Technofast Industries’ founder and CEO, John Bucknell believes that maintenance downtime on High Pressure Grind Rollers (HPGR) is being slashed with the introduction of his company’s EziTite hydraulic nuts.
Bucknell’s take is that by replacing traditional fastening methods with EziTite hydraulic nuts to secure the machine’s gearbox coupling with the motor, mining companies are not only reducing the costs associated with the maintenance of these powerful machines, but are also eliminating several OH&S concerns associated with the tightening of nuts with large hydraulic torque wrenches.
The EziTite hydraulic nuts replace the standard hex nuts on the gearbox coupling, and then they are linked together with a series of hydraulic hoses. Because all of the units are linked together every stud can be simultaneously tensioned.
“For example, when using a single hydraulic torque wrench, the time taken to torque the bolts can take anywhere up to seven to eight hours for two men, whereas using the EziTite hydraulic nuts it takes two men less than one hour, meaning the machine is back in operation much sooner with less chance of injury to the workers involved,” explained Bucknell.
The bolts are tensioned in one operation. They are rapidly applied by being screwed by hand onto the bolt studs, hydraulically actuated to stretch the bolt to the precise tension required, then secured in place mechanically with an integral mechanical locking ring.
The charging pressure is relieved, and the EziTite hydraulic nuts remain in situ at the precise target bolt load.
“But not only do the hydraulic nuts save an incredible amount of maintenance time, but findings prove the accuracy of the entire process improves drastically,” Bucknell said.
Simultaneous tensioning gives an accurate and even load onto the flange/joint, enhancing its long-term security, safety and reliability.
Bucknell explained that the EziTite Hydraulic Nuts have been used in the crushing industry for an extremely long time, “so they are perfectly suited to the HPGR couplings”.
The EziTite hydraulic nuts can be supplied with protective dust covers to prevent dirt and debris from entering or damaging the units, making the removal of them much simpler.