Every year, the rainy season not only affects agricultural production but also poses great challenges to heavy industries - including mining and mineral processing. In particular, at outdoor stone and artificial sand crushing stations, prolonged heavy rains, high humidity and unstable weather bring about a series of technical and operational risks, even causing production to stop for many days.
Risk lurks in every rain
In Vietnam, from May to October, the Central Highlands, the Southeast to the Northern mountainous areas, persistent thunderstorms and prolonged high humidity cause significant disruptions to the mining and mineral processing process. Not only the harsh environmental conditions, any small mistake in preparation and operation can also lead to equipment failure, production stoppage and huge cost losses.
- Rust on bearings and shafts, reducing machine life
- Control system moisture, inverter burnout, PLC crash
- Electrical system fire in control cabinet
- Eroded machine foundation, landslides leading to machine deviation, tilted conveyor belt
- Raw material is wet, sticky, and caked, causing the grinding chamber to jam.
Many manufacturing enterprises have recorded losses of up to hundreds of millions of dong. Each prolonged rain has caused the entire system to be temporarily shut down to handle the problem.
Potential risks do not come only from water.
Prolonged thunderstorms are clearly dangerous, but the more hidden danger comes from… humidity. Equipment operating in a constantly humid environment will quickly oxidize. Especially details such as bearings, copper bushings, and rotating shafts. Rust not only reduces the lifespan but also makes the machine operate more heavily, consuming more electricity.
Electricity is also a “weak point” during the rainy season. Just moisture entering the control cabinet, leaking at a small point, is enough to cause a short circuit. Without an isolation plan, lightning protection, electronic devices such as inverters, even PLCs, are at risk of serious damage. In addition, stagnant water around the foundation not only causes erosion. It also causes the ground to sink, the equipment to tilt, causing abnormal vibration. Some stations in mountainous areas also face the risk of machine foundation landslides. This is something that few people pay attention to when installing but is the main cause of rapid machine deterioration.
High quality equipment from TEREX
Among the equipment installed in Vietnam today, Terex's stone crushers are highly regarded. Not only for their stable performance, but also for their ability to withstand harsh weather conditions - something that the rainy season in Vietnam constantly challenges.
Frame of the series Terex as TC, SP or line VSI Canica All use wear-resistant reinforced steel. The surface is coated with industrial epoxy paint, which prevents the equipment from being oxidized. Especially when operating in high humidity or continuous rain. The bearings and transmission system are also designed to be sealed. Use waterproof grease and have an automatic lubrication system. Helps ensure continuous operation even when the air humidity is above 90%.
In particular, in large-scale stone crushing stations of 500 - 1000 tons/hour, where Terex often integrates inverter systems and PLC central control cabinets. These devices all come with IP66 standard electrical cabinets. They are resistant to direct rainwater, dust and are designed for stable operation. Even in areas with lightning or high humidity for many weeks.
Effective solutions to protect stone crushing equipment during the rainy season
Anti-rust and oxidation of equipment
Periodically apply anti-rust paint, especially on the support legs, levers, and rotating shafts. Use epoxy or PU paint that is moisture resistant. Apply waterproof grease to bearings, copper bushings, and shaft heads. Preferably use lithium or calcium sulfonate grease. Cover points of direct contact with rain with corrugated iron roofs, mesh domes, or tarpaulins with ventilation holes (to avoid stuffiness and moisture condensation inside).
Protection of electrical and control systems
Install an IP65 standard electrical cabinet with ventilation holes and desiccant bags inside. Equip with 2-level surge protection: main power supply and device input level. Periodically check the cos wire and grounding, especially after each storm. Move the control cabinet and inverter out of low-lying/flooded areas, at least 30cm above the ground.
Handling wet, sticky materials – the nemesis of grinding performance
Use vibrating chutes or anti-stick scrapers when feeding wet materials. Install a pre-heater for some materials that easily cake, such as clay or wet limestone. For materials that absorb a lot of water, it is advisable to mix them with drier materials before feeding them into the mill.
Enhance drainage and stabilize foundation
Create a floor slope >2% so that water does not accumulate around the equipment's feet. Dig a drainage ditch around the crushing station to avoid landslides and foundation erosion. Place crushed stone under the crushing machine to avoid weak ground or red clay that retains water.
Inspection & Preventive Maintenance
Before rainy season: general equipment maintenance. Change grease, check seals, oil filter.
During rainy season: monitor humidity log, electrical cabinet temperature. Measure motor insulation resistance.
After heavy rain: check electrical system, hydraulic oil and mechanical brakes.
Proactively respond and minimize damage when mining stone
In the context of increasingly extreme weather. Many provinces in the North and Central regions often record prolonged heavy rains. Causing landslides, rolling rocks from the slopes and incidents at waste dumps. In Thai Nguyen province - where there are nearly 200 mineral exploitation sites. Quarries such as Nui Chuong (Phu Luong) or Hien Binh (Vo Nhai) have proactively implemented many safety measures such as: creating anti-landslide slopes, clearing orphaned rocks, checking the foothills and organizing training for workers before the rainy season.
Localities have also increased supervision and required sand and gravel mining to stop when river water levels rise. However, in addition to units that have done well, there are still some mines with high safety risks. This shows that dealing with the rainy season in mining areas is not just a business problem. Close coordination between the government, functional agencies and the community is needed to minimize damage to people and property.
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