September 3-5, 2008.

Santiago, Chile

The
The Use of Composite Materials
to Improve the Wear Life in SAG
Mill Feed End Liners

Craig Faulkner
Bradken, Australia

Contents

Introduction
SAG Mill - FE Liner Optimisation and Design
Summary
Conclusion

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

Introduction

Cadia Valley Operations (CVO) consists of two
distinct processing plants
Cadia Hill - Low Grade Plant
Ridgeway - High Grade Plant

Underground

16,300 tpd @ 2.4g/t Au and 0.8% Cu

Annual Production:
 35,000 t Cu
 290,000 oz Au

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

Ridgeway Operation

Semi-Augeounous Grinding

32ft Dia. x 16ft Long SAG Mill

700 t/h new feed
6500 kW
14.5 EGL
8.6 10.7 rpm
62.6 78.6% critical
28% Mill volume
13% Ball charge
125mm Dia. Balls
50mm grate aperture
15mm trommel aperture
Steel liners ( 417 tonne)
September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

FE Liner Optimisation & Design

The Drivers

Liner life
Combat excessive wear
Reduce reline times per annum
Improve profitability

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

Feed End Liner Design

Original Design

Typical lifter liner (OEM) design

Three row setup (throat, middle & outer)
*Note Throat liner missing from image

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

Feed End Liner Design

Original Design

High wear through joint

Both parts changed-out together
Liner life 120 days (avg.)
2.0 Mt processed
3 relines per year

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

Feed End Liner Design

Intermediate Design change

Reduce the length of middle liner

Extend outer to cover full charge volume
Increase lifter thickness (40mm) to improve wear life
Reduction in liner bolts from 160 to 128 per reline (20%)

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

Feed End Liner Design

Intermediate Design change

Liner life - 4.4 months & 2,122,801 tonnes

Extra thickness to lifter bar (25mm)
Change in CTR bolt position
Extra liner mass
Short of desired overall life of 6 months

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

Composite Liner Design

Design Criteria

CAD Modeling incorporating DEM output

Achieve 6 month liner life
Review alternative wear materials
Safe and Easy to install
No additional liner mass
Survive SAG milling environment
Manufacturability

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

10

Composite Liner Design

White-iron insert Chrome Moly liner

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

11

Composite Liner Design

Implementation

Risk

Trial installation 13-03-07

Inspection & Wear monitoring

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

12

Composite Liner Design

Liner Inspection

Wear monitoring 31-05-07

Liner predictions

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

13

Composite Liner Design

Trial Results

Trial liners removed 24-07-07

Liner Performance

Processing Details
Tonnes
@
Installation

Tonnes
@
Removal

Period
Tonnes

Date
Installed

Date
Removed

Days
in
Service

Tonnes
p/day

27,061,534

29,184,335

2,122,801

13/03/2007

24/07/2007

133

15,961

Liner Wear Details

Position
Forward
Material
CrMo
Measureing Point ID @ 475mm
MID @ 1030mm
Original Thickness
395
395
Removed Thickness
120
80
Material Loss
275
315
mm per day
2.068
2.368
mm per m/t
130
148

Trial
Composite
ID @ 475mm
MID @ 1030mm
395
395
260
265
135
130
1.015
0.977
64
61

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

Behind
CrMo
ID @ 475mm
MID @ 1030mm
395
395
140
95
255
300
1.917
2.256
120
141

14

Composite Liner Design

Full Implementation

Set installed 13-11-07

White-iron performance

Liner results

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

15

Composite Liner Design

Full Implementation

Liner Inspections

18-02-08 (3.0 months)

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

30-04-08 (5.5 months)

16

Composite Liner Design

Full Implementation

Liners removed 20-05-08

6.2 months life (189 days)

2,985,348 tonnes milled

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

17

Composite Liner Analysis

Wear Analysis Chrome-moly liner

Laser scanning

Mass reduction

Rate of wear

Part No.
BK53212A

Material
Chrome-moly

Installed

Life
Life
Removed (Days) (Months)

24/07/2007 13/11/2007

112

3.7

Installed
Tonnes

Removed
Tonnes

Period
Tonnes

Tonnes
per Day

29,184,335

30,973,378

1,789,043

15,974

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

18

Composite Liner Analysis

Wear Analysis Chrome-moly liner
Mass
Mass Reduction
Installed Height
Removed Height
Material Worn
mm per MT
mm per Days Milled

New
Worn
Kg's
%
mm
mm
mm

1974
1420
554
28%
395
150
245
136.94
2.19

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

19

Composite Liner Analysis

Wear Analysis WI Composite liner

Laser scanning

Mass reduction

Rate of wear

Part No.
BK53212B

Material

Installed

Life
Life
Removed (Days) (Months)

WI Composite 13/11/2007 20/05/2008

189

6.2

Installed
Tonnes

Removed
Tonnes

Period
Tonnes

Tonnes
per Day

30,973,378

33,958,726

2,985,348

15,795

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

20

Composite Liner Analysis

Wear Analysis WI Composite Liner
Mass
Mass Reduction
Installed Height
Removed Height
Material Worn
mm per MT
mm per Days Milled

New
Worn
Kg's
%
mm
mm
mm

1940
1361
579
30%
395
226
169
56.61
0.89

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

21

Composite Liner Analysis

Wear Analysis
Feed End Liner Analysis
450

3500000

400

3000000
2500000

300
250

2000000

200

1500000

150

Tonnes Milled

Liner Thickness

350

1000000

100
500000

50
0
0

0
189

112
Days in Service
CrMo

WI Composite

CrMo - Tonnes

WI Composite - Tonnes

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

22

Summary

Results

Achieved 6 month relines

Reduction in one reline per year
Reduced overall annualised reline times by 24 hours
Increased wear life by 68.75%

ORIGINAL OEM DESIGN

Liner Description
Feed End
Middle Liner
Outer Liner

REVISION 2
Liner Description
Feed End
Middle Liner
Composite Outer Liner

Quantity
Per Set

Liner Mass
Per Set (kg's)

Change-out Time
Per Set (Hours)

Wear Life
(Months)

Annualised
Change-out Time (Hours)

16
32

24,000
44,880
68,880

4.53
9.07

3.8
3.8

14.3
28.6
43

Quantity
Per Set

Liner Mass
Per Set (kg's)

Change-out Time
Per Set (Hours)

Wear Life
(Months)

Annualised
Change-out Time (Hours)

16
32

10,816
62,080
72,896

4.53
9.07

42.7
6

1.3
18.1
19

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

23

Conclusion

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

24

Conclusion
 The use of the composite materials on the feed end outer liners in the
Ridgeway SAG mill has provided a viable solution to reduce the overall
relines per annum and increase mill availability.
 This fully integrated approach offers significant opportunity for
improvements in milling environments with the flexibility in solving
operational / scheduling issues beyond the usual option of increasing
liner mass.

The
The Use of Composite Materials to
Improve the Wear Life in SAG Mill
Feed End Liners

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

25

Acknowledgements

Bradken

Newcrest Mining Cadia Valley Operations

THANK YOU
Notice:
The Design and Technical information as detailed in this document is the exclusive property of the Bradken Pty. Ltd. and its related
entities. It is issued on the strict condition that except with our written permission it must not be reproduced, copied or communicated to
any third party nor be used for any purpose other than that stated in the particular enquiry or contract with which it is issued.

September 3-5, 2008. Santiago, Chile

26