Commissioning Activities - Ball Mill

During the initial dry run checkout period, Equipment is tested to
ensure readiness to begin commercial operation. .

Tags may be used to signify the progress of the checkout
procedure.
Manila tags found on equipment indicates the piece of
equipment has been mechanically checked and is ready for
commercial operation mechanically.
A Mechanical Field Service Engineer would most likely be
responsible for this particular checkout.
A blue tag indicates that particular piece of equipment has
been electrically checked and is ready for commercial
operation electrically.
An Electrical Field Service Engineer would most likely handle
this part of the checkout procedure.
A red tag indicates the piece of equipment has successfully
fulfilled the group start checkout with the corresponding
equipment in its group.
Now the equipment is ready for operation and has completed
all appropriate checkouts. Commissioning Engineer may
perform this part of the checkout.
The respective parties who complete the checkouts of a piece
of equipment are required to initial and date the time that
equipment was checked out on the attached log sheet.
The following is a common list of items that are verified

during a mechanical checkout:
Anchor and machinery bolts are properly tightened.
Rotating parts are able to move freely by hand without
restriction and are balanced.
Cooling and drain piping does not leak and is properly setup.
All water and hydraulic lines have been flushed. Filters are
clean or replaced.
Equipment is properly lubricated and/or filled with oil. Type and
quantity as per lubrication schedule.
Complete initial alignment.
Verify free rotation in either direction of drive while disconnected
from motor.
The following is a common list of items that are verified
during an electrical checkout once the mechanical
checkout is completed:
Check I/O wiring.

Inspect hardware interlocks.
Field mounted control devices are checked.
Motor megged, checked for rotation and rotated under power.
Motor overloads set properly.
Local start.
Before a local start check can be executed, the equipment needs
to be mechanically and electrically checked out and signed off.
The area around the equipment should be secured for a remote
test. It is imperative that no personnel be working on or in any
equipment to be started, verified by a visual inspection. TKII
personnel should be present for the first start of all TKII supplied
equipment.
The check out before a local start will consist of, but is not
limited to:
The ball mill should only be operated without feed if there are no
balls installed in the mill. Operation of the mill with balls
installed without feed can cause severe damage to the mill
internals. If a symmetro gearbox is used follow the specified run
in schedule with reduced ball charge. Specific run in and startup
instructions for the mill and gearbox should be followed.
Verify the drive alignment.
Verifying the drive coupling is assembled properly and
lubricated.
Verifying the proper lubrication / oil levels.
Start the equipment from the local start / stop switch.
Again, verify rotation is correct.
The equipment should be stopped and investigated immediately
if any unusual noises, power draw, vibration, or temperatures
are detected.
Mechanical, electrical and local start-up is best estimated by
field Services as many factors will influence this.
Remote start.
A remote start on a piece of equipment can be performed once
the mechanical, electrical and local checks have been
successfully fulfilled and signed off. The area around the
equipment should be secured for a remote test. It is imperative
that no personnel be working on or in any equipment to be
started, verified by a visual inspection.
Start the equipment from the central control room.
Field personnel should be standing by to align conveyor belts at

