MagShield is bridging the gap left by standard media filters to tackle ferrous contamination in the Australian mining industry head-on.
Ferrous contamination is an issue that has plagued heavy industry for decades. As metal components go through regular wear and tear, microscopic iron particles leach into essential fluids that keep Australia’s most critical mining equipment running.
This contamination wreaks havoc on machinery systems and leads to significant damage, increased downtime and eventual breakdown.
While original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) fit mining machinery with standard media filters, most aren’t up to the task of handling ferrous contamination, leading to billions of dollars lost every year in downtime and replacement costs across Australia.
But MagShield has a vision to work with pre-fitted media filters to fight ferrous contamination and rid the industry of its iron plight. That’s why MagShield takes its motto ‘Best Practice for Fluid Contamination Control’ seriously.
The solution is simple: fitted ahead of the factory filter, a pre-filter acts as a magnetic shield (Mag-Shield) to attract metallic particles as fluid passes through the machine, continuously keeping it clear and on track.
MagShield is installed without any physical or mechanical adjustments to the machine, meaning it can be removed or changed out with ease.
All it takes is one simple installation and MagShield can help reduce, or even eliminate, the build-up of slurry ferrous contamination in the system and premature wear and tear.
Seasoned industry operator and MagShield general manager Neil Cropper believes the solution can set operators up for best practice maintenance that will optimise Australian mine sites and boost efficiency to the next level.
“The filter removes 99 per cent of ferrous material from equipment circuits,” Cropper told Australian Mining. “That means customers get longer oil life, better OEM filter performance, and extended component life.”
MagShield has an extensive range of innovative products to fit most equipment models and can tailor its solutions to suit the needs of any mining equipment, no matter the size or positioning of its oil reservoir.
For applications where an oil reservoir may be less accessible, Mag-Shield’s counterpart Mag-Shield X can be on hand to act as an inline solution.
Offering a dynamic approach is all part of MagShield’s mission to deliver the best possible outcomes for its customers.
“We quickly found that our products and services helped solve a number of ongoing challenges faced by equipment owners or fleet reliability managers, and through requests from our clients, we expanded our footprint and product range,” Cropper said.
“We now service a global market across a range of equipment types and applications, all focused on reducing the impact of ferrous contaminants in fluid systems.”
MagShield’s aim, Cropper said, is to complement OEM filtration systems to offer an added layer of ferrous contamination protection.
“OEMs traditionally use paper elements to clean up fluid systems, but these filters don’t capture all contaminants and if the micron rating is too small the filter can clog prematurely. This leads to unfiltered fluid bypassing the element which creates other issues,” he said. “MagShield complements OEM filtration systems by capturing ferrous material before it can accumulate.
“There’s very little pressure differential with MagShield products, so operators can rest easy knowing there’s no adverse effect on the machinery’s circuit and no downstream implications other than cleaner oil and an extended equipment lifetime.”
MagShield has been used extensively in hydraulic circuits across mobile mining equipment from graders to wheel loaders and excavators.
Mining is known for its large equipment, but MagShield has been successfully rising to the challenge for years.
When it comes to customers seeing the benefits of MagShield, Cropper highlighted an unexpected advantage.
“Our customers recognise an added benefit following equipment failures,” he said.
“While they initially value MagShield for its proactive protection, it is during a machine breakdown when they witness the significant amount of ferrous material MagShield has prevented from entering the system. This is when they truly appreciate the effectiveness of the solution in maintaining machine productivity and minimising costly downtime.
“I’m talking up to a 15-fold reduction in downtime, repair costs and clean up thanks to the amount of contamination that has been removed from the system.”
As MagShield continues to boost operational and financial efficiencies across Australia, Cropper is confident the solution has a strong future in optimising the mining sector.
“It’s a proven solution to a pervasive problem,” he said. “We’re positioning Australia’s mine operators as the next generation with best practice for fluid contamination control.”
This feature appeared in the May 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
