In a recent campaign, ME Elecmetal's customized liner solution helped a mining operation process 11.08 million tons, a dramatic increase from the 4.54 million tons achieved with OEM liners in the previous campaign.
The client identified a pressing need to enhance the performance of their primary crusher, which was experiencing frequent unscheduled shutdowns due to excessive thermal loading—resulting in significant losses in operating hours. Compounding the issue was an unpredictable variation in pole height, further complicating operational planning.
Several recurring issues were directly impacting the crusher’s efficiency and reliability:
These factors led to a highly unstable operation with inconsistent liner performance, inefficient fines evacuation, and diminished overall ore processing. As a result, plant throughput was limited—failing to exceed seven million tons per campaign and reducing the effective treatment rate.
In response, ME Elecmetal partnered with the client to analyze the wear behavior of the OEM-supplied liners (mantle and concaves) and assess operational conditions. This opened the door to reengineering the system to improve fines evacuation and increase ore throughput (tph).
Through a collaborative and data-driven approach—centered on analysis, diagnostics, and co-design with the client’s operations team—ME Elecmetal developed a comprehensive solution to significantly improve the performance of the primary crusher. The proposal was built on three strategic pillars:
1. Customized Mantle Design with Conical Profile
ME Elecmetal reengineered the lower mantle, introducing an optimized conical profile designed to:
This redesign aimed to improve overall crushing efficiency by lowering internal pressure and increasing the equipment’s effective processing capacity.
2. Optimized Alloy Selection – M3 (18% Mn)
Given the abrasive characteristics of the processed ore, ME Elecmetal selected its M3 alloy, composed of 18% manganese, offering superior resistance to impact and friction. The benefits of this alloy include:
3. Wear Monitoring with QuickScan Crusher Technology
To ensure continuous performance tracking, ME Elecmetal implemented its QuickScan Crusher 3D scanning technology. This system provides high-resolution wear data on mantles, concaves, and pole height variation—enabling:
Together, these enhancements laid the foundation for a more efficient, stable, and predictable crushing operation—delivering measurable improvements in both productivity and equipment reliability.
Javier Cabezas, Wear Parts Category Manager de ME Elecmetal
ME Elecmetal’s solution delivered transformative results, significantly improving the primary crusher’s performance across multiple dimensions:
1. Substantial Increase in Liner Lifespan
2. Major Reduction in Unscheduled Downtime Due to Thermal Overload
Historical thermal surges exceeding 80% were brought down to a stable 17%, enabling:
3. Significant Increase in Tonnage Processed per Campaign
Production rose to 11.08 million tons per campaign, nearly doubling the 4.54 million tons achieved with the previous OEM liner setup—representing a substantial boost in processing efficiency and throughput.
