Underground or open pit. Long wall or high wall.

Mining involves equipment and component wear. Headers, Haul trucks, G.E.T., Grader blades, Cylinders, Pumps, Valves; The list goes on. Output depends on continued availability.

Laserbond surface engineering technologies have been developed to improve availability and productivity by extending component life. When applied to production vital components these same technologies also increase performance, extend plant and machinery operational life, increase reliability, reduce component change-outs, increase resistance to wear and corrosion and reduce overall operating and maintenance costs. This will improve availability.

Benefits:

Reduced Cost per BCM

Laser Cladding is designed to maximise the availability, improve the capabilities and extend the operational life of production equipment and components. As an integral part of an extraction process it will improve operational efficiency and effectively reduce cost per BCM. And that’s a production bonus.

Improved Site Safety

Laser clad production equipment and components have a longer operating life. And that means less maintenance, repair or replacement time. And that means a reduction in the time maintenance terms face the potential for workplace accidents. And that means improved site safety.

Improved Performance

Nameplate performance and reliability are two of the benchmarks for production equipment. The longer and better equipment performs the better the result. Laserbond surface engineering can (and will) improve the reliability of production equipment. And by improving the reliability and maximising availability, performance and productivity will be improved.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does laser cladding improve mining equipment uptime?

Laser cladding improves mining equipment uptime through the application of extreme wear and corrosion resistant claddings. Laser clad components last up to 10x longer than unclad ones, extending wear life, reducing replacement cycles and unplanned maintenance shutdowns.

What mining components can be surface engineered?

Ground engagement tools, cone crusher, slurry pumps, pipe elbows, conveyor parts, screening equipment, wear sleeves, wear rings, comminution tools, grinding parts, drive trains, gearboxes, hydraulic cylinders, valves, wheel hubs, chutes, mixer blades

Can worn mining equipment be remanufactured instead of replaced?

Yes, mining equipment can be remanufactured instead of replaced. In one case, an excavator final drive unit had severely damaged splines. Laserbond additively manufactured the gear splines to specification. The laser clad remanufacturing saved the customer $30,000, and reduced lead time from 3 months to 2 weeks compared to purchasing a new part.

Which mining OEMs and operators use Laserbond?

Liebherr, BHP, Rio Tinto, Komatsu, Hitachi, Cavpower, Westrac, HBT, Hastings Deering, MacKellar

What wear problems does mining surface engineering solve?

Surface engineering solves several wear problems in mining. Mining parts wear through a complex of loads. hard ore and minerals cause Abrasion. High velocities of fine particles cause erosion, large particles cause impact wear, corrosive fluids (like high-salinity water or process chemicals) attack. When these occur at the same time, complex wear mechanisms like erosion-corrosion demand advanced tailored surface claddings