Case Studies Archives - Page 9 of 9

Posted on January 30, 2020January 21, 2022 by Scott McCarthy

Case Study: Repair of Metal Blades in Bakery Flour Mixers Suffering From Heavy Corrosion

Metal blades in a bakery flour mixer were suffering from corrosion until Sylmasta Ceramic Brushable Green provided a repair

Saving a bakery a load of dough – Sylmasta repair metal blades suffering from heavy corrosion in a flour mixer

When metal blades in two flour mixers were found to be suffering from corrosion, a commercial bakery in Puerto Rico was faced with the prospect of a costly shutdown – until a Sylmasta repair saved the bakery a load of dough in more ways than one.

Case Study Data

Site
Commercial Bakery
Location
Puerto Rico
Repair Type
Corrosion protection and repair
Defect
Heavily corroded metal blades in two flour mixers

Products Used

Ceramic Brushable Green
Brushable epoxy coating refurbished the corroded blades and provided future protection from both corrosion and abrasion

Case Study PDF

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Case Study Review

The mixers in question were used by the bakery to mix together flour and other ingredients to make turnovers and other popular products.

During a regular inspection to the machinery, it was discovered that the blades were suffering from corrosion. Production using the two mixers in question had to be halted until the parts were either replaced or underwent repair.

A flour mixer in a bakery in Puerto Rico which was suffering from badly corroded interior blades — *One of the flour mixers suffering from corrosion*

New blades for the flour mixer would have cost $3000 per blade, setting the bakery back $6000 on new parts for both machines plus installation costs. There were further complications when it was revealed that replacement blades were not available from stock.

This meant that the parts would have to be built from scratch, a time consuming process that would have meant a long wait for the mixers to be put back into operation. With the two mixers out of use for the foreseeable future, the bakery would have found itself struggling to fulfil existing orders, let alone take new ones.

An old and worn flour mixer in a bakery required protection and repair from corrosion — *Wear and tear had taken its toll on the flour mixers*

$6,000 to replace the metal blades suffering from corrosion and many weeks of lost production. The bakery was looking at losing a lot of dough, both in terms of money and the delicious baked goods that it made.

A better solution than replacing the blades was needed and the bakery started looking for repair methods. That led them to Sylmasta, who were able to recommend the use of Sylmasta Ceramic Brushable Green for the job.

Sylmasta Ceramic Brushable Green epoxy coating used to repair and refurbish metal blades in a flour mixer which were suffering from heavy corrosion — *The repaired metal blades inside the flour mixer coated with Ceramic Brushable Green*

Ceramic Brushable Green is a toughened, solvent-free, water-resistant coating that is used to reinforce and strengthen machine parts. It offers protection against corrosion and its ultra smooth, low friction finish reduces abrasion.

Coating the blades with Ceramic Brushable Green therefore not only allowed the flour mixer to be put back into service, but it lengthened the lifespan of the parts by making them less susceptible to wear and tear.

An epoxy repair coating used to protect metal machine parts from corrosion — *Ceramic Brushable Green will protect the blades from corrosion and abrasion*

The ease with which Ceramic Brushable Green is used enabled the bakery to carry out a quick and easy repair. It is brush applied and simply painted onto the area requiring repair. Several coats were used and within 24 hours of the application, both the flour mixers in question were put back into operation and the bakery was operating at full capacity once again.

After completing the repair, the bakery contacted Sylmasta to say how happy they were with the solution and that the blades now looked as if they were brand new. Ceramic Brushable Green is reinforced with hard-wearing, high purity, green silicon-carbide, which means it will be a long time before the blades require servicing again.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: contact@sylmasta.com

Posted on December 23, 2019January 21, 2022 by Scott McCarthy

Case Study: High Temperature Live Leak Pipe Repair in an on-site CHP Plant

A CHP System Repair carried out on a leaking pipe in a pant at an automotive safety supplier in the United Kingdom

Saving the planet, one Plant at a time – the pipe repair which kept a carbon-reducing CHP Plant running

A leaking pipe in the CHP Plant of an automotive safety supplier’s factory could have caused serious issues to the site’s power supply and energy efficiency until Sylmasta provided a high temperature repair method

