Following a wide range of repair works, Section No. 14 at the beneficiation plant of Central Iron Ore has resumed operation. The planned modernization of part of the process equipment at the concentrate production site took the specialists two weeks to complete.
According to long-time workers at the beneficiation plant, such an extensive list of repairs on Section 14 during a single shutdown had never been carried out before. Usually, maintenance was limited to routine repairs, which delivered good results and ensured the section’s reliable operation. However, this year, the team decided to take a more thorough approach.
"Before starting, we planned the sequence of works, calculated the necessary materials, determined the required number of repair personnel, and estimated the timeframe. We focused primarily on those elements of the equipment that required immediate replacement due to malfunction or significant wear. This included the service platform for conveyor maintenance, conveyors No. 141 and 142, one of the two spiral classifiers, and mill No. 142," said Eduard KOBITSKYI, Head of the Production Site.
The work began with the replacement of the flooring of the service platform, which is used by maintenance and process personnel of the section. For the sake of structural reliability and to prevent accidents, workers completely broke out the old concrete, dismantled the damaged support beams, installed new ones, built a reinforcement frame, and re-poured the platform with concrete.
A significant amount of work was also carried out on conveyors No. 141 and 142, which transport crushed ore to the next stages of grinding and beneficiation. The repair team replaced the conveyor chutes and upgraded them with new rubber linings for enhanced wear resistance. At the same time, they installed new rollers on the drive and tension drums, replaced conveyor frames, and renewed the platforms.
The repair team also demonstrated their skills on one of the two spiral classifiers used in the technological process of Section 14. The rubber lining of the spiral was replaced, as well as the drive mechanism that rotates it. For the replacement of mill No. 142 with another unit fitted with a new lining, workers broke the concrete base, replaced the anchor bolts holding the mill drive frame, and installed a new discharge box.
"Thanks to the professionalism and well-coordinated efforts of the repair team, we managed to complete all work on Section 14 within the scheduled timeframe. The section’s equipment and structures are now ready for high-load operation – reliable and fully functional. The restart of the section went smoothly. Currently, its output is 85 tonnes of processed ore per hour," commented Ihor TVERDENKO, Acting Head of the Beneficiation Plant at Central Iron Ore.
