THE IMPORTANCE OF LUBRICATION FOR PROPER MINING EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

It’s a tough life for industrial mining gear. The equipment cuts into rocks and kicks up clouds of gritty debris. Special seals prevent moisture and dust from penetrating the gear housings and causing extensive damage, but those same gears and drive shafts still need care, the provision of oil and grease so that the moving parts can function properly. A mining equipment maintenance strategy ensures moving parts are protected from gear-hampering grainy particles, but, just as importantly, this plan makes sure every moving part is kept lubricated, for this is a 24/7 operation, a place where rugged machines must work with fluid efficiency at all times.

GREASING THE WHEELS OF MINING INDUSTRY

Every processing station in a mine has one common factor, the need to move ores and minerals from one location to another. The coal seam or gem face is attacked by large moving machines, drills and vibrating rock cutters. Oil and special lubricants keep these important mining devices on the move, with heat dissipation acting as a secondary function for the viscous unguent. Crushing jaws move on powered hinges. Springs offset mechanical power, all while reciprocating motors are working downstream to sort and screen the rocky detritus as it’s transported to the surface by a kilometre-long conveyor belt. Every one of these moving parts is in danger of being hampered by gritty debris, but the lube oil protects the gears and greased pulleys, imparting fluid momentum via handy oiling points on each housing.

MINING EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE ELIMINATES FRICTION

This round-the-clock operating scenario would bow under the force of water and dirt, which would let friction win the day. Heated pulleys would smoke and grind as the gears dried out. It’s the same with the motors. The bearings cancel radial friction and place the rotor in a near liquid cradle, one that’s guaranteed to rotate smoothly without incurring a catastrophic frictional event. The maintenance plan “tops up” up oil reservoirs and exposes special access points on bearing housings. Again, every housing is fully sealed against the harsh environment, but integrated lubricant access points and concealed oil gauges are provided as part of the design.

The benefits of a conscientiously managed mining equipment maintenance program are many. The moving parts are far less likely to fail due to friction or invasive dust. Instead, we’re looking at a conservation strategy, an engineer’s method of extending machine lifespan through the incorporation of a scheduled lubrication maintenance plan.

Screening Technology Pty Ltd T/AS Hawk Machinery

Address: 7 Lantana St Blackburn North Vic 3130
Contact Person: Bohdan Blaszczyk
Phone: +61 3 9877 7777
Fax: +61 3 9877 8177
Mobile: 0411 099 989

Email: info@hawkmachinery.com.au

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