Struggling gold sector should heed maintenance pitfalls

The biggest potential for growth in the struggling gold mining industry lies in mechanised operations and smart systems that detect which parts have to be replaced during shutdowns, instead of rep- lacing complete units.

“This leads to the mine saving money and time, which, in turn, leads to more efficient operating,” says manufacturer of R-C700 chromium carbide liners, pipes and components Rio-Carb product development manager Luis Garcia.

The South African gold mining industry is dealing with the impact of insufficient mining processes, the volume of minerals left unmined, the mothballing of mine shafts and the start-up costs involved when the shafts are reopened for production, as well as the consequences of the strong US dollar and decreasing bullion demand from China.

Industrial operations, especially the gold mining industry, can improve production by pre-empting wear on liners and pipes by employing Rio-Carb’s cost- and obligation-free wear survey and mapping service, notes Garcia.

The offering, which was officially launched in August last year, is a proactive solution to the expensive and time-consuming effects that unforeseen wear can have on all liners and pipes carrying abrasive materials.

He adds that the company’s wear survey and mapping service can reveal the areas where materials handling equipment is subjected to the greatest amount of wear, using advanced ultrasonic equipment that is operated by staff qualified in chute draughting. This can result in savings for customers, as parts subjected to less wear might not require immediate replacement.

“The thickness measurements are carried out to the nearest 0.1 mm and the areas are zoned by permanent markings, thereby ensuring that subsequent replacement checks can be reliably predicted. We can also estimate when and where our R-C700 liners should be installed by identifying the most vulnerable part of the wear system,” Garcia explains.

The gold mining industry is leaning towards implementing longer maintenance intervals at plants, installing more sophisticated mining systems and refurbishing capital equipment. This trend is focused on saving costs and optimising the amount of gold ore mined.

Garcia says this service is also important when planning maintenance shutdowns. “A costly industry trend is to wait for a hole to appear in a chute before replacing the entire liner. This only leads to increased downtime and more liner material being used. A monthly calculation of wear loss on each wear plate enables Rio-Carb to calculate the most suitable times for replacement.”

The wear survey and mapping service is available to the mining and allied resources industries, and Garcia notes that it has been trialling at a South African coal mine since July with positive results.

“The encouraging feedback prompted us to go live with this offering, which has enabled us to improve the turnaround time and efficiency offered to clients, as we are better prepared for future supply and demand, based on strategic calculations undertaken on site,” he concludes.