• Site Preparation and Equipment Installation Instructions
  • General Overview
  • 1. Jaw Crusher Installation
  • 2. Electrical Infrastructure
    • 2.1 General Requirements
    • 2.2 Cable Sizing and Procurement
    • 2.3 Machine‑Specific Connections
  • 3. Water Supply System
  • 4. Machine Fixing and Vibration Control
  • 5. Final Commissioning Sequence

Site Preparation and Equipment Installation Instructions

General Overview

The following instructions outline the complete setup sequence for a small-scale gold mining operation, covering mechanical installation, electrical connection, water supply, and final commissioning. All work must be carried out with due regard to site safety and manufacturer specifications.

---

1. Jaw Crusher Installation

• Mounting: The jaw crusher must be installed on a dedicated metal stand or a small trailer, elevated to permit safe feeding and discharge operations.
• Output Sizing: To achieve a target output fraction no larger than 1½ inches, fabricate and insert additional spacer plates at the rear of the jaw crusher as required. Adjust and test until the desired product size is consistently achieved.

The jaw crusher serves as the primary size reduction unit and must be set up correctly to prevent overloading downstream equipment. [4]

---

2. Electrical Infrastructure

2.1 General Requirements

• Engage a qualified electrician for all electrical work.
• Install a general (master) switch at the site to control overall power distribution.
• Connect the site transformer to supply both 3‑phase and single‑phase electricity, each protected by appropriately rated breakers and switches.

2.2 Cable Sizing and Procurement

• Calculate the required meterage of both 3‑phase and single‑phase cables based on the distances from the distribution point to each machine.
• Purchase all cables only after these calculations are confirmed.

2.3 Machine‑Specific Connections

Machine Type	Electrical Configuration
Small machines	Supplied breakers used as switches; connect each single‑phase machine to its own dedicated breaker
Large machines	Supplied with an electrical box containing breakers and starters; electrician connects incoming cables to the box, and the box to the motor (typically less than 30 minutes of work)

• Cable connections: Only the qualified electrician shall connect all cables together.
• Control philosophy: A general switch arrangement is recommended, allowing each machine to be energized individually by need.

---

3. Water Supply System

• No plumber is required — the installation is straightforward and can be performed by the operator (Max) and casual workers.
• Install an elevated water tank at sufficient height to provide adequate head pressure.
• Use a solar‑powered pump to lift water into the elevated tank.
• Plumb from the tank to all machines using 1‑inch HDPE pipe, fitted with:
  • Elbow couplings
  • T‑couplings
  • Isolation valves

A submersible water pump with verified flow can handle several tonnes of ore per hour, and solar‑powered or battery‑operated bilge pumps may further reduce operating expenses. [2]

---

4. Machine Fixing and Vibration Control

• All machines must be securely fixed to the ground. Acceptable methods include:
  • Anchoring to timber base frames, or
  • Bolting directly to cement foundations.
• Vibration isolation: Place rubber isolation plates between each machine and its foundation to minimize transmitted vibrations.

Proper foundation design is critical — concrete must use a 1:2:3 cement‑to‑sand‑to‑gravel mix, rebar must be suspended on spacers (never laid directly on rock), and curing requires keeping the concrete moist for a minimum of seven days. [15]

---

5. Final Commissioning Sequence

Once the following steps are completed, gold recovery operations may commence:

1. All machines are fixed and vibration‑isolated on their foundations.
2. Operator platforms are installed and secured.
3. Fine gold recovery systems are connected to the respective machines.

At this stage, the circuit is ready to:

• Process run‑of‑mine ore
• Generate a primary concentrate
• Upgrade the concentrate
• Recover gold to a final smeltable product

The full comminution and recovery sequence — jaw crusher → secondary crusher → impact mill → classifier → fine gold recovery system — ensures efficient energy application and optimal gold liberation down to 5 microns. [4]