FLSmidth says it is gearing up for trials of its new FerroCer® modular impact wear panels in Africa, following successful tests in countries such as Australia, Peru and India.

The trials, to be conducted on sites in Zambia and Mozambique, are intended to demonstrate significant increases in wear life, a trait seen during other previous tests.

According to Zwerus Voges, Ceramic & Wear Solutions Specialist at FLSmidth, the innovative FerroCer panels represent a significant breakthrough in materials technology.

“The cost effective solution provides much better wear life than conventional panels and also delivers safety benefits to mine operators,” FLSmidth says.

Voges said: “The design of the panel takes advantage of the wear characteristics of multiple materials, and its matrix combines the strength and malleability of steel with the abrasion resistance of ceramics.”

Each panel weighs only 5 kg and can easily be handled by one person, meeting all the safety regulations for size and weight. The compact shape also makes the panels safe and easy to install using standard hand tools.

Voges says the panels have delivered longer wear life in various applications which has meant increased uptime for customer operations.

“FerroCer impact wear panels are particularly suited to high impact wear locations in a process plant, and these include chutes, hoppers, bins, feed boxes and vibrating screen boxes as well as reclaimer and loader buckets,” the company said.

The panels have excelled in nickel, gold, copper and zinc applications, according to FLSmidth, and Voges cites an example where FerroCer impact wear panels provided a solution in a tripper chute application. At this mining operation, the previous panels in use were having to be replaced every three to four weeks, resulting in increased unplanned shutdowns with associated costs.

“Since the FerroCer panels were installed over a year ago, not a single panel has had to be replaced in that application,” he says.

Based on the success of the original FerroCer panel design, FLSmidth recently developed the FerroCer 22 product for lighter applications where the material size is smaller. The larger ceramic surface area coverage on the panel reduces wear on the steel matrix. These panels weight only 2.8 kg.

“All panels are secured by just one bolt and nut, and no scaffolding or cranage is required,” the company said. “This enhances the safety and health of workers during installation, while speeding up the process.”

The compact size of the FerroCer panels also makes it easier to replace just the worn panels. This is a major advantage, especially where wear patterns are uneven and not all the panels in an installation require replacement, according to FLSmidth.

Voges highlights that the cone shape of the ceramic inserts enhances their resilience. It also means the panel wears more slowly over time, as the surface area of ceramic insert widens as it wears.

“The much longer wear life being achieved by the FerroCer panels translates into reduced total cost of ownership, which is a primary driver across all commodity sectors,” Voges concludes.