The Challenge:
The KCC client faced a critical challenge: the need to enhance their plant’s throughput. Previous attempts at refurbishing the existing 32ft mill shells and heads on-site had failed. These efforts involved welding up worn-out areas and cutting out severely washed-out sections from the shell, followed by attempts to weld new sections into place. Unfortunately, the original repair proved unsuccessful, resulting in severe deformation of the shell flanges.
The Solutions:
In response to this pressing challenge, KCC turned to NCP for a professional site assessment of the mill shells and mill heads. The assessment revealed irreversible damages to the shells due to deformation resulting from previous welding and residual stresses within the shell material. The deformation had exceeded 2mm on critical machined flanges, rendering the shells unable to be securely bolted up. NCP proposed an innovative solution. One that not only addressed the deformation issue but also the existing 32ft shell and heads with a more modern design, facilitating a 12% configuration and enabling the mills to operate as SAG Mills.
Moreover, this solution allowed for the installation of the new shells and mill heads onto the existing mill plinths and the utilization of the existing mill main trunnion bearings, trunnions, girth gear, and 6,000 kW drive trains (Dual Drive).
The Result:
Following the successful completion of the project, the mills have been operating seamlessly. This transformation has significantly improved the reliability and performance of the mills, delivering a cost effective solution to the client. Notably, maintenance costs have been substantially reduced, thanks to the decreased maintenance time required. The KCC plant upgrade stands as a testament to NCP’s expertise in providing innovative solutions for complex industrial challenges, ultimately leading to enhanced operational efficiency and reduced costs.
