In-Situ Machining Solutions (UK) Ltd were recently involved in the refurbishment of a grinding pan by means of machining the cast iron struts that hold the wear plates for the crusher table.
The project required a bespoke heavy duty machining set up to be produced and precise planning due to the limited shutdown period to be allocated to complete the works. The full scope of the work were unclear until commencement of the project as the machine could not be stopped and stripped to determine the full extent of the damage. A previous shutdown some two years ago, identified the problem, but did not permit time to rectify. The damage was recorded at approximately 5 mm – 6 mm worth of wear across the struts and a temporary weld repair was put in place to allow rebuild and running of the machine. All precautions had to be taken by In-Situ and the Client to rectify the damage in the allocated timeframe despite the extent it had increased over the additional two year running period. Working with OEM drawings and information gained from the client Engineering team, In-Situ began to deign and manufacture a bespoke milling set up to machine the 3m diameter grinding pan.
Special hydraulic equipment was procured and new in house milling drives were built to tackle the project. Templates of the milling fixtures were manufacture out of wood and delivered to site to ensure fitment. This operation had to take place at night when the machine has a brief stoppage period for production reasons. The project was undertaken successfully removing some 17 mm of material from all struts to restore flatness to the base frame. The material had work hardened and also had brittle areas that had been produced from the weld repair in previous years. Despite the challenges, our expertise and experience in the field of on-site machining were called into action, easing any concerns the client had. A 7 day window was allocated to the machining works but due to the pre-planning and investment in to the equipment for the project, In-Situ were able to complete the works in only 5 days.
