Wear resistant steel with a real focus on customer requirements

A unique wear resistance testing rig will be featured on the Ovako stand at Euro Mine Expo 2016, to show visitors the company’s dedication to research and development in producing engineering steels that meet the exacting demands of the mining industry.

“Ovako is pleased to exhibit at Euro Mine Expo 2016, as a valuable opportunity to meet the mining industry face-to-face, including professionals that work in the mines, and learn the needs of the customer,” said Björn Olsson, Ovako Mining and Construction Specialist.

“Today’s mining and rock drilling operations demand high performance steels in order to ensure both quality and continuity of production. It is a frequent problem that inferior grade steels will fail prematurely once in operation and this, in turn, costs time and money for the user.”

Ovako says it will demonstrate at Euro Mine Expo 2016 how its high performance steels outperform standard grades in mining and drilling applications, and offer benefits to its customers both in processing and use. Ovako provides a program of steel grades suitable for all types of rock drilling as well as for drill rigs, screens and grinding media.

Olsson said, “Ovako’s program of steel grades makes us the number one producer of steel to the mining world. With the wear resistance testing rig on our stand, visitors can see for themselves how Ovako’s high levels of research and development allow us to focus on the parameters which are closer to the real-life operational needs of the customer.

“We are devoted to understanding these true-to-life requirements and can apply this knowledge to the manufacture of steels for all types of rock drilling, mining and construction applications.”

The company’s expertise as a pioneer in boron steel has enabled it to introduce an extensive range of WR-Steel® with dedicated wear resistant qualities to meet the exacting demands found in mining. Covering a comprehensive range of hardness levels and hardness intervals, dimensions, steel grades and a variety of forms, WR-Steel® offers manufacturers an ideal material that is best suited to their production processes.

“We precisely control the entire steel production process from the initial melt phase through to the finished material to ensure that, for example, metallurgical cleanliness and other parameters have a positive influence on the steel’s performance both in later processes at the customer and in final use,” explained Olsson. “This makes Ovako engineering steels ideal for the manufacture and use of all tools with complicated load cases in mining and construction.”

Ovako also supplies grinding balls and grinding rods. In order to maintain the same wear resistance from start to finish with greater longevity the grinding balls are provided as rolled or in quenched and tempered condition for extra hardness. Various steel grades are available upon request in a range of diameters from 20-70 mm. Ovako grinding rods come in the as-rolled, straightened condition, ranging in diameter from 75-100 mm and a hardness of 340–400 HBW.