TOUGH BACKING The Korrobond compound serves as a backing and reinforcing layer between machine parts and as a damper when subjected to impact and shock loads
The use of effective crusher-backing compounds and release agents is a critical component in enhancing the life of crushing equipment used in the quarrying and mining industry, says water transfer and control solutions provider Summit Agencies.
“Impact and shock vibrations can cause significant damage when machines are in service, if the right compound is not used,” Summit Agencies MD James Robertson tells Mining Weekly.
Therefore, the company is this year aiming to increase awareness for Korrobond 65 – a two-component epoxy-based backing compound and damping material for stone crushers, says Robertson.
The compound, while widely used by original-equipment manufacturers locally, was first introduced to the commercial mining and quarrying industry at the end of last year.
Summit Agencies is a distributor of Korrobond, which is manufactured by the Korrobond division of global diversified manu- facturer ITW Engineered Polymers.
The Korrobond compound was originally designed to replace white metal, which was traditionally used as a shock absorbing material in cone crushing machines.
It is used for filling cavities between the upper part of a crusher and its outer jacket and between the supporting cone and inner jacket in cone crushers, as well as to fill the gaps between the upper part of stand and crusher jaws and the supporting cone and inner jacket in gyratory crushers in the quarrying and mining industries.
“The Korrobond products are manufactured to special specifications to produce a tough but flexible backing of low viscosity and to ensure a free flow into the smallest cavities and contours behind manganese steel plates,” Robertson says, citing the company’s website.
Robertson explains that, when cured, the Korrobond compound serves as a backing and reinforcing layer between machine parts and as a damper when subjected to impact and shock loads.
The solvent-free product provides high compressive strength of about 17 000 psi and minimal shrinkage, as well as high-impact strength, resistance and resilience.
Moreover, the compound is designed to be used in the different cone and gyratory crushers and can be applied by personnel that have minimal training.
Improved Productivity
As crushing machinery and quarrying equipment, which form an integral part of a quarry’s business, are subject to significant wear and tear, the Korrobond product specifically prolongs the operational life of the machinery by forming a stacking compound, thereby also enhancing the functions of the machinery, Robertson emphasises.
“This results in reduced downtime and enhanced productivity,” he points out, adding that the cone crushers would need the crusher-backing compound applied to them during maintenance cycles of between four to six weeks.
To date, Summit Agencies has supplied about 50 to 60 ten-kilogram units for use on machinery in the quarrying industry, Robertson says, adding that the compound has also been tested extensively on cone crusher machinery at a local quarry.
“Although several original-equipment manu- facturers have been using the compound for a few years, demand has been low, but steady, with some satisfactory sales,” Robertson says.
Nevertheless, he concludes, there is significant opportunity to introduce the product more widely in the local market.