Long service life reduces costs
Large amounts of rock and soil are handled in mining. The material handling equipment used is subjected to extreme stress and we must not forget that more and more frequently mining takes place in relatively undeveloped regions all over the world, where it is difficult to supply equipment and spare parts. In such cases the replacement and repair of defective equipment will take much longer than usual. Prolonged outage times and high costs are the consequences. Using wear-resistant steel with improved durability can considerably reduce such costs. The Finnish manufacturer Ruukki is one of the leading suppliers of this type of steel. Their wear-resistant steel Raex was developed for the most adverse conditions of use (Fig.). However, the range of application also covers the manufacture of equipment, means of transport and plants in areas such as freight handling, civil engineering or waste disposal.
The hardness of Raex 400 is two and a half times that of Raex 500 and three times as much as that of conventional steel. Despite their great hardness and strength both brands can be welded and bent very well. In addition to the wear-resistant steel Raex, Ruukki also offers the ultra high-strength steel Optim, which, with its high structural strength for example offers advantages for light-weight steel construction. The combination of Raex and Optim makes it possible to save weight with simultaneous high wear resistance of steel components and structures, e.g. in dump bodies, which are lighter and can take more load compared to the use of conventional steel.
Ruukki Deutschland GmbH, Duisburg (D),
Tel.: +49 203 31739-0, www.ruukki.de
