Why do 80% of shovel buckets in mining use AustLon?

 
 

As a trusted supplier to the mining industry for nearly 50 years, we know how to save our clients time, stress and money.

With innovative options that are proven to outlast and outperform traditional materials such as steel and brass, we deliver our clients the competitive edge they need when it comes to equipment.

AUSTLON®: THE ONLY CHOICE WHEN PERFORMANCE & LIFECYCLE MATTERS

AustLon® (PA6 G) is a high-grade engineering plastic manufactured exclusively by McNeall Plastics that has gained widespread acceptance as a superior alternative to ferrous and other metallic materials, such aluminium and bronze.

It is the preferred material where issues stemming from abrasive wear, impact strength, bearing strength, noise, weight and corrosion have been difficult to resolve. It is also used in applications where traditional plastics have failed to withstand conditions of high mechanical loading and wear.

HOW CAN YOU BENEFIT FROM AUSTLON®?

  • High impact resistance

  • Excellent noise reduction and vibration dampening

  • Resistance to brittleness and UV deterioration

  • Low friction due to high lubricity

  • Exceptional machinability

  • Suitable for the food industry

  • Flexibility of design

  • Resistance to chemicals and corrosion

  • Individual and low-volume needs easily accommodated

The Proof

There is no doubt that choosing the right material when manufacturing your components is crucial. It not only has a substantial influence on your profitability, but it also impacts your working environment with regards to safety, noise and more.

Below we share how our team developed a tailored solution for BHP using AustLon®, that not only alleviated their equipment issues, but proved so successful that it became, and continues to be, the preferred solution for the mining industry across Australia.

THE CASE STUDY: BHP BUSH EQUALISERS
THE CLIENT: BHP BILLION (MT ARTHUR)

The issue:
BHP were experiencing issues with the load bearing ability of a shaft as it had only 3 bushes which could not carry the load allowed. This created issues as it resulted in excessive wear of both the pin and the bushes, which made all 3 bushes wear unevenly.

The process:
The solution devised was to weld a steel tube in place of the bushes. This would become the housing for the AustLon® bushes. The bushes would now run the length of the shaft and support the shaft much better.

Each of the AustLon® bushes were manufactured at a longer length which spread the load more evenly. Had the same size bush been manufactured from steel this would add to the weight. Additional benefits of the AustLon® bushes is that they are easy to replace and reduce the downtime.

The outcome:
After 22 months of operation, the wear rates were as follows: an average wear of 0.001inch wear per 1,000,000 BCM on the bush with no noticeable wear on the pin.

It was also anticipated that with regular perm lube greasing there is no reason to replace the bush other than when there is work to be performed on the steel housing of the equaliser.

To date, McNeall Plastics continues to supply BHP with this custom-made solution.

On a wider scale, the improvements in performance and lifecycle that were outcomes of this solution solidified that fact that AustLon® clearly outperformed and outlasted other materials. This lead to the adoption of the system in the equaliser becoming a uniform standard across Australia, with over 80%* of all 4100 & 4100xpc buckets using this system.

 
 
Cathy Ellis