Automation And Instrumentation At Fletcher Mill

Fletcher Mill is located in the southern part of the New Lead Belt in Southeastern Missouri, in the northwestern part of Reynolds County. Shaft sinking began in July, 1964. The mill went on stream in February, 1967, and reached the designed rate of 5,000 tons per day in July, 1968. The ore occurs approximately 1,000 feet below the surface as disseminated deposits of galena, sphalerite and chalcopyrite. There is no oxidation within the ore body and dissemination is not fine enough to present liberation problems with a normal grind. Mining is by the room and pillar method with rubber-tired diesel- propelled drilling and loading equipment. The ore is dumped through a 27-inch square grizzly into a 5,000-ton pocket. The underground primary crusher is automatically fed by a vibrating feeder and discharges directly into skip measuring bins. Hoisting is automatic, in balance, with 8. 5-ton skips dumping into a 1,000-ton mill bin. MILL The concentrator is a 5, 000 tons-per-day single section plant equipped to produce lead, zinc and copper concentrates. Contained under 35, 347 square feet of roof, without fine ore storage or remote crushing, and with sufficient automation to be operated by one man, the plant is compact, unique, and efficient in operation. The design