High Safety with External Bolting in Hybrid Solutions
ME Elecmetal offers the Peruvian mining industry ME PolyFIT® hybrid solutions, composed of rubber and rubber-steel. This innovative alternative addresses challenges such as weight, leaks, fractures, and installation issues.
Aligned with Strategic KPIs
For the mining industry, process performance is an important KPI for evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of management. Innovations and developments that enhance plant productivity and maximize mill utilization rate are prioritized for implementation. One critical task in grinding is changing mill liners, a process that directly impacts plant availability. In Peru, one of the most significant mining operations, known for setting benchmarks in the local industry, requires reliable and innovative solutions for its 24×36 ft. ball mill. These solutions must align with the core pillars of operational development: excellent performance, innovation, and safety. Currently, the client uses traditional bolting, which involves a more complex and risky process for both installation and maintenance.
The ME Elecmetal Solution
ME Elecmetal's proposal for the mining operation in Peru involves reducing the number of parts in the mill cylinder from six to five rings through optimized design. This design improvement extends the useful life of the liners compared to mills of similar size. The ME SecureFIT® external bolting system offers a fastening solution for ball and SAG mill liners by securing them to the mill shell with bolts inserted from the outside. This system eliminates the need for personnel to work inside the mill, simplifying the installation process by avoiding the need to pass bolts from the inside to the outside for each liner.
Internally, ME Elecmetal uses a specialized technology to enhance normal fastening conditions with a loose nut. This technology reduces friction during bolt installation, increasing the likelihood of achieving the design tension with less torque loss due to friction. It also improves the load distribution on the threads of the bolt and the part, making force transmission more efficient throughout the campaign. Our ME PolyFIT hybrid rubber-steel materials provide customized solutions for each mill, aligning with client objectives such as longevity, capacity, and minimization of downtime. These solutions are resistant to abrasion and castings, occupy minimal mill volume, and reduce the number of parts, optimizing the capacity of the liner handler for faster installation.
Benefits
Increased Maintenance and Installation Efficiency
The system is noted for its simplicity in assembling and disassembling parts, which reduces maintenance risks and installation times, making associated management processes more efficient.
Wear Rate Reduction
Externally bolted liners, without through-holes, optimize steel usage, improving wear rates and reducing preferential wear in perforation areas.
Leak Elimination
The design eliminates the risk of leakage or pulp escape from the mineral, as it lacks through-holes, with only a few drainage points included if necessary.
Retorquing Elimination
The rubber liner eliminates the need for retorquing, contributing to continuous operational efficiency.
Increased Safety
By minimizing the number of workers inside the mill, the system significantly reduces hours of human-machine interaction, positively impacting safety indicators.
Value-Adding Results
This solution has been successfully implemented at one of the most significant mining operations in Peru for one of its two ball mills.
High-Quality Partner
To implement this solution, we have the backing of Valley Forge-USA, a company recognized for its premium quality manufacturing of fastening elements, through commercial agreements between companies that allow us to jointly embark on developing and innovating for the solution.
We have specialized laboratories and equipment, with recognized and outstanding personnel in each involved work area, enabling us to provide solutions focused on needs with great assertiveness.