Achieving longer service life and higher throughput in ball mill operations

At a leading gold mine in Western Australia, the maintenance team was facing a recurring issue with accelerated wear in the feed box of Ball Mill 1, specifically at the inlet spigot. This critical area is exposed to intense abrasion and high-impact forces due to the constant flow of ore during processing. With a daily production throughput of 29,000 tonnes per day (TPD), any downtime posed a significant risk to operational efficiency and productivity. The team needed a robust and lasting solution to combat wear and extend the service life of the component.

The repair was carried out efficiently by the onsite maintenance team using Loctite^® PC 9313 High Impact Wearing Compound, chosen for its exceptional durability and ease of application. Thanks to the compound’s strong performance and minimal surface preparation requirements, the installation was completed smoothly in September 2020. After 26 weeks in continuous operation, as of March 2021, the repair has demonstrated excellent wear resistance, significantly extending the service life of the feed box and reducing the need for frequent maintenance interventions.

• Extended Maintenance Interval: Loctite^® PC 9313 exceeded previous MTTR of 17 weeks by lasting over 26 weeks with the product still visible, demonstrating significantly improved performance.
• High Throughput and Reliability: The trial successfully processed approximately 4.5 million tonnes over 26 weeks, maintaining 84% plant availability throughout the period.
• Substantial Financial Impact: With potential revenue losses of AU$1.2 million per shift and AU$50,000 per hour, minimizing downtime is critical to maximizing operational profitability.