HEAVY ENGINEERING AND WEAR PARTS
‘ High-performing, reliable media solution’
In September 2024, Molycop began supplying HiCr grinding media to a gold mine in Western Australia, replacing the incumbent HiCr media in the process, with the aim of providing grinding media consumption benefits to the mine in question. considered representative of Molycop-only media performance.
To account for variation in throughput and operating hours, weighted averages were calculated based on total grinding media consumed relative to total kWh.
The g / kWh consumption metric – deemed to be less sensitive to operational variability – showed a 0.6 % increase to 46.7 g / kWh, with the g / t consumption rate dipping
Molycop’ s HiCr grinding media delivered comparable performance to the incumbent technology used at a mine in Western Australia
Used in a ball mill, the high chrome balls’ performance was evaluated using plant data collected before, during and after the supplier transition.
The incumbent balls were analysed over a period from November 2023 through to August 2024, followed by a five-month purge period. The Molycop HiCr media was then put to the test from February 2025 to December 2025.
Molycop explained:“ The purge period represents the time required for newly introduced grinding media to fully replace the incumbent charge in the mill.” Using an average consumption during incumbent phase of 46 g / kWh and an estimated wear rate constant of 0.013 mm / h, the purge period was calculated at approximately 4,600 mill-running hours. By the five-month mark, approximately 98 % of the previous charge was estimated to have exited the mill, with data from February 2025 onward by 3.5 % to 569.5 g / t.
“ The results show that Molycop HiCr delivered consumption performance comparable to the incumbent supplier,” Molycop said, adding that the differences observed were within normal operational variability, there was no sustained increase in media wear demonstrated, and the mill stability and operating conditions were maintained during and after the transition.
In addition to performance equivalence, Molycop says it provided a seamless supplier transition, maintained grinding efficiency, stable mill performance, no statistically significant change in wear rate and used data-supported performance validation for this project.
It concluded:“ Molycop delivered performance equivalent to the previous supplier while maintaining grinding efficiency and mill stability without operational disruption. With no statistically significant change in wear rates, the data confirms Molycop as a high-performing, reliable media solution.”
Tailored to transfer points
Another company with plant uptime on its mind is Martin Engineering, which is highlighting the need for a renewed focus on wear liner design for belt conveyor transfer points.
In this application, wear liners are sacrificial layers that protect the skirtboard, avoiding dents and holes caused by friction and the shifting of material, which could lead to spillage and dust leakage, Daniel Marshall, Process Engineer, Martin Engineering, says.
Removal and replacement of wear liners can be gruelling, requiring multiple workers and days of scheduled downtime. Conventional wear liners have historically been installed inside the chute, but modern designs are now placed on the outside, improving skirtboard sealing and preventing spillage.
Most transfer chutes are“ permitrequiring confined spaces”, mandating that an“ authorised entrant” perform the work inside the chute, according to Marshall. An attendant must also stand outside to monitor the safety of the person inside while assisting in the removal of material from the chute. In some cases, a supervisor further oversees this procedure.
The goal of the external design is to significantly cut the installation and service time while reducing risk and improving safety. The result is excellent performance with fewer labour hours, no required maintenance certification and lower operating costs, he says.
For the most punishing applications, urethane skirtboard liners might be required. They absorb impact and abrasion by creating a dam to shield the wall and other sealing accessories from the weight of the material load. They can be retrofitted and attached to the structural sides of the transfer point enclosure to contain dust and spillage.
Commonly also called“ canoe liners”, some urethane skirtboard liners feature a steel plate, moulded and encased in thick urethane, to prevent bond issues. A unique
International Mining | JUNE 2026