The crawler cranes used in mining areas are usually heavy-duty models (commonly ranging from 150 tons to 300 tons). Mining sites feature complex, rugged and uneven terrain. Therefore, it is required that the mining crawler cranes can operate smoothly in conditions such as soft mud, gravel pits, and steep slopes.And crawler cranes used in mining are usually required to lift large mining equipment, crushers, excavator counterweights, heavy components, etc. These impose high demands on the mining crane undercarriage parts.
The harsh environment is the biggest challenge faced by crawler cranes used in mines.
Special environment of the mining area
Numerous ore fragments
The biggest feature of the mining area is that there are many scattered ore fragments. Ore fragments may enter the crawler crane undercarriage and wear its components. This imposes high requirements on the hardness and wear resistance of the mining crane undercarriage parts. At the same time, the sealing of the undercarriage parts must be sufficiently good to prevent debris from entering the undercarriage.
Extreme temperature and corrosiveness
The working environment in the mining area is generally harsh and complex, and it experiences extreme temperature variations such as severe heat and cold all year round. Corrosive erosion also exists in some areas. Crawler cranes operating under these working conditions impose strict requirements on the quality of undercarriage parts. Mining crane undercarriage parts must have stable and reliable mechanical properties, excellent hardness and wear resistance. Meanwhile, for corrosive environments, professional anti-corrosion treatment shall be carried out to resist various environmental damages and ensure long-term stable operation of the equipment.
Heavy load capacity
Crawler cranes in mining areas frequently lift heavy mining equipment including excavators, crushers and loaders. Subject to heavy working loads, the machines demand excellent bearing capacity. We produce core mining crane undercarriage parts such as track shoes and track rollers with high hardness. These parts resist heavy pressure and impact against deformation and fracture, securing stable and safe operation.
Remote area, inconvenient for transportation
Most of the mining areas are located in remote areas with rough and bumpy road conditions and inconvenient transportation. Therefore, the disassembly and assembly of the crawler crane’s undercarriage should be simple and fast, which can greatly reduce the time required for parts replacement, effectively reduce the difficulty of maintenance operations, and reduce various inconveniences and losses caused by equipment shutdown.
Requirements for Mining Crane Undercarriage Parts
1 Raw material selection
Compared with ordinary crawler crane undercarriage parts, mining type ones adopt higher-standard raw materials. We adopt high-hardness and high-toughness alloys to ensure stable performance, safety and long service life under heavy mining work.
They are mainly use alloy steels including 28CrMnMo, 31Mn2SiMo, 28CrMnMoNi and 40Mn2. Featuring outstanding hardness, impact resistance and wear resistance, these materials suit long-term heavy-duty work, avoid part deformation and cracking, and satisfy harsh mining working demands.
2 Processing Technology
The production of mining crawler crane undercarriage parts adopts heat treatment technology, which can greatly improve the hardness and toughness of the parts. And it is a key process to ensure product quality. By separately hardening and strengthening the contact surfaces that are prone to wear and tear, it can effectively delay wear and significantly extend the service life of parts.
3 Good sealing performance
Dust and gravel are prevalent in mining operations, so the undercarriage of the mining crawler crane needs to have excellent sealing performance to prevent sand and gravel debris from entering the interior of the wheel body and avoid damage to components such as the bottom rollers and top rollers. Choosing high-quality sealing rings and floating oil seals is the key guarantee for good sealing performance
4 High original factory conformity
Most mining areas are located in remote mountainous or desert areas, with remote geographical locations and extremely inconvenient transportation. Therefore, original undercarriage parts with high adaptability and easy disassembly and assembly are particularly important. The standardized original parts have strong adaptability and can be directly and accurately installed, greatly reducing the waiting time and disassembly period for accessory replacement, effectively saving labor and time costs, minimizing economic losses caused by equipment downtime, and ensuring efficient and continuous operation of mining equipment.
Maintenance and precautions
1 Regularly clean the gravel and debris in the undercarriage. Effectively reduce wear caused by gravel or debris getting stuck in mining crane undercarriage parts.
2 Pay attention to checking the lubrication condition. Check if the lubricating oil is sufficient. Is there any oil leakage or impurities mixed into the lubricating oil. If it is necessary to add or replace lubricating oil in a timely manner.
3 Comply with usage standards.
Try to avoid sharp rocks, potholes, and steep slopes while driving, reduce the impact of hard objects on undercarriage parts, and prevent damage to the tracks and wheels from impact.
Control the driving speed, strictly prohibit high-speed driving, sudden turning, and emergency braking to prevent deformation and uneven wear of accessories.
Avoid long-term unilateral load-bearing operations, reduce long-distance walking under heavy loads, and lighten the load on the undercarriage.