HEAVY ENGINEERING & WEAR PARTS where the abrasive force is tangential or in-plane to the surface .
Broadly speaking , harder rubbers such as the Linard ® range are preferred for combatting high impact / cutting forces that often occur when handling coarse materials , Doyle says . Linatex Premium Rubber , which is a low durometer rubber , gives excellent results when used in abrasive slurry service or sliding abrasion where fine to medium particles are being handled , he added .
Health and safety considerations are an increasingly important factor when it comes to selecting wear lining solutions , with , for example , many countries requiring that industry complies with specific noise level standards for the protection of employees .
Rubber-lined structures and fabrications play a prominent role in creating a more comfortable working environment , according to Doyle . “ This is done by reducing noise and vibrations , often with the additional benefit of controlling dust dispersion . Weir Minerals has a multitude of Linatex Premium Rubber reference sites on which it can draw upon when advising on how best to reduce noise and vibrations .”
These considerations , among others , were weighed up when Weir Minerals recently partnered with KAZ Minerals at its Bozshakol copper mine complex in northern Kazakhstan to help it reduce downtime .
Weir Minerals has been servicing Bozshakol since 2016 , when the mine site commenced production . A service engineer recognised that the operation was facing continuous difficulties with high wear rates on the rubber- and ceramiclined launders in the primary hydrocyclone clusters , which resulted in downtime every twoto-three months . The repairs required timeconsuming ceramic / rubber patching by the Bozshakol maintenance team . The Bozshakol team worked closely with Weir Minerals to develop a solution that improved wear performance and increased uptime , according to Doyle .
After conducting 3D scanning of the cyclone cluster launder , the Weir Minerals wear experts proposed to line it with the high-wear-resistant 25 mm Linatex rubber , steel-backed bolt-in modular panels . This solution would allow KAZ Minerals to replace the worn parts one by one , without the need to patch-repair , according to Doyle .
Some of the first Linatex modular antiabrasion panels had to be replaced 21 months after they were installed .
Doyle said : “ To put this into perspective , the Weir Minerals solution delivered an increased wear life of 584 %, compared to the incumbent ceramic and rubber liners , which only lasted up to three months . KAZ Minerals Bozshakol reduced their maintenance interventions by 6.84
With wear parts a growing part of the recently-enlarged FLSmidth offering , IM touched base with the company ’ s Global Service Line Manager of Wear Solutions , Alec Newman to see what has changed in the last year
IM : What impact has the integration of TK Mining had on the aftermarket wear parts side of your business ? AN : FLSmidth ’ s integration with thyssenkrupp Mining Technologies has had a significant impact on consumables technologies . We have expanded our range of products to include leading HPGR and crusher solutions , including their wear parts . We ’ ve welcomed a strong team of materials experts and associated intellectual property . One example is the usage of metal matrix composites in hyper-aggressive screen media applications , which has seen an order of magnitude increase in wear life . Additionally , FLSmidth has expanded our global service and manufacturing centre footprint , allowing quicker delivery of consumables to customers .
IM : Are you able to share any recent examples of the company ’ s “ design for sustainability ” platform ? AN : FLSmidth ’ s “ design for sustainability ” platform continues to drive innovation in our product development . We ’ re experimenting with ways to reduce waste by further modularising wear parts , increasing wear life and reducing wear part mass . Modularised wear parts can be simple , like the 150 mm x 150 mm FerroCer cube that replaces much larger wear plates that are often changed out due to only localised wear . The reduced size of the FerroCer cube means that only high wear zones are changed out , effectively increasing utilisation and reducing associated manufacturing carbon emissions . An example of increasing wear life is FLSmidth ’ s recent investments in regional polyurethane manufacturing to provide flexibility for improved materials . This has led to huge increases in wear life with polyurethane tailored for the application ’ s specific needs . We ’ re also reducing mass on a range of wear parts including centrifuge baskets , flotation media and screen media , with the dual benefits of reduced cost and decreased power requirements . FLSmidth ’ s composite mill liner technology is another example where reducing mass has huge sustainability impacts , with up to 50 % lighter parts .
IM : Do you have any news on the ‘ stackable wear liner ’ made up of 60 % recycled steel that we previously discussed ? AN : The ‘ stackable wear liner ’ is an exciting evolution of the FerroCer wear liner concept . This innovative solution combines sustainability and performance without compromising on quality or durability . Composed of 60 % recycled steel and acting with autogenous (‘ rock box ’) wear protection , it is low cost and has shown excellent wear results . It can also be ‘ stacked ’ ( patent pending ) to add additional wear life . It is expected to be launched end-2023 .
IM : Has the company made any progress on the digital wear detection projects for crushers and mill liners since we spoke ? Has this risen up the agenda ? AN : FLSmidth has made significant progress on the digital wear detection projects for crushers , VXP vertical mills and mill liners . We recognise the importance of digitalisation in optimising equipment performance and reducing downtime for our customers . By leveraging advanced technologies and data analytics , we aim to provide real-time wear monitoring and predictive maintenance solutions .
IM : Anything else to add on the R & D side of wear parts within FLSmidth ? AN : FLSmidth ’ s aim is to be technology leader in consumables , and hence we are accelerating our investment in wear parts R & D . Our key themes include premium materials , sustainability and digitalisation . Examples include improved materials on filter cloth for enhanced dewatering and improved lifetime , with associated water consumption impact , and advances such as the Intelliplate™ , which monitors for cloth breakages . With the improvement of additive manufacturing technologies , it has become viable to use in niche applications . One example is in improving lead times for wear parts , where we use 3D printing to rapidly manufacture industrialgrade production tooling that allows for quick production and faster delivery to customers . Additive manufacturing has also been used for production of complex parts such as filter plates .
times , which resulted in approximately 450 labour hours of work saved over the 21-month period , significantly decreasing risks associated with work in confined spaces .”
IM
JUNE 2023 | International Mining 51