Optimising the productivity and durability of wear parts with Hardox® 600
It is therefore advisable to first look at the abrasive materials that are being worked with. Common materials include, in order of relative hardness, crushed granite, copper ore, iron ore, limestone and coal. Next, customers should determine the desired maintenance intervals to minimise downtime for the entire operation.
At mining sites, wear-resistant steel is typically used as a lining in hoppers, feeders and chutes, as well as for hammers in crushers or in sorting screens. Hardox® 600 is a wear resistant steel with excellent behaviour in a surprisingly wide range of abrasive materials, operating conditions and equipment types.
What makes Hardox® 600 so special?
Hardox® 600 has a nominal hardness of 600 HBW. Despite its hardness, it also has a toughness that is rare in such a hard wear-resistant steel. This gives it excellent wear resistance while resisting impact damage from stones and other heavy loads. The steel is also through-hardened – the minimum core hardness is 90 % of the guaranteed minimum surface hardness.
To optimise the application of Hardox® 600, customers can always contact a local SSAB technical development manager or a Hardox® Wearparts Centre, which manufactures wear parts for original installation or for repair and replacement.
Hardox® 600 in tough use for Swedish
mining group LKAB
As a large iron ore and minerals company, Swedish mining group LKAB cannot afford to lose productivity. Unplanned downtime can have a significant impact on throughput and therefore financial performance. Every year, around 30 million t of iron ore are shipped from its own port in Narvik/Norway, north of the Arctic Circle.
When LKAB was struggling with too many unplanned breakdowns and the associated unwanted costs, they looked for a more robust wear-resistant steel for the tippers and chutes. They finally opted for Hardox® 600, one of the hardest grades of Hardox® steel. Prior to the decision, LKAB collaborated with SSAB on a performance optimisation project, which ultimately gave the green light for the purchase of Hardox® 600.
Do customers know their wear?
Due to the numerous factors that influence the wear of mining equipment, SSAB always recommends a thorough inspection by wear experts. For LKAB, a 600 HBW steel proved to be the best choice. In most wear situations, there is a sweet spot where the wear rate drops significantly if the hardness of the steel is sufficiently high in relation to the severity of the abrasive material. Determining this sweet spot requires a great deal of experience. Customers are welcome to contact the technical experts at SSAB for expert advice.
