Chute Liner Success in a Canadian Mine
on February 28, 2024
Chute Liners and Chrome White Iron
There are a number of different alloys or materials that can be used in chute liners. While liners will naturally wear out, maximizing wear resistance can lead to significant cost savings. The following success story illustrates that high chrome white iron, with its superior abrasion resistance, is a good choice for the mining industry.
Challenge
A mine in the Yukon Territory wanted to increase the wear life of its chute liners which had previously been lined with AR 400 steel plate. Although the steel plate was wearing uniformly, the chute was experiencing zones of high wear – a challenge for the thin AR plate. With 2 goals of maximizing runtime and reducing maintenance costs, the mine approached Penticton Foundry for a solution.
Solution
Penticton Foundry’s solution involved the design, production and supply of the new liners, made in abrasion resistant Granite 25, ASTM A532 Class 3 Type A high chrome white iron. Granite 25 was chosen as it offers a perfect balance of abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance and impact resistance.
The process was streamlined by Penticton Foundry’s design and production team, who worked closely with the mine’s maintenance staff, to ensure that the liners would fit into the chute easily and simply. No cutting work was needed on site, and the customer was able to seamlessly install the liners.
Note: This success story about a high chrome white iron apron feed liner is worth a read.
Results
- The high chrome white iron feed chute liners lasted 6x longer than the AR steel plate
- The mine had been changing the steel plate liners every few months
- New maintenance schedule for the mine is to check, and possibly replace, the high chrome white iron liners every 3 to 3 ½ years
Read: Check out our Mining page for more information on the products and castings that we produce.
