Avaliação de desempenho de moinho de martelos em mineração de ouro

Abstract

Gold mining has significantly expanded in the state of Mato Grosso, driven primarily by the consistent appreciation of this commodity in the international market. Companies operating in this sector have been investing in technologies and strategies to increase their productivity and, consequently, achieve greater profitability. This favorable scenario encourages the sector's growth and attracts new enterprises to the region. The municipality of Cuiabá, the state capital, is located in an area with occurrences of gold deposits. This study was conducted in the rural area of the municipality, where various gold extraction and processing activities are concentrated. The objective was to evaluate the performance of the hammer mill, a commonly used grinding equipment in the region, which still poses major challenges for processing plants. The plant under study operates with four independent grinding lines; this study was carried out on three of them, analyzing indicators such as productivity, downtime frequency, hammer consumption, and the occurrence of technical failures. The methodology was based on the collection and organization of operational data, technical field observations, and critical analysis of internal production and maintenance records.The results indicated an average effective productivity below the nominal capacity, associated with high downtime and significant wear of internal components. Monthly hammer consumption was estimated at 19.95 tons, with 10.19 tons of metal scrap generated, representing more than 50% loss. Among the main observed failures were cracks, breakages, and structural defects in the hammers. It is concluded that the equipment shows significant technical limitations when processing highly abrasive ores, and it is recommended to evaluate more suitable technological alternatives and adopt predictive maintenance strategies to increase operational efficiency.