Rio Tinto (Australia) - Vibrating Feeder Liner Upgrade

Background:

A customer in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia, a Rio Tinto iron ore operation, was operating multiple Vibrating Pan Feeders processing secondary crushed iron ore (>32mm).

Challenge:

The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) liners made of 500BHN abrasion-resistant steel had large gaps in the direction of material flow, causing extreme washout and limiting operational life to just 13 weeks. Additionally, each liner weighed over 70kg with no lifting points, creating significant safety hazards during installation and removal. The customer targeted an operational life of 48 weeks and required a solution that addressed safety concerns without increasing fatigue loads.

Solution:

Bradken reverse-engineered the OEM package and utilized the new high-performance Duaplate DX weld overlay material. The new design consolidated multiple small liners per row into a single liner to eliminate gaps. Reusable lifting points were also integrated for safe handling with an overhead crane.

Result:

After a 13-week trial, the performance was so impressive that the customer committed to converting all four feeders. The Duaplate DX liners ultimately met the 48-week life target, perfectly aligning with the workshop refurbishment cycle and eliminating all onsite liner change-outs.