Hard-rock and mineral processing equipment, grinding mills, crushers, screens, conveyors, and the heavy-duty gear that defines mining throughput.
Mining equipment takes the most punishment of anything in heavy industry. Abrasion from ore. Impact from rocks. Weather that is never the right temperature. Remote locations where the nearest replacement part is a day away. Reliability here is about wear-rate monitoring and planned interventions, because reactive repair on a mill is a week of downtime.
Liners on a SAG or ball mill are replaced on a running schedule. Crusher wear parts (mantles, concaves, jaw plates) likewise. The question is not if, but when. Good plants track wear measurements on every inspection and predict the next reline with reasonable accuracy. Poor plants run until failure and then scramble. The difference in production impact is significant.
Trunnion bearings on large mills are oil-film bearings that depend on a continuous supply of clean, cool oil at the right pressure. Any interruption can cost you the bearing surface. Monitor oil temperature, pressure, and flow continuously. Trend the numbers. A small, slow rise in bearing temperature over weeks is a warning.
Mine conveyors are longer, bigger, and more punishing than plant conveyors.
Mine maintenance injuries are disproportionately from rigging and lifting heavy parts. Liners, wear plates, and mill components are heavier than they look. Use proper rigging equipment, proper procedures, and proper training. Improvised lifts are the single biggest source of serious injuries in this category.
Caterpillar
Haul Truck for Mining & Minerals production
Caterpillar
Hydraulic Mining Shovel / Excavator for Mining & Minerals production
Metso Outotec
Crusher (Jaw / Cone / Gyratory) for Mining & Minerals production
Metso Outotec
Grinding Mill (SAG / Ball) for Mining & Minerals production
FLSmidth
Heavy-Duty Conveyor (Mining) for Mining & Minerals production
Sandvik
Drill Rig (Surface / Underground) for Mining & Minerals production
Deeper explainers and background reading for technicians working in mining & minerals.
Every rotating machine vibrates. The pattern of that vibration tells you whether bearings are wearing, shafts are misaligned, or components are out of balance. Learning to read vibration data catches 90% of rotating equipment failures weeks before they happen.
Bearings are the most commonly replaced component in industrial machinery. Yet 16% of premature bearing failures come from improper installation: wrong fit, contamination during mounting, or inadequate lubrication at startup. This guide covers the full process from selection to run-in.
Poor lubrication causes up to 40% of bearing failures. Wrong grease, wrong amount, wrong interval, or contaminated supply are the usual culprits. Getting lubrication right is the single highest-ROI maintenance improvement most plants can make.
Misalignment is the second leading cause of rotating equipment failure after lubrication problems. Laser alignment takes 30 minutes and prevents months of accelerated wear on bearings, seals, and couplings. This guide covers the basics of angular and offset misalignment correction.
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