Mineral processing equipment manufacturer and designer MechProTech has introduced hydrodynamic composite bearings made out of Vesconite thermopolymer plates that are bent into a half moon or quarter moon shape for its mills and scrubbers.
The bearings run on an oil film so there is no surface contact between the bearing and the outside support for the mills and scrubbers. As a result, there is no energy-consuming nor grinding friction during operation, explained MechProTech Sales Manager Wynand Boshoff. “Vesconite is a sacrificial bearing that provides support. If the oil that the bearing runs on breaks down, there is no damage to our equipment,” said Boshoff.
The advantages of using Vesconite are not limited to technological ones and also include cost, operational and logistic benefits. MechProTech notes that the Vesconite hydrodynamic bearings are less costly in this application than white-metal bearings, which can be six times more expensive than the thermopolymer bearings.
The bearings are also hard wearing and grease free so they require little maintenance in an industry in which machinery downtime can be costly. In addition, the new bearings are lighter and more maintenance friendly than their predecessor and can be more quickly and easily replaced, noted MechProTech MD Evan Bird.
Using mechanical and metallurgical skills, MechProTech has developed new machinery and methodologies for optimally extracting mineral wealth from ores, while providing process solutions that reduce the capital and maintenance cost for the operator.
MechProTech, www.mechprotech.co.za
