Grinding Mill Wear Liner with Expandable Ejector Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for removing and replacing wear liner elements in grinding mills are cumbersome, time-consuming, and hazardous, often requiring hydraulic or pneumatic hammers and resulting in significant downtime due to the difficulty in dislodging segments stuck together by cement-like substances and metal expansion.
Innovation Solution
Integration of an expandable ejector unit, such as a lifting bag, between the wear liner element and the mill's inner surface to increase spacing and facilitate removal without the need for hammers, allowing for pneumatic or hydraulic operation to lift and separate the liner elements efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wear liner elements are securely mounted to withstand grinding forces, then protection and operational reliability are improved, but removal becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The wear liner element is divided into a wear liner plate and a separate backing plate, connected by removable fastening elements. This segmentation allows the wear liner plate to be securely mounted during operation for reliable protection, while enabling easy separation and removal when maintenance is needed, thus resolving the contradiction between secure mounting and easy removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening elements are designed with threaded portions that engage with threads formed in the backing plate before the wear liner plate is fully installed. This preliminary engagement establishes secure connection during operation, but allows for quick disengagement during removal without requiring complex dismantling procedures, reducing downtime while maintaining reliability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If wear liner elements are tightly secured to the mill shell, then structural stability is improved, but removal requires hazardous manual intervention with heavy equipment
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the wear liner plate from the backing plate with removable fastening elements, the system maintains tight securement during operation for structural stability, but allows for safe, tool-free or minimal-tool removal without requiring workers to manually handle heavy, stuck segments or use hazardous hydraulic/pneumatic hammers.
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded fastening elements act as intermediaries between the wear liner plate and backing plate, providing secure mechanical connection during operation while enabling controlled, safe removal. This eliminates the need for hazardous manual intervention with heavy impact equipment.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If cement-like substances and metal expansion lock liner segments in place, then operational durability is improved, but removal becomes cumbersome requiring heavy equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The separable design with removable fastening elements allows the wear liner plate to remain durably mounted during operation, resisting loosening from cement-like substances and metal expansion. During removal, the fastening elements can be quickly disengaged without requiring heavy equipment to break apart stuck segments, making the process easy and safe.
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
Significantly reduces downtime and improves re-lining efficiency by allowing safe and rapid removal of wear liner elements, eliminating the need for hazardous manual intervention and enabling simultaneous or sequential activation of multiple ejector units for efficient segment dismounting.
Implementation Method 1
allowing for pneumatic or hydraulic operation to lift and separate the liner elements efficiently
Implementation Method 2
allowing for pneumatic or hydraulic operation to lift and separate the liner elements efficiently
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
Figure 3a~3b
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
A wear liner element (30, 30') for a grinding mill is provided with an expandable ejector unit (50) to be arranged between the outer surface of the wear liner element (30, 30') and the opposite inner surface of a shell or an endwall of the mill. The ejector unit (50) has a first part for abutting or engaging with the outer surface of the wear liner element (30, 30') and a second part for abutting or engaging with the inner surface of the shell or endwall and is operable to increase a spacing between its first and second parts to thereby increase the spacing between the outer surface of the wear liner element (30, 30') and the inner surface of the shell or endwall.