The solution helped main bucket pin and bush achieve over 70,000 hours and is still running.
Application
Hydraulic shovel bucket pin and bush application in opencast hard rock mining. Bucket changes normally take 1.5 days.
Identify
By working collaboratively with the mine it was determined that a high performance grease should be used from the start of the machines operating life.
Agree
It was agreed to use Tribol Molub-Alloy 777-2 NG to achieve benefits of:
- Maximum component life time
- Lowest lubricant related maintenance
- Maximum machine availability
- Lowest operating costs
Deliver
After 70,000 hours:
- No pin & bush replacement due to lubrication failure
- Negligible signs of wear
- No line boring and subsequent loss of machine availability
- No automatic lubrication system failures reported
- Bucket changes now takes 3 to 4 hours
Operating cost achieved was < R0.01/ton and machine availability increased from 85% to 95%
