The Importance of Mining Machinery Maintenance
Mining machinery is used in underground or open-cast mines to extract, handle and process raw materials from the mines. Due to daily use in naturally challenging environments that contain damaging contaminants such as dirt, moisture, metals and more.
It is essential that mining machinery performs reliably and durably under the extreme conditions found in most mines; allowing operators to improve operation times through reduced and better-scheduled maintenance. The negligence of proper machinery maintenance can lead to unexpected breakdowns, unsafe working conditions, waste of raw materials, and potentially life-threatening situations.
The global mining machinery industry is estimated to reach a value of £151 billion by 2030, growing at a rate of 4.6% from 2021. This growth is accounted for by rising demand in mineral, metal and coal mining, particularly in the Asia-Pacific and Europe. Furthermore, mining equipment must meet growing government legislation, becoming more sustainable, carbon-neutral, cost-effective, safe and reliable. This pushes mining equipment manufacturers to optimise their machinery, becoming fit for the global mining market.
Examples of Mining Machinery
Commonly used examples of mining machinery include:
- Excavators
- Cranes
- Drills
- Trucks
- Dozers
- Loaders
- Rails and tracks
- Ventilation systems
- Drones
- Conveyor systems
- Feeders, mixers and actuators
Mining Machinery Requirements
Mining machinery must be able to perform reliably in demanding conditions, ensuring:
- Protection from extreme hot or cold temperatures – effective thermal management
- Protection from dust and debris
- Corrosion protection
- Very high load-carrying capacity
- Environmental sustainability
- No or minimal product leakage or material waste
- Full safety under all working conditions
- The meeting of OEM specifications
- The meeting of government legislation
The proper maintenance and repair of mining equipment and the correct solutions being used in their manufacturing will ensure the meeting of all listed requirements.
Top Lubrication Solutions for Mining Machinery Maintenance
Industrial lubricants provide many essential advantages for mining machinery applications.
Molykote, one of our top lubrication brands with decades of proven experience, provides extreme-condition solutions that enable:
- Reduced wear and friction
- High performance across extreme temperatures – maintaining viscosity
- Improved equipment service life
- Minimised contamination – resistance to dust and erosion
- Resistance to squeeze-out, fling-off or water-washout
- Resistance to rust, corrosion and humidity
- Shock and vibration resistance
- Resistance to reversing speeds and surging pressures
- Hazard-free, environmentally-friendly solutions
- Compatibility across standard mining equipment
- Reduced requirement for maintenance – reducing service costs
Here we explore our top lubrication solutions for different forms of mining machinery maintenance:
Open-Cast Mining
Excavators
Open Gears
1122 Chain and Open Gear Grease
1122 Chain Grease Spray
Electrical contacts; Insulators
3099 HVIC (High-Voltage Insulator Coating) Compound
Mining Trucks
Wheel bearings
G-4700 Extreme Pressure Synthetic Grease
BR-2 Plus High Performance Grease
Gearboxes
L-xxxx Synthetic Oil Series
M Gear Oil Additive
Front-loaders
Bearings; pins; bushes
BR-2 Plus High Performance Grease
Multilub Synthetic High Performance Grease
SAG/ball mills, furnaces
Jacket or liner bolts
Feed seal/chute
Guides
D-321 R Anti-Friction Coating Spray
Bearings
Longterm 00 Semi-Fluid Gearbox Grease
G-4700 Extreme Pressure Synthetic Grease
Underground Mining
Fans, blowers, pumps
Bearings
BR-2 Plus High Performance Grease
G-0010 Grease
BG-20 Synthetic Bearing Grease
Transportation equipment
Pins; bearings
Longterm 2 Plus Extreme Pressure Bearing Grease
BR-2 Plus High Performance Grease
Multilub Synthetic High Performance Grease
Pulleys and winches
Bearings
BR-2 Plus High Performance Grease
Longterm 2 Plus Extreme Pressure Bearing Grease
Longterm 2/78 G Grease
Multilub Synthetic High Performance Grease
Maintenance products
Chains
D-321 R Anti-Friction Coating
MKL-N Dispersion Spray
1122 Chain and Open Gear Grease
Air Compressors
Screw compressors (rotary)
Screw
L-12xx Synthetic Compressor Oil Series
L-3246 Synthetic Compressor Oil
L-4646 Synthetic High Temp Compressor Oil
Piston compressors (reciprocating)
Pistons
L-4610 Synthetic Blend Compressor Piston Oil
L-4611 Synthetic Reciprocating Compressor Oil
Repair Shops
Assembly/disassembly
Multigliss Dispersion
1000 Paste
G-N Paste Metal Assembly Paste; G-N Metal Assembly Spray
O-rings; valve seals in general
Couplings
Longterm 2 Plus Extreme Pressure Bearing Grease
Metal cleaning/protection
Metal Cleaner Spray
Metal Protector Plus
Electronic Equipment
Electric motors
Bearings
G-0010 Grease
BG-20 Synthetic Bearing Grease
Cleaning of electrical contacts, cards, boards
S-1002 Electrical Contact Cleaner Spray
In addition to mining machinery maintenance, Molykote lubricants have also been used for managing vibrational loads, reducing thread failure, lubricating bearings, avoiding microwelding of pipes, and sealing industrial furnaces – proving their reliable performance in extremely challenging environments.
