Mill Liner Guide Bolt Assembly for Autonomous Relining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for mounting and removing liner elements in mills require trained personnel and are inefficient, as they rely on manual handling and customized jigs, limiting the autonomy of mill reline machines.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising fastening bolts and liner interface guide elements that allow mill reline machines to directly mount and remove liner elements using a grapple, with the guide elements providing a locking mechanism to secure the bolts in place and facilitate correct positioning without the need for manual assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional lifting techniques are used to remove spent liners, then personnel can guide the load and ensure safe removal, but the process requires trained personnel to work inside the mill and reduces overall efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The liner element is designed with self-service capabilities through integrated lifting points that enable the mill reline machine to autonomously grasp and remove spent liners without requiring personnel inside the mill. The lifting points are constructed to be directly engageable by the machine's grapple, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring external human assistance for the removal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting points serve multiple functions: they act as attachment points for the mill reline machine grapple during removal, provide structural reinforcement at critical locations on the liner element, and enable both installation and removal operations using the same standardized interface, eliminating the need for separate manual handling procedures.
2Ease of operation
If dedicated lifting points are provided on liner elements, then machine can directly grasp and place liners, but the lifting points are destroyed during mill operation
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting point structure is segmented into a modular design where the main body remains permanently attached to the liner element while removable components can be detached or replaced. This segmentation allows the critical load-bearing portions to remain intact for structural integrity while allowing worn or damaged portions to be replaced without replacing the entire liner element.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting points are designed to be recoverable and reusable components. After the liner element is removed from the mill shell, the lifting points can be detached and transferred to the new liner element, eliminating the need to create new lifting points each time and ensuring consistent, proven structural integrity across multiple relining cycles.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual handling and customized jigs are used for liner installation, then precise positioning can be achieved, but the process becomes complex and requires more personnel
Solution Approach 1:
Guide elements are introduced as intermediary components that bridge the gap between the simple grapple-based machine operation and the requirement for precise positioning. These guide elements are temporarily attached to the liner element during installation, providing mechanical guidance that ensures accurate alignment with the mill shell, and are then removed after positioning is complete, leaving no permanent complexity in the system.
4Productivity
If personnel are reduced inside the mill for safety and efficiency, then the relining process becomes more autonomous, but manual guidance and assistance during mounting becomes unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The liner elements are pre-prepared outside the mill with lifting points and guide elements already attached in controlled conditions. This preliminary preparation ensures that all necessary components are in place before the autonomous installation process begins, eliminating the need for personnel to make adjustments or provide guidance during the actual mounting operation inside the mill.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a system for mounting a liner element (10) to a mill shell (2) of a mill, the system comprising one or more fastening bolts (130), and one or more associated liner interface guide elements (110) each having a locking portion (111) having a cross-sectional dimension being larger than a cross-sectional dimension of a bolt body (134) of the one or more fastening bolts; wherein each fastening bolt and an associated liner interface guide element are structured and arranged to be attached to each other such that, when inserted into said associated liner element through-hole (16), said associated liner interface guide element (110), by means of the locking portion (111), locks the fastening bolt to the liner element and protrudes out from the back side thereof to define a guide portion which, during mounting of the liner element on the mill shell, is arranged to penetrate into an associated mill shell through-hole (4) thereby guiding the liner element into a mounting position at which the liner element is in abutment with the mill shell. The disclosure further relates to a method for mounting a liner.