Static and dynamic analysis of a ball mill for the gold mining industry

This study deals with the structural analysis of a ball mill designed for small-scale gold mining operations, which is crucial in ore crushing, focusing on the dynamic and static forces that affect its performance during operations. A pre-experimental study of the main body was performed using finite element analysis in ANSYS software. Static analysis provided information on deformations, stresses, and safety factors, whereas modal analysis identified the natural frequencies and vibration modes. In addition, harmonic analysis was performed to evaluate the deformations and stresses induced by sinusoidal forces generated by fluctuating grinding loads. The results indicate that the natural vibration frequencies are 261.44 and 277.64 Hz for modes 4 and 5, respectively. Mode 4 presents circumferential behavior, in which alternating deformations are observed along the shell of the cylinder. On the other hand, mode 5 corresponds to an axial mode, characterized by vibrations predominantly along the longitudinal axis of the mill. The main conclusion is that the ball mill, intended for small-scale mining applications, was designed to operate safely under established speed and operating load parameters.