Most ordinary rock tumblers are compact and light. These tumblers tend to be used for smaller applications at home and in some commercial settings. However, certain companies have to tumble rocks for large commercial purposes. These companies cannot rely on smaller tumblers because their capacities are too limited.
Instead, they will use some of the world’s largest rock tumblers. While they work similarly, these tumblers are not used to polish stones. More about these tumblers and their purposes will be provided below.
The Purpose
As mentioned above, there are big differences between consumer tumblers and commercial tumblers. Some of the largest models are not designed to polish stones. Instead, it is common for them to be used to break and crush ore. They’re regularly found on mining sites and can also be used for mineral processing plants.
The ore may contain copper, gold, or silver. Once it has been crushed into smaller particles, the valuable metals can easily be removed using gravity separation, froth flotation, or acid leach. Regardless, these tumblers play a vital part in the collection of gold and other valuable metals. Usually, companies call these tumblers ball mills.
The name was selected because large steel balls are placed inside the barrel. As the tumbler begins rotating, the balls will fall and crush the ore until it is transformed into a fine powder. These tumblers can sometimes process tons of ore simultaneously.
Identifying Large Rock Tumblers
The world is home to many massive rock tumblers. In a residential setting, it is common to find tumblers that can hold up to 20 pounds of rocks. Some may be slightly larger. The tumblers used in commercial settings are far larger. In some cases, they can handle as much as 6,000 pounds of material at once.
In particular, Cape Town, South Africa, has one of the largest tumblers in the world. The tumbler is owned and operated by TopStones Group. The world’s largest rock tumblers are primarily found on the sites of mining operations.
How Larger Tumblers Work
Consumer tumblers are designed to polish rocks and stones. They either rotate or vibrate to help polish the material inside the barrel. Larger tumblers have similar functionalities, but they’re designed to serve different purposes. Instead of polishing stones, large commercial tumblers tend to crush ore. Still, the machines are going to work similarly. While it depends on the specific model being used, these tumblers tend to use large steel balls to crush the ore.
When the tumbler barrel rotates, the steel balls will be pushed upward until they fall. When they fall, they will end up crushing the other materials inside the tumbler. This is done to find out whether the ore contains any valuable metals such as gold.
Large tumblers are massive so they are very loud. Anyone working around a massive tumbler should wear protective gear to protect their hearing.
Commercial vs Consumer
There are major differences between commercial and consumer tumblers. However, it should be noted that those precise differences will depend on the models you’re evaluating. Some smaller tumblers fit into the commercial category. Their capacities may be up to 90 pounds. The larger commercial tumblers are significantly different than the consumer models.
The most noticeable difference is the size. A large, commercial tumbler is obviously not going to fit into your garage or backyard. Tumblers can be loud, but commercial tumblers are much louder because they’re larger. Furthermore, the purpose of the tumbler may depend on the model and type.
Consumer models are usually designed to help polish stones. They’re not powerful enough to crush ore. As for large commercial models, they’re used to crush ore. Another major difference will be the price. Commercial tumblers will always be more expensive since they’re larger and have more capacity.
Commercial Models
Rock tumblers in commercial settings are utilized to produce massive loads of polished stones, rocks, and gems. The process is virtually the same with one major difference, the size of the rock tumbler. Consumers tend to think commercial rock tumbling is different than DIY but this could not be further from the truth.
To ensure maximum efficiency when polishing stones, rock tumblers with heavy-duty motors and extra-large barrels are vital. Consumer demand for polished rocks and gems has driven the rock-tumbling market like never before. To meet the rising consumer demand, companies must produce thousands of pounds of polished gems and stones every week.
Summary
Large commercial rock tumblers are similar to the small tumbler in your garage, but there are major differences. One thing to remember is that the commercial tumbler is likely going to serve a different purpose. Instead of polishing stones, it may be used to crush ore so valuable metals can be collected. The size is another notable difference. Most gold mining operations rely on rock tumblers to retrieve the gold from the ore that is removed from the mine.