MechChem Africa August 2019

⎪ Materials handling ⎪

FLSmidth’s FerroCer panels bring longer wear life to Africa

Trials of FLSmidth’s FerroCer ® modular impact wear panels will soon begin inAfrica, following successful trials in countries such as Australia, Peru and India, where significant increases in wear life were recorded. Tests will be conducted on sites in Zambia and Mozambique

F LSmidth’s game-changing panel, FerroCer ® , provides significantly better wear life than conventional panels. According to Zwerus Vo- ges, Ceramic & Wear Solutions Specialist at FLSmidth, the innovative FerroCer panels represent a significant breakthrough in ma- terials technology. The cost-effective solutionprovidesmuch betterwear life than conventional panels and also delivers safety benefits to mine opera- tors. “Thedesignof thepanel takes advantage of the wear characteristics of multiple mate- rials, and its matrix combines the strength and malleability of steel with the abrasion resistance of ceramics,” Voges says. Each panel weighs only 5 kg and is easily 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 longerwear life in various applications, which has meant increased uptime for customer operations. FerroCer impact wear panels are particu- larly suited to high impact wear locations in a process plant, and these include chutes, hoppers, bins, feedboxes andvibrating screen boxes aswell as reclaimer and loader buckets. The panels have excelled in nickel, gold, copper and zinc applications. Voges cites an examplewhere FerroCer impact wear panels provided a solution in a tripper chute appli- cation. “At a mining operation the previous panels inusewerehaving tobe replacedevery 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 de- veloped the FerroCer ® 22 product for lighter applicationswhere thematerial size is smaller. The larger ceramic surface area coverage on the panel reduces wear on the steel matrix. These panels weigh only 2,8 kg. All panels are secured by just one bolt and nut, and no scaffolding or cranage is re- quired. This enhances the safety andhealthof

FerroCer 22 wear panels being installed on a vibrating screen feed box. 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. Voges explains that the cone shape of the ceramic inserts enhances their resilience. It also means that the panel wears more slowly overtime, asthesurfaceareaofceramicinsert widens as it wears. “Themuch longerwear 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. q

FerroCer wear panels, a unique combination of ceramic and steel components, are being fitted to a reclaimer bucket. workers during installation, while speeding up the process. The compact size of the FerroCer panels

FerroCer panels being fitted to a conveyor.

August 2019 • MechChem Africa ¦ 19