Abrasion- and wear-resistant products and services provider for the mining industry Tega Industries South Africa announced in June that large-scale testing on its easy-to-fit new combination mill liners has been completed.

The mill liners were designed to increase productivity on large mills and reduce downtime that can be caused by breakages and routine maintenance.

The new Combiliner mill liner is currently in operation at a South American mine and although it is manufactured in India, plans to manufacture it in South Africa are under way.

The Combiliner is a composite liner that uses an upper layer of impact- and abrasion-resistant metal that is bonded onto a lower rubber matrix for easy and secure fitting to the mill. The design integrates the lifter and the shell into a single unit, making it up to 50% lighter than standard steel liners.

The matrix design has also been specially arranged to facilitate easier fitting or retrofitting, irrespective of hole arrangements and mill designs. Despite its light weight and easy-to-fit features, the mill liner provides up to twice the lifespan of as long as steel equivalents, owing to the improved shock absorption of the rubber backing.

The Combiliner also increases productivity, (as it provides a good combination of steel liner. As a result, the rubber is lighter than a normal steel liner, but provides the same benefits.

Meanwhile, Tega Industries notes that the exact productivity enhancement will vary from mill to mill, as the product is custom designed for each mill.

“The Combiliner is a good option in comparison to the usual steel liners and can be designed to suit an application and requirement of a customer,” says Tega Industries SA sales and marketing manager Vishal Gautam, noting that this makes the product unique.

He further notes that the Combiliner range was specially developed to improve productivity of mills within the comminution circuit, where the reduction of downtime is critical.

Comminution is the largest energy-consuming section (up to 70%) of mine processing; the lightweight manufacture of the liners ensures that mills consume less power. Its wear resistance also ensures that linings are replaced less frequently, with the reduced number of liner pieces effectively reducing the assembly time.

“While commodity prices are generally under pressure worldwide, Tega Industries’ Combiliner solution represents a more cost-effective alternative to traditional liners and offers considerable life span improvements, as well as easier and faster installations,” Gautam concludes.