Thermal Spraying and the Mining Industry: A Dynamic Duo

To protect critical components in mining equipment and machinery, thermal spray coatings are used. Applying these protective coatings extends the lifespan of the equipment as well as enhancing durability and performance. What that means for the industry is boosted output and increased uptime. In the mining world, those are essential factors.

Thermal Sprayed Mining Equipment

Not only can you make parts last longer with thermal spray coatings, you can refurbish worn parts as well. Why would you want to refurbish an old part rather than replace it with a new one?

If you have to replace worn out parts, a couple of problems arise. You may not have the required part handy, and that’s going to mean waiting for delivery. You also have to cover the cost of a new part. Regardless, downtime will be experienced for, if nothing else, repair time. But if you can refurbish components with thermal spray coatings, this is a much more affordable and less time-consuming solution.

Mining Equipment Faces Severe, Stressful Conditions

Because of centuries of mining, continuous, successful mining production output relies on mines that are delving deeper beneath the surface than ever before. This is the only way for them to find fresh, high-quality, new supplies. What that means to mining machines is greater stress. Greater stress is going to mean more frequent breakdowns – particularly if precautions are not taken to guard against excessive wear.

For the mining industry to have and maintain a sustainable future, they have implemented serious changes. The use of thermal spray protective coatings was a change that has served the industry well. It assisted in reducing operational costs and expenditures and, providing a formula for successful growth, improved output. Productivity stays up, costs stay down – all because thermal spray increases the longevity of equipment and machinery. That is the pivotal role played by thermal spray coatings in this day and age. What’s more, this does not merely apply to one individual mineral or to merely ore.

Cutting Down Time

Wear components have, in the past, had a limited lifespan. That life span can now be doubled, and scheduled downtime cut in half, because advanced abrasion resistant materials are used in mining industry machinery and components.

Thermal Spray Coatings

Advanced thermal spray coatings used in the mining industry are comprised of solid particle erosion resistant coatings, oxidation resistant coatings, high-temperature environment coatings, corrosion prevention coatings, wear control coatings, and thermal barrier coatings. Spraying experts and a team of engineers all contribute to the process that can mean life or death to a mining company should something go wrong in the process, or should this process be ignored altogether. You can see why the decision of which company is chosen for such a job is an important one indeed.

The Cost of Thermal Spray

The cost of a particular coating is directly related to its longevity or lifespan. Fortunately, a company that offers reliable material engineers can look at the given application in which the coating will be used and figure out the most optimum coating solution that is appropriate. Ideally, this will offer the lowest total cost to the owners while still providing the best, most optimal results.

If you are in the mining industry and would like to find out more about how thermal spray protective coatings can help you, your machinery, and your bottom line, contact us at A and A Coatings today. We have helpful customer service representatives standing by to answer your questions.