initial startup
Verify that it starts and stops on command
Verify that the proper safety warnings such as lights and horns
work.
Each piece of equipment should be allowed to run for at least 8
hrs continuously while being monitored closely both in the field
and in the central control room, or as specified in manuals.
Check that all process variables such as motor power, bearing
temperature, and vibration are active on the display and that
these values are correct.
Approximating hour per piece of equipment for 72 remote
controlled pieces of equipment including mill feed through dust
handling. Total 36 man hours
In preparation of the group starts;
Review the block sequence diagram and / or the actual
programming to verify that the equipment is in the proper
group and that the start sequence is correct, with the
appropriate time delays.
A list of all process interlocks can be generated from both the
block sequence diagram and the interlock list found in the
commissioning mill book. This should be given to the personnel
responsible for installing interlocks into the control system, and
verified to be in place.
Verify that control loops are in place, set to the proper process
variable, and set to respond in the correct direction. (straight
forward or reverse acting) Tuning parameters should be initially
set. Until the process is started it will not be possible to tune
the controllers, but initial settings, to give a slow response
should be utilized.
8 hours per item, Total 24 hours
Group starts.
Once the equipment has been started individually from the
central control room, and all group start loops have been
thoroughly checked, a group start can be carried out for each
area of equipment.
Again, the area around the equipment must be secured.
Verify that the equipment starts in the proper order.
Verify that the equipment starts with the proper time delays.
Verify that the diverter gates work in the proper direction.
Verify that the stop sequence of all equipment groups is correct
in respect to order and time delays.
Total 16 man hours for group starts
1. Interlock verification. All process interlocks need to be tested
before start-up. Using the interlock list previously generated
from the block sequence diagram and / or commissioning mill
book, test each interlock, with all groups running. -The control
system specialist will be needed during this check to force
analog signals either high or low, to simulate any equipment
that cannot be run, and to make the necessary corrections. It is
very important that the separator lube must be running before
the ID fan can start.
Total 24 man hours to verify interlocks
5. Equipment specific jobs. Several pieces of equipment in the
ball mill area need specific checks under no load conditions
before the equipment can be released for operation with
material.
Dust collectors and vent systems
Cleaning systems in dust collectors need to be initially set in
either continuous cleaning or gauge (working off DP).
For jet pulse systems the pulse cycle needs to be set. An initial
setting of 15 seconds off time (duration between pulses) and .
2 second on time is standard.
In both the mill product conveying areas, and the mill feed
areas, the venting needs to be set up and balanced. The dust
collector fans should not exceed full load amps and each vent
point should have approximately 25-50mmwg negative
pressure.
4 hours per vent system, ball mill recirculation / feed
and product conveying, Total 8 man hours
Metal Detector (if used)
The DCS system must be set up for each individual metal
detector depending on the proximity of the detector to the
diverter gate, the speed of the belt, the time to change
position of the gate, and a delay time to ensure the metal is
sent to waste. The metal detector must be located far enough
from the belt conveyor discharge to ensure there is enough
time for the diverter gate to change position, if it is to close
there may not be time for the gate to react. Another timer
must be installed so that if the gate does not switch to reject
in a set time, the belt should trip and the problem be
investigated. The metal detector sensitivity can be set first
without material, but should be checked again with the belt
running, material on the belt, and with the metal at different
depths.
Use different sizes and types of metal when setting the
sensitivity of the detector. If the metal detector is set too
sensitive, there will be numerous false trips during operation.
The trick is to reduce the number of false trips to a minimum
while making sure that harmful sized metal will not pass
through to the roller press.
One method of setting the detector is to place 1 kg of material
in a bag along with a piece of metal and place it on the belt
before the detector. You can then verify if the metal is
detected, and in fact the timing sequence rejects the bag of

material to waste.]
8 hours per metal detector 16 hours total
Mill Gearbox lube system
Ensure the flow and pressure from the pumps is as per
drawing.
Check that adequate cooling water is available, and heat
exchangers are functioning.
With the pumps in operation, check for potential problems
including pump cavitation, oil foaming, excessive dirt in the
filters, and abnormal temperatures.
16 man hours for the main gearbox lubrication system
checkout
Grease Systems
All grease lines and distribution blocks must be purged.
Disconnect the grease line at the discharge of the pump and
operate the pump until clean grease comes out. Working
outward through each line and block, continue operating the
pump until clean grease is discharged, reconnecting each line
and block as it is purged.
Check the starting and stopping of the system. Typically
every few minutes, the pump will run until the cycle switch is
activated three times. The idle time of the pump can be
increased after the mill is operating for an extended time,
assuring that sufficient grease is getting to all points in the
system.
16 man hours for the checkout of the mill grease system
Mill Feed Rate Verification

