The Secondary Flux Crushing Operation was one of the final upgrades in the Phase 2 expansion for the Iron Ore Company of Canada. It was part of a program to increase the plant’s overall production from 8 million tonnes per year to 12.5 million tonnes per year of pelletized ore.

The flux handling system was upgraded to produce a finer size distribution, which improved the ball mill throughput in the Pellet Plant production. A new Svedala Impactmaster 150/230 Crusher and a Simplicity M160B Double Deck Screen were installed as part of the secondary crushing operation to satisfy the flux demand of 450 tph at 3/4″ minus product. The new system was designed to crush up to 600 tph of 3/4″ minus product for future capacity increases.

Features incorporated into the new system included a screen to bypass the fines from the crushing operation and a by-pass system to convey crushed, stockpiled material during screen and crusher downtime periods. These added features, as well as the upgraded equipment specifications, substantially reduced scheduled maintenance and nonscheduled downtimes.

Flux is an additive in the pellet making process. Different variations of added flux produce specific products. Flux is a combination of dolomite, limestone and coke breeze. Dolomite, which is shipped in sizes ranging from 24″ minus, is crushed in two separate crushing phases. The Primary Crushing Operation is known as the Stamler and the Secondary Crushing Operation is the new Svedala/Simplicity. The second additive used in the production of flux is limestone which is shipped in 3/4″ minus. The final and third additive is coke breeze, which is shipped as a fine mixture. All three are combined and mixed in different variations to form a flux in pellet production.

JNE’s role in the Flux Handling System Upgrade involved the engineering and construction management for the structural, mechanical and electrical disciplines. The structural component involved modifying the existing structure to accommodate the new expansion for the additional equipment. The mechanical component included equipment layouts, modifications required to the in-feed and discharge conveyors and design of all material transfer chutes. The electrical component included providing additional power requirements, controls, services for lighting; heating and ventilation; and also upgrades to the existing conveyor equipment.

The project successfully met all scope requirements on time and on budget.