Tag Archives: Wear parts

Metso increases India foundry capacity on increased cast wear parts demand

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , ,

Metso is investing €25 million ($29 million) in expanding its foundry capacity in Vadodara, India, as it looks to respond to increase demand for cast wear parts from the aggregates and mining industry.

The initial investment includes the acquisition of the property and foundry assets of a privately-owned foundry project, Mega Cast.

Sami Takaluoma, President, Minerals Consumables business area at Metso, said: “This investment fully aligns with our profitable growth strategy. It further expands our global manufacturing footprint in foundry products, improving our operational capabilities and allowing us to meet our customers’ growing needs both in terms of availability as well as reduced lead times.”

Metso said the foundry development will begin as soon as the acquisition of the foundry assets has been completed, with the first product deliveries from the Vadodara foundry expected by the end of 2019. From thereon, the production will ramp up quickly in 2020.

Metso launched operations in India in 1992 and has since been developing a strong footprint in the market. With local headquarters in Gurgaon, Delhi, Metso has around 850 employees in the country. Alongside the Alwar facility, Metso’s Indian aggregate sector capabilities are supported by a foundry in Ahmedabad, service centres in Bangalore and Faridabad, and a countrywide network of distribution centres.

Sandvik’s Sleeve Saver to provide more uptime and improved productivity

Coal technology, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, , ,

The Sleeve Saver™ features an all-new design engineered to last longer than standard longwall picks, according to Sandvik Mining & Rock Technology.

It works to protect and extend the life of the sleeve and block through an advanced cutting tip and a full-sleeve retainer. A new washer system acts as a bearing, improving rotation and increasing wear life. This results in more uptime and better productivity, Sandvik said.

The Sleeve Saver also enhances safety, as improved wear life reduces the time miners are exposed to the longwall face to replace worn picks, sleeves and blocks. Its universal design fits grooved and ungrooved sleeves.

The product’s cap cemented carbide cutting tip is larger than standard tips, and its efficient low-energy profile design requires less energy to cut material, generating less dust and contributing to overall longer wear life.

A large, non-rotating, full-sleeve retainer protects the entire block bore, with a new washer system that acts as a sacrificial wear bearing, absorbing the wear associated with the pick’s collar that otherwise would be absorbed by the face of the sleeve. The washer also helps to keep abrasive fines from entering the sleeve.

The retainer design reduces likelihood of the drum ‘throwing’ the picks. Superior tool rotation contributes to even wear of the tip for a longer lifecycle.

Average downtime cost for block and sleeve repair is $400/min, according to Sandvik.

“The new Sleeve Saver longwall pick will not only save up to $24,000/h in downtime costs for maintenance, but because it lasts longer than a standard pick, it will reduce the amount of time miners are exposed to the unstable longwall face. Because it protects the entire block bore, it reduces the required frequency of welding on new blocks, which must be avoided in potentially gaseous underground coal environments,” the company said.

The Sleeve Saver is unlike any other longwall tool on the market, according to Sandvik, ultimately providing miners and mine owners with these benefits:

  • Increased productivity: less machine downtime for tool, sleeve and block change-outs means more uptime producing coal;
  • Increased safety: reduced dust generation and less exposure to the longwall for changeouts results in better safety;
  • Lower maintenance costs: Sleeve Saver minimises wear on the tool and the entire block bore, and;
  • Longer service life: the Sleeve Saver lasts twice as long as conventional tools in longwall applications, and provides up to 250% longer holder life, based on field and lab tests.

Sandvik’s patented carbide alloy tips mean its tools for multiple industries are the toughest there is.

“In all applications, it is the carbide tip that is the key to tool performance and wear life,” Sandvik said.