Per: Cristiano Carlo Pereira (VALE S.A. / ifes - Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo ), Luiz Antônio de Campos (Kalenborn Wear Protection Solutions), Adonias Ribeiro Franco Junior (IFES - INSTITUTO FEDERAL DO ESPÍRITO SANTO ), Jose Jimmy Penagos (VALE S.A. / ITV – Instituto Tecnológico VALE)
Abstract:
Wear is one of the main factors driving up costs in the mineral processing industry. Handling iron ore pellets generates constant impact and abrasion due to their hardness, abrasiveness, and irregular spheroidal shape, significantly contributing to component wear. Wear-resistant lining materials are essential as they protect contact surfaces, improve equipment lifespan, reduce maintenance costs, and enhance operational efficiency. This work aims to demonstrate the product development process applied in the pellet flow operation, conducted by the manufacturer's and plant maintenance engineering teams. The project focused on optimizing the design and configuration of the hybrid ceramic-rubber lining plate solution (considering dimensions, arrangement, thicknesses of wear-resistant materials, and materials with damping properties) for application in a flow diverter of a transfer chute, the most critical point of the plant. The development advanced through an empirical process, involving routine inspections, analysis of tribological mechanisms, adjustments in thicknesses and dimensions, and design refinement. This resulted in a solution that improved the lining's lifespan and reduced intervention stoppages, consequently minimizing production losses.