Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration


Condition monitoring solution for West African SAG mill

February 2018 Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration

SKF supplied a custom-designed heavy duty bearing housing assembly and two IMX-S conditioning monitoring systems for a 12 MW SAG mill operating on a gold mine in West Africa. “This is the first combination online condition monitoring system and drive train solution for a SAG mill supplied by SKF,” says project manager, John Storm. The end-user purchased the complete new SAG mill for the gold mine from a South African project house. The application presented a number of challenges which prompted the project house to approach SKF for assistance. “We had to find a solution to address the significant loading that the dual drive mill places on the bearing housing caps,” explains Storm. “Furthermore, as the entire plant is automated with instrumentation feedback to a control room, it was imperative that the mill comply with existing protocol.”

SKF’s turnkey solution included South African designed bearings and sleeves, complete with custom-designed heavy duty pinion housings. SKF customised the housing assemblies to include an uprated cap bolt and housing shell thickness to ensure that the housings are able to withstand severe cap loading on drive train A and B for increased lifespan and improved uptime for the end-user. The scope of work also called for the supply of a spare pinion. “To provide additional protection to the bearings from contamination ingress we incorporated special custom sealing arrangements to customer specific requirements,” adds Storm.

SKF’s solution also extended to a customised IMX-S based solution for on-line condition monitoring and analysis. IMX-S was rebuilt into an IP66 rated panel complete with a dust canopy. Two IMX-S units were supplied to monitor both drive train A and B of the 12 MW mill. Storm explains that the system provides Modbus RTU to Modbus IP/TCP conversion for real-time integration and asset status feed to the end-user’s control room. SKF’s customised turnkey bearing housings and online monitoring system designed in accordance with customer specifications fitted the end-user’s existing infrastructure and met all the required safety factors on the mill’s A and B mill drive trains. “We supplied a world-class quality, rugged, cost-effective, easy to install solution that delivers increased productivity through higher machine efficiency and availability for the end-user,” concludes Storm.

For more information contact Samantha Joubert, SKF South Africa, +27 (0)11 821 3500, [email protected], www.skf.com



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Next-gen battery-driven grease gun
SKF South Africa Motion Control & Drives
SKF’s innovative TLGB 21 battery-driven grease gun optimises lubrication efficiency and reduces costs, by seamlessly combining advanced technology with a smart, rugged design.

Read more...
Diagnostic services for optimised operations and protection of critical plant assets
SKF South Africa Motion Control & Drives
The SKF Rotating Equipment Performance Centre provides anyone from anywhere with easy access to a comprehensive suite of advanced condition monitoring, analytical and diagnostic solutions.

Read more...
WearCheck leads the way in condition monitoring
Wearcheck Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Minimising maintenance costs of mining and power-generating machinery and maximising its operational efficiency – these goals form the foundation of the proactive/preventive maintenance services provided by the expert technicians at condition monitoring specialist, WearCheck.

Read more...
Collect data three times faster
SKF South Africa Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
SKF has extended its renowned Microlog Analyzer family of data collection devices with the addition of the Microlog Analyzer dBX. Currently SKF’s most powerful diagnostic tool, this cutting-edge device redefines diagnostic capabilities, enabling users to take measurements three times faster than its predecessor.

Read more...
Cogged raw edge belts
SKF South Africa Motion Control & Drives
SKF’s cogged raw edge belts are ideally suited for essentially any industrial application that runs on ISO wedge and classical V-belt pulleys.

Read more...
Navigating the cosmos with precision
SKF South Africa Motion Control & Drives
As the next-generation Very Large Array navigates towards its key science goals, SKF’s technology is playing a pivotal role in charting the stars. SKF is providing key components for the next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), a $2 billion telescope system that aims to peer deeper into the universe than ever before.

Read more...
Taking reliability to the trenches
SKF South Africa Motion Control & Drives
SKF’s maintenance-free Y Bearing Unit has significantly extended equipment uptime for key customer Gibela, a leading level 5CE CIBD-rated civils company with more than ten years of experience in the field.

Read more...
Adjustable chocks support extremely large telescope
SKF South Africa Motion Control & Drives
Adjustable chocks from SKF will play an important role in the world’s largest visible/near-infrared telescope, the ELT, which is currently under construction in Chile.

Read more...
Cost-effective machine health monitoring
SKF South Africa Motion Control & Drives
The easy to use SKF QuickCollect Bluetooth-enabled, handheld sensor monitors the health of rotating machinery via mobile iOS and Android apps, identifies developing issues, and mitigates potential failures by enabling customers to initiate predictive maintenance.

Read more...
Advancing sustainable electric vehicle technology
SKF South Africa News
SKF has announced a new strategic partnership with Duracar, an innovative company specialising in light electric vehicles. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in both companies’ commitment to sustainability and the advancement of environmentally friendly transportation solutions.

Read more...