All weigh feeders and/or belt scales for the feed system, must be calibrated
properly. Initially, test weights should be hung to calibrate the load cell
readings. Test weights should give an accurate reading for the feeder, but the
accuracy must be verified and the indication fine-tuned by drop testing if
possible.
First ensure that any belt conveyors and bins between the weigh feeders/belt
scale and the load out are clear of material. A few trucks should be available to
perform this exercise, as the results must be repeatable. Before material is
dumped into a truck, the truck must get a tare weight. It is important that each
time the truck empties material, the truck is sent to the scales for another tare
weight before conducting another drop test as material may have hung up in
the bed.
Before beginning a drop test, either reset or record the current totalizer reading.
Starting with the weigh feeder/belt scale prefed with material; begin a drop test
by setting the tonnage of the weigh feeder to the expected operating range of
the feeder. Start the weigh feeder/belt scale while at the same time begins
timing with a stop watch.
Most weigh feeders/belt scales will come equipped with a totalizer to record
the total tonnage from the weigh feeder. Holding a constant feed rate for a set
time period (100 tons per hour for six minutes = 10 tons), will also verify the
totalizer indication.
After a set time period, the weigh feeder/belt scale should be stopped while the
downstream conveying equipment continues to run. Ample time for all
material to empty out of the system should be given, and the area again
inspected for any buildups of material.
When all material has fallen into a truck at the load out point, the truck should
be taken to the plant scales for weighing. From the gross weight given,
subtract the tare weight, to give a net weight in the truck. The net weight is
then compared to the totalizer indication. A calibration factor is used to correct
the weighfeeder indication to the net weight from the truck. Typically, the last
two percent error test results are averaged and then multiplied to the correction
factor (initially = 1), until repeatable results of 1% error are achieved. If any
one particular drop test yields a significant percent error, it is best to discard
that test initially and repeat the procedure to be sure a large unnecessary
change to the correction factor is not made.
Upon completion of the drop tests, the vendor representative should fill out an
equipment specification sheet for each weighfeeder/belt scale. Each sheet
should include all operational parameters, ranges, calibration factors, and test
results for future reference.
A drop test is the best means of verifying mill feed rates but, a belt scrape can
be used in a system that a drop test cannot be done. The feeder is set to a set
feed rate and the belt speed is measured, preferably with a tachometer with
measuring wheel for linear speed. The belt is stopped and from a measured
section of belt the material is removed into buckets and weighed.
Bin loss in weight can also be used as verification.
8 initial hours + 8 hours per weighfeeder 24 man hours total
6. Establish and set alarm points in control system.
Each process variable will have either high, high high, low, low low, or a
combination of alarm points. These points need to be set before start-up and
then modified if necessary during operation. Any process variable, which at
some point can stop the process, must have an alarm generated at a point that
gives the operator sufficient time to respond.
8 man hours to establish alarm points
7. A site specific operating procedure ( S.O.P) should be generated.
The start-up, operating, and shutdown instructions for the entire process
should be reviewed and modified to be site specific. A standard operating
procedure detailing start-up actions should be generated. Be sure to include
notes stating the S.O.P. is a guideline to be used in establishing the operating
parameters and as experience is gained with the specific process, revisions
will be made.
8 man hours to generate S.O.P.
8. Training on safety and equipment specifics
Time should be allotted for safety training especially for new process lines
and modifications that include new equipment to familiarize plant personnel
with potential hazards. Time for reviewing operating principles and
equipment specifics should also be included.
16 man hours for training
Breakdown of total hours required
Site Familiarization / Inspection and punch listing
52 hours
Instrumentation verification
32 hours
Remote and group starts
76 hours
Interlock verification
Equipment specific jobs
Establish alarm points
Generate S.O.P.
Training
24 hours
132 hours
8 hours
8 hours
16 hours
Total
352 man hours

Commissioning Activities - Ball Mill

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Commissioning Activities - Ball Mill

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What are the different tags used to signify equipment checkout progress?

What are the common items verified during a mechanical checkout?

During the initial dry run checkout period, Equipment is tested to

ensure readiness to begin commercial operation. .

The following is a common list of items that are verified

Check I/O wiring.

Field personnel should be standing by to align conveyor belts at

detected, and in fact the timing sequence rejects the bag of

Mill Feed Rate Verification

8. Training on safety and equipment specifics

352 man hours

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