When processing highly abrasive materials such as corundum, ferrochrome or aluminum oxide, selecting the right materials and controlling the operating conditions is crucial to
- minimize the effects of material wear,
- extend the lifespan of components and machinery
- and minimize costly downtime.
In the article, you will learn how IFE machines can be effectively protected against mechanical and chemical wear using suitable protective measures. In part two of this series – in March 2024 – we will delve into the challenges associated with thermal and adhesive wear. Additional measures such as pre-sorting and material flow optimization will also be covered there. Stay tuned!
I) Mechanical wear
Parts and components of IFE machines that are subject to heavy wear are
- made of high-quality, wear-resistant materials,
- hard metals,
- wear-resistant alloys or ceramics
that are specially designed to handle abrasive bulk goods. Enhanced protective coatings on wear-prone parts can slow down wear even further. The following outlines various practical methods for preventing/reducing mechanical wear.
Example 1: Ferrochrome conveying at the Elektrowerk Weisweiler GmbH
An IFE vibrating feeder transports impressive 40x30x30 cm ferrochrome pieces from a hopper to the jaw crusher. It is equipped with high-quality, 15 mm thick wear plates from the CREUSABRO4800 brand, which protect the chute floor and side walls from abrasive material. The absence of any rotating parts within the electromagnetic vibrator also results in remarkable low maintenance and wear for the drive.
With a Mohs hardness of 9 and 9 – 9.5, corundum and aluminum oxide are among the hardest minerals. IFE has already supplied several high-quality magnetic drums to IMERYS in order to effectively remove tramp iron (e.g. abrasion from the grinding process) from the respective material fraction. The material-contacted casing of an IFE drum is naturally subject to high wear. At the same time, however, wear protection must not be overly massive, as a greater material thickness would weaken the magnetic field. Therefore, the following two solutions have proven to be ideal: a) a particularly thin rubber coating of 2 mm or b) a simple design of the drum shell (as shown in the image), which allows the drum shell to be replaced easily and cost-effectively. Furthermore, the separation splitter can also be equipped with a replaceable ceramic attachment.
Several IFE heavy-duty grizzly feeders are used in the far north to feed cone crushers. These grates are 3 metres wide, 6 metres long and weigh 27 500 kilograms. They can convey stones and chunks of ore up to one meter in size. Thanks to special, replaceable Ni-Hard wear linings with a thickness of 50 millimeters, continuous operation can be ensured – even at a throughput rate of 2 000 – 5 000 tons of material per hour!
Sharp glass edges lead to high wear. When conveying and dosing with IFE vibrating feeders with unbalanced drive, a special solution is also required here to protect the equipment against premature wear. The use of ceramic plates has proven to be the best solution, as the hard surface is particularly resistant. To prevent the ceramic from breaking, rubber is glued between the trough floor and the ceramic plates. This special construction, in which ceramic is applied to the steel floor via rubber, ensures flexibility and prevents the ceramic from breaking, resulting in an extremely hard yet flexible surface.
The rotating discharge belt of an overband separator is exposed to considerable loads. Many magnets are also mounted at a great height. Regular replacement could lead to great expense and system downtime. The additional installation of a stainless steel guard plate, however, prevents premature wear. Investing in a steel armoured belt is therefore particularly important for hard-to-reach installations and material fractions with a high iron content such as mixed construction waste or slag.
An 8.4 meter-long IFE vibrating tubular feeder bridges the conveying distance between two bagging areas. This machine is ideal for fast, gentle and dust-free transport.
The part of the pipe body that comes into contact with salt is made of high-quality chrome-nickel-molybdenum steel and is equipped with three inspection openings for daily system operation. Due to the corrosive machine environment, the robust mild steel welded construction was painted using a high-quality coating system with a layer thickness of 240 μm.
The fractionation of moist, sticky materials is only possible with flexible screen panels, as they would clog otherwise. In such cases, special screen panels are required. They must not only withstand mechanical stress, but also be resistant to biological wear. This applies, for example, to the influence of microbes that can occur in compost and household waste handling plants. IFE uses specially developed, microbe-resistant PU formulations for this purpose.
The measures described contribute significantly to reducing wear in material handling solutions. The overall service life of the machines can be increased and costs can be saved at the same time. IFE Material Handling has the necessary expertise and experience to fulfil the diverse requirements!
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!
In March 2024, we will be unveiling further forms of wear and accompanying examples. Stay tuned and don't miss it!