OXIFREE in Mining Equipment
The environment within the mining industry is notoriously aggressive and the effects on all types of machinery is costly in both replacement and downtime. Some reports state that the mining industry does not consider that corrosion is a significant issue and that equipment wear and tear is the primary concern in maintaining equipment. However, the industry still spends over $ 93 million annually on maintenance coatings.
Oxifree listened to the message coming from the mining industry in Brazil (where the Oxifree product was developed) and commenced a large product development program in conjunction with industry giants, Vale & Samarco with one of their main concerns in operations being the premature failure of conveyor belt rotating components such as bearing housings which were failing within 6 months of operation.
Protection of conveyor system bearing housings by eliminating ingress of contaminants that cause premature failures
NORDLOCK MINING & MINERALS
Feeding the world’s economy
The economies of the industrialized world rely on the earth’s raw materials, but extracting them is no easy feat since they lie deep beneath the ground, buried in solid rock that has been undisturbed for aeons. Mines and quarries are riddled with large, heavy-duty machines built specifically for crushing and drilling through solid rock. Few machines are subjected to such demanding conditions, from extreme loads to constant vibrations. For some of these machines, strong vibrations aren’t a consequence of their operations – it is their operation.
In order to feed the world’s insatiable appetite for precious metals and minerals, the mining industry needs to be continuous. But for all their strength and durability, it can often be the smaller bolted joints that buckle first. This can create a number of practical and financial problems as mining equipment can’t afford to break down since every minute of downtime costs money.
The Nord-Lock Group prides itself in finding the most suitable solutions to your most pressing bolting challenges and can secure everything from tooling to the most critical and exposed joints. Our patented Expander pivot pin system ensures that your machines never have to suffer from long hours of downtime due to lug wear repair and our Nord-Lock wheel nuts eliminate the risk of wheel loosening on heavy vehicles. Whatever your bolting challenge, we will use our engineering expertise to solve it.
NORBAR
Mining & Refining
Maximizing safety and minimizing down-time are critical in mining and the subsequent mineral refining processes, making Norbar’s primary role in the mining and refining industry, the provision of safe and secure bolting of assemblies, invaluable. Norbar’s involvement does not stop at bolting, however. Any job requiring the application of continuous high torque, such as valve actuation and valve grinding, can be completed with Norbar’s pneumatic tools.
Mobile Fleet
Norbar plays an invaluable part in getting the off-road fleet of equipment going – and keeping it going. Norbar wrenches are commonly used in the factories of the major equipment manufacturers and then again when the equipment arrives at the site for final assembly.
The most common applications are wheel bolting, track bolting, and dozer wear plate bolting. All of these can be completed with ease and accuracy using Norbar’s PneuTorque® pneumatic torque wrenches. Often, special nose extensions or reaction arms are required and these can be purpose designed where a specific application has not been covered before.
Static Equipment
Any mining or mineral refining site will have an abundant need for accurate torque control. Applications where equipment failure can result in downtime costing hundreds of thousands of dollars per day drive home the need to bolt correctly every time.
A classic example of this is mill liner bolting. Traditionally used impact wrenches lack the required torque control to reliably attach the mill liners, and have serious health and safety implications for operators due to extended periods of exposure to noise and vibration.
Norbar PneuTorques provide smooth, continuous and controllable torque with low noise and exceptionally low vibration levels and are now a popular choice for mill liner bolting.
Due to the extremely demanding nature of the environment in which the mill liner bolt functions, a further stage of validation is often employed. Using ultrasound, Norbar’s USM-3 can accurately establish the tension in the bolt by measuring the bolt extension due to the tightening process. The USM-3 has been laboratory and field-proven to be the most accurate, reliable and cost effective solution to bolting failures which could place workers at risk, lead to lost production and cause damage to capital equipment.
Flange bolting is another application where PneuTorques can demonstrate their outstanding combination of accurate torque control and low noise and vibration. However, for low height applications hydraulic torque wrenches will often be the preferred method of bolting. Norbar offers both Square Drive Series “NSD” and Hex Link Series “NHCL” hydraulic wrenches, specifically designed for extremely low height access applications. Our robust and lightweight aluminium body completely encloses the drive train keeping the crucial lubricant inside the tool while significantly reducing the opportunity for contamination from the outside elements.
Valve Actuation
The combination of speed, lightness, low noise, reduced vibration, and torque control makes PneuTorque® wrenches ideal for many non-bolting applications. Of these applications, it is in the field of valve actuation and valve grinding in the alumina refining industry that PneuTorques have so far had the biggest impact. Two-speed tools have proved the most popular as they provide rapid opening and closing of the valve together with high torque for grinding the caustic deposit that accumulates on the valve seat. However, it is not just in the alumina refining industry that PneuTorques are used for valve actuation. The actuation of water valves and gas valves are now common applications.
