HEAVY ENGINEERING & WEAR PARTS
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 .
first 4 in RTBL set in October 2020 . Now 60 % of the end of the year , 100 % of the fleet will be this location ’ s trucks have rubber liners and , by rubber lined , according to the company .
“ The life expectancy of the RTBL is five years or greater by comparison ,” GRT-Valley Rubber said . “ The total cost of the rubber liners is less than the labour cost for steel installation , and liner change-out takes less than one shift , thus , potentially reducing the operator ’ s cost of ownership by hundreds of thousands of dollars across the fleet .”
In 2021 , GRT-Valley Rubber developed a new “ reduced weight ” RTBL offer for the “ mine-class ” or large haul truck sector . This new liner offers operators increased haul capacity in RTBL-lined haul trucks , according to the company . It has been able to accomplish this without reducing the overall performance of wear life of the RTBL , while offering increased haulage in critical applications . Customers are experiencing the dual advantage of the performance benefit of RTBL with the increase in production , it says .
The mining-class haul truck market is just one area that GRT-Valley Rubber is making serious inroads in ; another is in the articulated dump truck ( ADT ) arena .
It explained : “ Since the introduction of RTBL nearly 30 years ago , lining articulating haul trucks has proven difficult due to the unique geometry of the beds . Lining options have been limited and could potentially increase carry back .”
In 2022 , GRT-Valley Rubber introduced a new RTBL design specifically for ADTs . The initial installations in a granite quarry in North America proved highly successful in terms of wear life and elimination of the carry back problem , it says . Since then , sites across the country have taken advantage of the new liner package with continued success .
The benefits of rubber lining systems throughout the mining industry have proved themselves to extend beyond better impact and abrasion resistance , with improved operator experience , as well as noise reduction within the cabin . In an attempt to verify the performance benefits of RTBL versus steel lining , GRT-Valley Rubber partnered with Matrix Design Group on “ Overwatch ”: a haul truck monitoring technology . Early data from the Overwatch system has verified the significant performance benefits of RTBL , the company says , with a reduction in impact forces of up to 60 %, reduction of negative driver impacts or gyroscopic motion on drivers by as much as half , and a 20-dB reduction in in-cab noise having been verified in high impact shovel loading operations .
The Overwatch system is being installed in mining and aggregate locations across North America over the coming months . This will expand the data to include trucks from 40 tons to 300 tons , in ores and aggregates . This broader data will aid both GRT-Valley Rubber and its RTBL customers in better understanding the
International Mining | JUNE 2023