LOAD & HAUL
LHDS THAT LASTS LONGER
World’s largest copper producer reports remarkable success with new bushings for LHD machines
The bushings are fi tted to 30 LHDs
O
ne of the world’s leading global copper producers has achieved exceptional results through the implementation
of Vesconite Hilube wear-resistant bushings on load, haul, dump machines (LHDs). Departing from traditional bronze
bushings, the mining company’s adoption of Vesconite Hilube on Sandvik and Caterpillar LHD booms has led to an unprecedented increase in bushing lifespan, exceeding their initial expectations. Previously, the company relied on
bronze bushings and had a mere 1.5 months of operational life. The new bushings were introduced in
December 2022, with an initial goal of extending bushing life to three months. The remarkable reality, however, has far surpassed this objective, as the bushings have endured for an impressive 12 months and counting. This transformation has been
particularly signifi cant, with the bushings fi tted to 30 LHD booms in 2023, and only one instance of a boom fi tted with them requiring repairs. Notably, the company’s repairer reported that the bronze bushings
20
www.engineerlive.com
3x longevity OF TRADITIONAL BRONZE BUSHINGS
occasionally suff ered from cracking, making it clear that this is not a recurring issue with the new bushings.
A HAPPY CUSTOMER The copper producer has expressed its satisfaction with the results obtained and is actively exploring the expansion of the bushings for other applications. These include trials on mining jumbos and larger LHD loaders, as well as applications for bushings associated with rear shaft oscillating movement. Vesconite Bearings’ Argentine
distributor, Vesarg, plays a pivotal role in supplying the mine with bushing stock. During a visit to the Chilean site, close to Santiago, where booms were being fi tted with Vesconite Hilube, Leandro Panzini, CEO of Vesarg, was briefed on the impressive outcomes of the the bushing testing. This remarkable success story
underscores Vesconite’s commitment to providing cost-eff ective high- performance solutions to the mining industry, and its capacity to transform
Vesconite Hilube wear-resistant bushings
operational eff iciency and longevity. “As the world’s leading copper
producer explores broader applications for Vesconite Hilube, the mining industry, where we fi rst proved our technology, is showing itself to be an important market for our products,” says Panzini. “The new bushings last more than
three times the length of bronze in this application,” he notes.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
