Electro Crossbelt Magnet Protects Gold Mine

In a remarkable feat of engineering, the Bunting manufacturing plant in Redditch, UK has constructed the largest Electro Crossbelt (Overband) Magnet to date. This colossal magnet, weighing in at 13 tons, has found its home in a gold mine located in Northern Finland. Over the course of twelve months, it will diligently extract and separate harmful tramp metal from approximately 2.7 million tons of conveyed ore, shielding crushers, screens, and other crucial upstream processing equipment.

The Electro Crossbelt Magnet operates on the principle of high-strength magnetic forces, swiftly lifting and automatically discarding any tramp ferrous metal encountered within the conveyed ore. Suspended in a crossbelt orientation across the non-magnetic head pulley of a conveyor, it creates a powerful magnetic field. Any tramp metal drawn into this field is magnetically attracted and hoisted onto the surface of a continuously moving self-cleaning rubber belt. Reinforced with heavy-duty rubber wipers, the belt efficiently removes the captured metal, diverting it away from the conveyed ore and into a designated collection area.

This groundbreaking Electro Crossbelt Magnet is part of a significant expansion initiative at the Kittila Gold Mine in Northern Finland.

Collaborating closely with mine operators, Bunting engineers developed a customized solution tailored to the mine’s unique challenges. Factors such as conveyor width, ore volume, and the characteristics of tramp ferrous metal were meticulously considered in the design process. Utilizing an in-house developed Electro Crossbelt Magnet Selection Program, the design team calculated the optimal magnetic field and force density required for effective separation.

The result is the model 205 OCW50 Electro Crossbelt Magnet, boasting a 17 kW electromagnetic coil cooled by recirculated oil. This cooling mechanism is crucial for maintaining the magnet’s efficiency, as magnetic force diminishes with increasing coil temperature. With dimensions of 4.2m length, 3m width, and 2.2m height, this formidable magnet was assembled at Bunting’s manufacturing facility in Redditch.

“Large mining projects, such as this, often require bespoke solutions,” says Adrian Coleman, the General Manager of Bunting’s Redditch facility. “Over 40 years, Bunting has gained considerable experience in designing and building large Electro Crossbelt Magnets. However, this was the largest we have ever manufactured at Redditch, presenting many challenges, which were overcome. And the design and manufacturing process all took place during the Covid-19 crisis.”

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