Premature wear on mining machines is possible using locally manufactured polyurethane wear-prevention parts that are designed to protect vulnerable areas and save millions of rands a year for mining companies on replacements and refurbishments, says polyurethane parts manufacturer Polyflex Seals owner Fred Evans.

All too often, he notes, the weakest points on equipment, such as joints, pivots and other high-friction areas, need regular maintenance and will quickly fail if bushes or protective parts are worn out.

“The fitting of specially manufactured high-strength polyurethane parts can, however, provide a durable solution that costs a fraction of the price of repairs and lost production,” he says.

Evans further comments that the structure of cast thermosetting poly- urethane makes it highly resistant to wear, enabling it to absorb shock. He adds that, in instances where it is used as bushing between metals, it also reduces noise and vibration significantly, in line with health and safety requirements.

“Polyurethane is the perfect material to use between metals,’ Evans notes, adding that, when polyurethane is introduced between hard materials, it provides a low-friction buffer that is less prone to wear.

He explains that polyurethane is so strong that it is commonly used in the toughest applications for high-wear linings and is even used to provide suspension protection for heavy-duty trucks in mines.

“Yet, it is so versatile that it can be moulded and cast to almost any shape and size to suit customers’ requirements.”

Evans notes that the company’s Johannesburg-based factory has been manufacturing parts for heavy industry, including mines, for more than three decades and can design and customise parts for almost any application in mining or minerals processing.

He adds that the company can respond quickly to a client’s requirements and manufacture parts within a comparatively short period. In many instances, parts that are urgently required can also be manu- factured to keep customers’ production lines running.

Evans says the company was originally established to market the superproperties of polyurethane.

“It offers the elasticity of rubber, combined with the toughness of engineering plastic and, in many applications, will even outperform metal,” he cites.

Typical products used in mining applications include parts for vibration, noise control and abrasion resistance. Mining transport fleets use rocker and torque arm bushes, spring savers, shackle bushes and a variety of wear-protection parts.