, potentially causing excessive rotor wear and/or blowbar
breakage. Similarly, the speed of the belt plays a very important role in feeding the impactor. If it’s too fast, the material trajectory
may be such that it overshoots the inlet chute and impacts directly onto the rotor, causing excessive wear and potential blowbar
breakage.

Problem: Blow bars are wearing more in the middle than at the sides.

Solution: Incoming material needs to be spread evenly across the rotor. For this to happen, the inlet hood should be the same width
as the crusher opening. Likewise, the feeder or conveyor should be as close as possible to the width of the crusher inlet. A feeder that
is too narrow will direct the majority of the feed material to the center of the machine, where it can cause premature wear. In some
situations, a ridge on the end of shelves will help material to build up better and cascade to the edges of the crusher. This also helps
reduce wear on the end of the shelf.
Problem: Flyback: Rock and chip is bouncing back out of the inlet hood.

Solution: This is a potentially dangerous situation that can impact workplace safety. To stop flyback, install rubber curtains inside
the inlet hood, with chains hanging further in. Not only will this help with flyback, but it can also slow material down. When using a
conveyor belt or pan feeder, be sure to seal off any open areas around the inlet opening where material could exit the crushing
chamber.
Problem: The walls or floor of the inlet hood are wearing through.
Solution: Most manufacturers include replaceable wear plates on the sides and the bottom of the inlet hood. If there aren’t any,
rebuild the inlet hood walls and floor as required, then bolt on plates.

Problem: Shelves or inlet hood are unsupported or minimally supported.

Solution: Shelves and inlet hoods need support. The hood should be large enough in size so that it does not impede the flow of the
feed material. However, in the case of a jam, material weight can build up in the inlet hood. Attach gussets or stiffener plates to help
support the weight of the material.Likewise, the hood must be designed and built to withstand the force of material impacting directly
upon it.
Wrapping up: The right configuration can absolutely prevent or reduce accelerated impactor wear. I hope some of these ideas
will be of help to you and your crushing application.