Where this process fits
Existing line upgrade is not a fixed equipment package. The correct upgrade starts from the current bottleneck: crushing wear, poor screening, fine sand loss, wastewater treatment, dust control or conveying layout.
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Line Upgrade / Retrofit
Existing Aggregate Line Upgrade Solution
Upgrade planning for old aggregate, washing or crushing lines, covering crushing, screening, washing, recovery, filter pressing, dust control and automation sections.
Process scope
Solution framework only. Any capacity improvement, environmental result or product-quality improvement must be verified by site inspection and technical review.
Equipment matching is checked by feed material, mud and moisture, target capacity, product size, site layout and environmental requirements.
Old line upgradeCapacity bottleneckEnvironmental retrofitFine sand recovery
Typical process flow
01. Site diagnosis
Identify bottlenecks in capacity, product quality, wear cost and environmental sections.
Existing equipment list, site photos and material test
02. Keep / replace decision
Judge which existing equipment can stay in use and which sections must be replaced or added.
Review existing main machines, screens, conveyors and electrical control
03. Crushing upgrade
Replace or add crushing sections according to material hardness and product target.
PCZ heavy hammer crusher, hydraulic cone crusher or SHKX fine crusher
04. Screening upgrade
Improve product grading and reduce misplaced material.
Multi-deck inclined or horizontal vibrating screen
05. Washing and recovery upgrade
Improve washed sand handling and reduce fine sand loss where the line has a washing process.
Sand washer, WLTS dewatering screen and WS recovery machine
06. Wastewater and dust-control retrofit
Support environmental improvement planning.
HHT filter press, spray dust control, enclosed transfer points
07. Conveying and control
Reconnect upgraded sections and reduce manual handling.
WLB belt conveyor and electrical control system
Old line diagnosis and upgrade routes
Diagnosis route
- Existing equipment list -> site photos / videos -> material and finished-product samples -> identify crushing, screening, washing, conveying or environmental bottleneck
Dry-process upgrade route
- Review feeding / crushing / screening / belt conveying / dust control section by section, replacing capacity bottlenecks or high-wear equipment first
Washing and environmental upgrade route
- Sand washer -> WLTS dewatering screen -> WS fine sand recovery -> HHT filter press -> clarified water recycling
Equipment by process section
| Process role | Equipment reference | Selection note |
|---|---|---|
| Crushing replacement | Heavy Hammer Crusher / Hydraulic Cone Crusher / SHKX Fine Crusher | Select replacement equipment by material hardness, target size and current bottleneck. |
| Screening replacement | Vibrating Screen | Multi-layer or horizontal screening can improve size classification when the old screen is the bottleneck. |
| Washing upgrade | Sand Washer | Wheel or spiral washing is selected by mud content and washing depth. |
| Fine sand recovery | WS Tailings Recovery Machine | Added when fine sand loss or pond silting is a main issue. |
| Filter press treatment | HHT Plate-and-Frame Filter Press | Discuss when slurry treatment and water reuse planning are required. |
| Conveying | WLB Belt Conveyor | Existing transfer routes often need adjustment after equipment replacement. |
Standard and optional equipment by section
| Process section | Standard equipment | Optional equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Crushing upgrade | Select heavy hammer crusher, hydraulic cone crusher, SHKX fine crusher or roller crusher by material hardness. | Keep usable old main machines and only add secondary, tertiary or shaping sections. |
| Screening upgrade | Multi-deck vibrating screen or horizontal screen. | Only replace screen mesh, exciter, springs or add return conveyor if the screen body is usable. |
| Washing upgrade | XS wheel washer or LSX spiral washer. | Add trommel screen, rotary scrubber or second washing stage by mud content. |
| Dewatering and recovery | WLTS dewatering screen + WS tailings recovery machine. | Add cyclones, pump or larger recovery machine by fine sand loss. |
| Wastewater treatment | Settling pond and water recycling planning. | HHT plate and frame filter press, dosing system, slurry pump and clean water pond. |
| Conveying and dust control | WLB belt conveyor and spray dust suppression. | Sealed belt conveyor, dust collector, enclosed workshop or loading silo. |
| Electrical control | Independent electrical control cabinet. | Centralized control, interlock protection, PLC automation and remote monitoring. |
Capacity planning ranges
Capacity change cannot be promised without checking the old line. The references below are upgrade targets for discussion only.
| Line size | Typical capacity target | Configuration idea |
|---|---|---|
| Small old line | Current around 50 t/h | Discuss crushing bottleneck replacement, screen upgrade and conveyor route optimization; target range must be calculated after site review. |
| Medium old line | Current around 100 t/h | Discuss secondary crushing upgrade, multi-deck screening and washing / recovery sections if fine sand loss exists. |
| Environmental retrofit | Existing washing line | Add WLTS dewatering screen, WS fine sand recovery, HHT filter press and slurry pump / dosing support according to water volume. |
Reference packages by capacity range
Old-line upgrades are not quoted as fixed packages. The following are common retrofit modules; the actual proposal must be based on existing equipment, photos, videos and production data.
Crushing and screening bottleneck upgrade
The old line cannot reach target capacity, finished size is unstable, screen oversize is high or main-machine wear cost is high.
Reviewed by existing capacity
- Review: feeding, primary crushing, secondary crushing, screening and return ratio
- Possible additions: hydraulic cone crusher, SHKX fine crusher, roller crusher or heavy hammer crusher
- Possible replacements: old vibrating screen, screen mesh, exciter and springs
- Possible adjustments: return conveyor, finished product belts and transfer points
Washing and fine sand recovery upgrade
Fine sand is lost after washing, finished sand is too wet, or settling ponds need frequent cleaning.
