Grinding Mill Liner Coupling With Preinstalled Head Nut Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation and removal of grinding mill liners in harsh environments are hazardous and inefficient, requiring operators to enter the mill for attachment and detachment of slings or chains, posing safety risks and complicating the process.
Innovation Solution
A mill liner assembly with a head nut that can be preinstalled in the liner, allowing for external mounting and retention, featuring an engaging portion that provides frictional or mechanical retention, enabling safe and efficient installation and removal from outside the grinding mill.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If operators enter the grinding mill to install or remove mill liners using slings or chains, then the installation and removal process can be completed, but safety risks increase and the process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The head nut is pre-installed into the mill liner before the liner is placed in the grinding mill. This preliminary action allows the coupling mechanism to be prepared in advance, enabling the liner to be secured from the outside without requiring operators to enter the mill. The head nut is retained in the liner passage during transport and installation, ready to receive the shank when the liner is positioned.
Solution Approach 2:
The head nut is extracted as a separate component from the coupling shaft, allowing it to be pre-installed and retained in the liner passage independently. This separation enables the head nut to be positioned and secured in the liner before the actual coupling operation, eliminating the need for operators to enter the mill during installation.
2Productivity
If operators enter the grinding mill to attach and release slings or chains, then liner installation and removal can be performed, but installation time increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The head nut is pre-installed and retained in the liner passage during manufacturing or preparation, allowing the coupling operation to be completed quickly once the liner is in position. This eliminates the time-consuming process of entering the mill to prepare and attach coupling components during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The head nut's engaging portion automatically engages with the interior wall of the passage through frictional or mechanical retention, holding the head nut in position without requiring additional fastening operations. This self-retaining feature simplifies the installation process and reduces the time required to secure the liner.
3Ease of operation
If the head nut is separate from the coupling shaft and able to be retained in the liner passage, then installation can occur outside the grinding mill, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling is divided into separate components: the head nut with engaging portion, the shank, and the mill liner with passage. This segmentation allows the head nut to be pre-installed and retained in the liner, while the shank can be inserted from the outside to complete the coupling, eliminating the need for operators to enter the mill.
Solution Approach 2:
The engaging portion acts as an intermediary between the head nut and the liner passage, providing frictional or mechanical retention that holds the head nut in position during transport and installation. This intermediary mechanism enables the head nut to be securely retained without complex fastening systems.
4Ease of operation
If the engaging portion is connected to or integrally formed with the body, then the installation process is simplified to a single operation, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engaging portion is merged with the head nut body through integral formation or robust connection, creating a single component that can be installed in one operation. This merging ensures that the engaging portion and head nut body move together as a unit, simplifying the installation process while the manufacturing complexity is managed through standard forming or connection techniques.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for safe and efficient installation and removal of mill liners without requiring operators to enter the grinding mill, improving safety and reducing installation time by enabling precise alignment and retention of the head nut within the liner.
Implementation Method 1
The engaging portion is formed of a deformable material which in use, deforms on engagement with the interior wall of the passage to retain the head nut within the passage
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a mill liner assembly for a grinding mill. The mill liner assembly including a mill liner and a head nut for the mill liner. The liner comprises a wear surface and an opposite inner surface. The head nut forming part of a coupling for use in removably mounting the mill liner to an interior surface of the grinding mill. The mill liner assembly further comprises at least one passage having an interior wall extending through in the liner for receiving the head nut. The head nut includes a leading end and a trailing end being spaced apart along an axis. The head nut also comprises a body having an interior bore extending along the axis operative to receive a shank, the shank forming part of the coupling, and an engaging portion connected to or integrally formed with the body to engage the interior wall of the passage to retain the head nut in the at least one passage in the mill liner. Also disclosed is a method of installation of a head nut in a mill liner.