Light but strong, the Schlam Hex Tile system is a smart wear protection solution that offers miners improved payload productivity, asset life and safety.
Miners continually face the challenges presented by the effects of wear and impact, especially those operating in hard rock mining environments.
Hard ores and abrasive dirt can cause unplanned damage to both fixed and mobile plant equipment, causing unnecessary downtime and affecting mining productivity.
With an industry focus on increasing productivity and asset longevity, selecting the right wear solution has never been more important for miners in Australia.
Beyond traditional wear plate solutions, miners are now afforded the choice of a range of alternative wear protection products, including the Hex Tile from Schlam.
The Schlam Hex Tile system offers miners an innovative way to protect their valuable plant equipment, especially open-pit dump bodies, while also providing additional benefits in maintenance and downtime, payload productivity and safety.
Wear and impact protection
Conventional wear plate systems add unwanted weight to haul trucks, reducing payload capacity. The patented design of the Schlam Hex Tile, invented by the same people behind the Hercules open-cut dump body, evolved from the challenge of providing miners with a lighter wear solution to minimise the effect on payload performance.
Schlam Hex Tiles can easily be applied to any dump truck body. They are hexagonal in shape and measure in at 250mm, offering in thicknesses of 12, 16, 20 and 25mm. Customers can choose from two steel grades – GR450 and GR500.
The hollow centre of the Schlam Hex Tile enables the weight of the tile to be reduced without affecting wear performance – the popular 20mm and 25mm size variants weigh 4.6kg and 5.8kg, respectively.
“Schlam Hex Tiles provide miners with a wear solution that is at least 48 per cent lighter than traditional wear plate,” Schlam general manager – sales and business development Ben Baker told Australian Mining.
A recent installation of 20mm Hex Tiles on a large fleet of open-cut dump bodies on Australia’s east coast resulted in a 2.5-tonne weight saving per body, representing a payload advantage of more than one per cent.
“While one per cent may not sound like much, over weeks and months, and across multiple assets, this adds up to a significant gain in payload capacity,” Baker said.
“When you also consider the other operational benefits, including fuel savings, reduced downtime and the need for less people and equipment, the Schlam Hex Tile becomes an economically viable wear protection solution.”
Flexible application
The Schlam Hex Tile has been designed to be applied only to the areas that need to be protected.
While conventional wear plates are generally applied to the entire width of the body, each Schlam Hex Tile is applied using a detailed wear map that determines the exact location and thickness of the protection required. The tiles are then applied in incremental stages to control body weight.
This high level of precision is why the Schlam Hex Tile system is recognised by many as an innovative wear solution that ensures dump bodies maintain their light weight and structural integrity throughout their operating life.
“When we conduct body thickness tests on-site, it’s not uncommon to see a particular area of a dump body experiencing greater wear,” Baker said. “The beauty of the Schlam Hex Tile is that we can ‘zone in’ and protect that spot alone.”
Easy to install
Being lighter and smaller, Schlam Hex Tiles are easier to install than traditional wear plates.
Cranage time is greatly reduced with Schlam Hex Tiles, as a pack of tiles can be easily positioned onto the centre of a dump body with a single forklift.
Larger wear plate installations usually require multiple crane lifts to move plates into position, with waiting periods usually experienced as plates are lifted, positioned and welded into position.
Schlam Hex Tiles are typically welded onto the dump body floor using a weld inside the perimeter of the internal circle. This not only provides a secure bond but also makes future tile replacement easier.
The small size of the Schlam Hex Tile helps to eliminate the risk of injury caused by stored energy in traditional wear plates.
And the fact each tile is no more than 6kg in weight makes them easier to handle, in turn making application to any dump body more straightforward.
Reduced maintenance time
Once applied, maintenance of Schlam Hex Tiles can be undertaken during routine mechanical services. Only the tiles that need changing are replaced – compared to wear plate solutions where complete panels are replaced.
The simplicity of individual tile replacements reduces equipment downtime and maintenance costs, as well as exposure to safety risks.
“Dump bodies with large worn wear plates are usually parked up for long periods, with a crew cutting out the redundant wear plate,” Baker said. “With Schlam Hex Tiles, the replacement process is quicker, meaning the dump truck can go back into operation sooner.”
Improved material handling
With a lower point of friction, Schlam Hex Tiles can provide greater material flow and improved dumping qualities.
Dislodged wear plates can cause crusher blockages, which affect upstream and downstream mining productivity. Being much smaller than wear plates, Schlam Hex Tiles also offer a lower risk of crusher blockages.
Fixed plant and bucket applications
While Schlam Hex Tiles were originally designed to protect dump truck bodies, they are also increasingly being used to protect areas of mining buckets experiencing high rates of wear.
Some Schlam Hex Tiles have also been applied to fixed plant equipment, including ore chutes with limited space and access.
A supportive team
Schlam’s technical specialists assist customers in overcoming their wear and impact challenges. With a wealth of engineering and maintenance experience, the team provides customers with an on-site wear measurement service to determine and quantify wear and impact issues.
Information gained is then used to develop a wear map and wear protection system, which can be supplied to customers on-site.
The Schlam Hex Tile system provides miners a range of benefits beyond those offered by traditional wear packages.
With improved payload capacity, reduced downtime and a reduction in safety risks, the Schlam Hex Tile system is a wear management option that also offers significant financial benefits, including a short payback period.
This feature appeared in the December 2023 issue of Australian Mining.