Reviewed by sand washer water volume and handling capacity
- Add: WLTS dewatering screen
- Add: WS tailings recovery machine
- Upgrade: sand washer, slurry pump, cyclone and pipelines
- Target: reduce fine sand loss, lower finished-sand moisture and reduce settling-pond load
Environmental zero-discharge retrofit
Local rules require water recycling, slurry drying, dust rectification or enclosed workshop.
Reviewed by slurry volume, solid content and environmental standard
- Add: HHT plate and frame filter press
- Add: dosing system, slurry pump, clean water pond and settling pond retrofit
- Add: spray, sealed belt conveyor, dust collector or enclosed transfer points
- Target: water reuse, filter cake hauling and reduced wastewater discharge
Suitable feed materials
- Existing simple stone crushing lines.
- Old hammer-crushing production lines.
- Washing lines without fine sand recovery or filter pressing.
- Plants with low screening efficiency, poor particle shape, fine sand loss, excessive dust or direct wastewater discharge.
Mud-content assessment
- Old dry-process line: Common problems are crushing wear, inaccurate screening, heavy dust and messy conveying routes. Crushing, screening and dust control should be diagnosed first.
- Ordinary washing old line: Common problems are fine sand loss, high finished-sand moisture and silting in settling ponds. Dewatering screen and fine sand recovery should be evaluated first.
- Old line under environmental pressure: If wastewater discharge, slurry accumulation or environmental rectification exists, filter press, water recycling and enclosed dust control should be evaluated as priority modules.
Target products and operating goals
- Improve bottleneck sections such as crushing, screening, washing, recovery or conveying.
- Reduce wear, improve product size control and recover lost fine sand where suitable.
- Plan dust-control, wastewater treatment or water-recycling sections according to local requirements.
- Reduce manual operation by discussing centralized electrical or PLC control where practical.
- Upgrade key bottlenecks in phases while keeping usable existing equipment whenever practical, reducing one-time investment pressure.
When washing is required
- Whether an old line needs washing upgrade depends on feed mud content, product use and local environmental requirements.
- For a dry old line making ordinary aggregate, crushing, screening and dust-control upgrades can be prioritized.
- For a washing old line with clear fine sand loss, add WLTS dewatering screen and WS fine sand recovery first.
- When wastewater discharge or long-term pond silting exists, HHT filter press and water-recycling system should be evaluated.
Optional wet-processing section
- If an existing washing line has wet finished sand or serious fine sand loss, add dewatering screen and tailings recovery first.
- If the line is dry crushing and screening without washing demand, do not force a filter-press system into the proposal.
- When environmental rectification is clear, washing tailwater should be evaluated together with filter press, dosing and circulation ponds.
Finished product size references
Potential upgraded outputs
- More stable aggregate grading
- Recovered fine sand where a washing process exists
- Filter cake and reusable clarified water as environmental planning targets
Not promised before review
- No specific capacity increase percentage should be promised before checking existing equipment.
- No zero-discharge acceptance result should be promised before confirming local environmental requirements.
Main product outputs
- More stable graded aggregate or manufactured sand after retrofit.
- Washing line can recover more 0.075-0.6 mm fine sand.
- Wastewater treatment line can produce reusable clarified water and filter cake.
- Dust-control result depends on enclosure, spray and dust-collection configuration at site.
Key selection limits
- Suitable when the customer does not want to rebuild the entire plant but needs targeted improvement.
- Can be partial upgrade: only crushing, only screening, only washing recovery or only environmental section.
- Not suitable for quoting by guesswork; existing equipment list and site photos are mandatory.
- Capacity and environmental results must be confirmed through site review, not promised only from the page.
- If old equipment is structurally mismatched, partial retrofit may be less economical than building a new line.
- If feed changes from soft rock to hard rock, crushing equipment must be re-evaluated; adding only a screen to an old hammer line is not enough.
- If local regulations already require zero discharge, filter press and water recycling should be core modules, not small optional accessories.
- If the customer cannot provide site photos, equipment nameplates, capacity data and finished samples, only a preliminary direction can be discussed.
Information needed before a proposal
- Current equipment list
- Current capacity and bottleneck
- Existing problems: dust, blockage, poor particle shape, wastewater, fine sand loss or high wear cost
- Upgrade budget direction
- Target capacity and finished product standard
- Local environmental rectification requirement
- Existing equipment models, quantity, service years and failure points
- Site layout, belt conveyor route and stockpile positions
- Current finished product size test or screening result
- Washing water volume, settling pond size and pond cleaning frequency
- Whether production stoppage is allowed and the acceptable shutdown time
Frequently asked project questions
How do you start an existing aggregate line upgrade?
Start from the bottleneck, not from a fixed equipment list. Check whether the problem is crushing wear, poor screening, fine sand loss, wastewater, dust, conveyor layout or finished product quality before recommending new equipment.
Which equipment is commonly added during an old washing line upgrade?
For washing lines, common additions are WS fine sand recovery machine, WLTS dewatering screen and HHT filter press when fine sand loss, wet product or pond sludge is the main issue.
What information is needed before promising capacity improvement?
Provide the current equipment list, model names, running capacity, failure points, site layout, belt routes, screen test results, water pond condition and target product standard before replacing crushers, screens or conveyors.