Crushing — AI for primary, secondary and tertiary stages
AI Autopilot coordinates crusher feed, CSS (closed-side setting), gap, and circulating load across jaw, cone, and gyratory crushers — smoothing downstream p80 before grinding even starts.
Overview
Crushing is the first comminution step and sets the tone for every stage that follows. Oversize from the primary to the secondary blocks the chute; undersize in the tertiary wastes cone capacity. Both cost dollars and hours the plant will never recover.
Static CSS settings and manual adjustments cannot keep up with ore variability. A single boulder surge, a wear-in shift, or a change in blast fragmentation can push the whole downstream circuit out of balance in minutes.
BrainiAll AI Autopilot reads live feed-size distribution (camera-based), crusher power draw, bowl / mantle wear, and downstream level sensors. It adjusts CSS and feed rate in real time to hold product p80 inside tolerance while keeping the crusher in its most efficient torque window.
What Autopilot does
Continuous, multi-variable control — not single-loop PID. Advisory-layer architecture keeps safety untouched.
Live feed-size analysis
Camera-based computer vision on the crusher feed belt. AI infers p80 and oversize fraction in real time.
Dynamic CSS control
Adjusts closed-side setting continuously to maintain product size against wear drift without operator intervention.
Liner wear prediction
Power-draw signatures reveal bowl / mantle wear profile — schedules replacement at planned shutdowns.
Choke feed protection
Maintains full crushing chamber without overload. AI anticipates blockages from slumps or wet ore.
Downstream coordination
Syncs feed rate with secondary / tertiary demand and stockpile level to avoid starvation and overflow.
Variables continuously tuned
The AI reads every sensor on the circuit and solves the optimal setpoint combination in real time.
- Feed rate (t/h)Primary lever; AI matches to crusher power.
- CSS / gapControls product top-size. AI compensates wear.
- Eccentric speed (RPM)Fine tuning for cone crushers.
- Bowl position / hydraulic pressureLockable setting for cone liners.
- Feed chute levelChoke-fed operation for better shape.
Every percentage point of crusher oversize that escapes to grinding costs the mill disproportionately in energy and liner wear. Stabilizing feed-size distribution upstream typically delivers 2-4% throughput improvement at the grinding circuit with zero capex — a compounding ROI.
