THE CHALLENGE
Our client's alumina refinery has a complex wet screening system - the wet material handled by this part of the plant is extremely abrasive and causes high volumes of wear.
The wear components were originally designed as an integral part of the structural makeup of the plant. This made replacing the components very expensive and time consuming, resulting in lost production
THE APPROACH
Working together, the Schlam and Alcoa teams were able to design, fabricate and install a modified assembly which included an easily removable wear component; this removed the need to disassemble major parts of the plant to conduct routine repairs.
THE RESULTS
The new component design has reduced cost whilst improving plant availability. As extensive disassembly work is also no longer required to conduct the repair, this has reduced the company’s exposure to what was once considered a frequent high risk task.
As part of the design, the wear material was substituted for a more fit-for-purpose product which further enhanced the cost savings.
