Large industrial gyratory crusher used in a mining processing facility.

Reduced oil consumption and downtime on gyratory crusher

Severe contamination ingress caused frequent oil changes and production shutdowns on a gyratory crusher. Installing a CJC® Oil Filter significantly reduced oil consumption, downtime, and operating costs.

Application Snapshot

Factory icon representing industrial application or sector.

Industry:

Mining

Country:

Chile

Oil type:

Lubrication oil, ISO VG 320

Executive summary

A gyratory crusher operating at Minera Escondida experienced heavy dirt ingress into the lubrication oil system. Despite almost daily in-line filter changes, oil changes were required every two months, each resulting in an eight-hour production shutdown.

A CJC® Oil Filter with high dirt holding capacity was installed to continuously remove contamination from the lubrication oil.

After installation, oil contamination was effectively controlled. Oil changes were reduced to one planned annual shutdown of six hours, resulting in major oil savings, reduced downtime, and significant financial benefits.

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Trophy icon representing controlled dirt contamination in lubrication oil.

High dirt ingress controlled

The CJC® Filter removes up to 150 kg of dirt every two months, keeping lubrication oil clean despite harsh operating conditions.

Significant operational cost savings

Reduced oil consumption, waste oil handling, shutdown costs, and spare parts usage delivered substantial financial savings.

Fewer production shutdowns

Shutdowns were reduced from six events per year to one planned shutdown.

Leaf icon representing lower oil consumption and reduced waste oil generation.

Lower oil consumption and waste generation

Oil consumption was reduced from 24,000 litres to 4,000 litres per year, significantly lowering waste oil handling.

Lubrication oil reservoir heavily contaminated with dirt and sludge in a mining crusher system.

Client brief

The customer is BHP Billiton, operating a gyratory crusher at the Minera Escondida mine in Chile. The crusher operates in an extremely harsh and dusty environment with continuous contamination ingress.

Used in-line filter element clogged with dirt from contaminated lubrication oil.

Challenge

Large amounts of dirt entered the lubrication oil system, forcing oil changes every two months. Each oil change required an eight-hour production shutdown and frequent spare parts replacement, despite almost daily in-line filter changes.

CJC® Fine Filter unit installed on a gyratory crusher lubrication system.

Solution

A CJC® Fine Filter HDU 427/108 was installed on the crusher lubrication system to continuously remove large amounts of dirt from the oil.

Engineers reviewing an industrial oil filtration system used for crusher lubrication.

Controlling heavy contamination in crusher lubrication oil

Before filtration, oil changes were required every two months due to severe contamination ingress. The system consumed approximately 24,000 litres of oil annually and required frequent shutdowns and spare parts replacement.

After installation of the CJC® Oil Filter, contamination was effectively controlled. The filter removed up to 150 kg of dirt every two months, allowing the oil to remain in service for extended periods.

As a result, oil changes were reduced to one planned annual shutdown lasting six hours.

Measurable results and operational impact

Annual oil consumption was reduced from 24,000 litres to 4,000 litres, saving 20,000 litres of oil. Waste oil handling costs were reduced from USD 19,200 to USD 4,800.

Production shutdowns were reduced from six eight-hour shutdowns per year to one six-hour shutdown, corresponding to shutdown cost savings of approximately USD 445,200. Spare parts usage was reduced from six components to two.

Large crusher installation operating in an open-pit mining environment.

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