ME Elecmetal was dedicated to enhancing installation procedures and identified an opportunity to develop a comprehensive solution aimed at ensuring the reliability of liner fasteners on the shell and discharge end of SAG mills. This initiative was based on insights collected during the major shutdown in September 2022, when the online monitoring system was implemented.
The following recommendations were considered:
- Implementing Valley Forge RidgeBack Grade B7 bolts on the discharge end and shell to improve the reliability of the SAG mill
- Improving tension levels achieved during liner installation in SAG mills. Committing to suggesting a tightening and retorqueing procedure with specified tension values for each supplier
- Improving the calibration process of the installation tools on the Skidmore test bench to ensure accurate tensioning
- Utilizing monitoring system data to recommend re-tightening when bolt tension is low, mitigating failures associated with fastener loosening
For monitoring bolt tension, the installation of 73 sensors was proposed, with 38 allocated to SAG Mill 1 and 35 to SAG Mill 2.