Case Study Data

Site
Automotive Safety Supplier Factory
Location
West Midlands, United Kingdom
Repair Type
Live leak pipe repair
Defect
Leaking elbow in a high temperature pipe

Products Used

SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit
A Universal Pipe Repair Kit was sent to the factory for the repair

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape
Wrap & Seal provided the required temperature resistance and versatility to seal a leaking elbow joint

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
The entire repair was overwrapped with SylWrap HD for an impact resistant layer of protection

Case Study PDF

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Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plants are used to increase energy efficiency and drive down costs at industrial sites. CHP captures the heat produced when electricity is generated that would otherwise be wasted, using it to provide thermal energy such as steam or hot water. This can then be used for the heating or cooling of sites, producing domestic hot water, or industrial processes.

Typically, a CHP Plant can reduce a site’s energy bills by 20% and carbon emissions by 30% – as long as the system is in good working order. When the systems in a CHP Plant develop a fault or are not managed correctly, then these savings are lost.

Depending on how reliant the site is on the heat supplied by CHP, faults can also be extremely disruptive – especially if the Plant has to be taken completely out of service to have parts replaced.

It looked like this was a problem that an automotive safety supplier in the United Kingdom was going to face when a pipe in their factory’s CHP Plant began leaking. Although it was not a major leak, water was dripping onto other components in the CHP system, including motors and gas tanks which were stored underneath the damaged pipe.

A leaking high temperature pipe in an on-site CHP Plant at an automotive safety company's factory — *The leak area of the pipe made carrying out a repair extremely challenging*

There were three issues which made the repair challenging. The first was that the leak was on an elbow joint, making it difficult to form a tight seal around the damaged area in order to repair it.

The second was that CHP systems deal with extreme temperatures. The pipe requiring repair operated in excess of 120°C, so a solution that was effective in high temperature applications was required.

The third was that the automotive safety supplier could only take the CHP Plant out of service as a last resort. This meant that a live leak repair needed to be carried out to avoid considerable disruption.

After contacting Sylmasta to discuss whether a successful live leak repair on a high temperature elbow joint was possible, a SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit was delivered to the site, enabling the staff at the factory to complete the repair themselves.

Wrap & Seal Waterproof Repair Tape used to seal a leaking high temperature elbow join on a pipe in a CHP Plant — *Wrap & Seal provided a temperature resistant and versatile repair to the elbow*

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape was applied around the leaking elbow joint. The waterproof repair tape was stretched to the maximum 300% of its length and wrapped around the pipe, where it fused into a silicone band to seal the leak.

The initial repair was then overwrapped with a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage, which is water-activated and sets rock-hard in minutes to form a protective layer, ensuring a permanent repair to the pipe.

A SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage applied to a high temperature elbow joint which was leaking — *SylWrap HD completed the repair. The red tinge comes from the extreme temperature of the pipe*

Both Wrap & Seal and SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage are resistant up to 200°C, making them suitable for use on high temperature pipework such as those in a CHP Plant. The Bandage did cure with a red tinge because of the temperature extremes. Should the automotive safety supplier want the repair to appear more uniform with the rest of the pipe in the future, then SylWrap HD can be painted.

After the CHP Plant repair had been completed, the automotive safety supplier got in contact with Sylmasta to say that they were extremely impressed with the ease and speed which with which they had been able to carry out the repair.

Repair made to a high temperature pipe in a CHP Plant at an automotive safety supplier's factory in the United Kingdom — *The completed repair allowed the CHP Plant to resume operations without having to undergo a shutdown*

For dealing with future leaks, not just in their CHP Plant but across the whole site, Sylmasta recommended that the company take stock of a SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case. The Case contains enough products to make up to six pipe repairs. Keeping one on-site would enable the automotive safety supplier to quickly repair leaking pipes as soon as problems arise.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: sales@sylmasta.com

Posted on December 20, 2019January 21, 2022 by Scott McCarthy

Case Study: Repair of a Cracked Contaminated Water Pipe in a Puerto Rico Power Station

A contaminated water pipe repair carried out in a Power Plant in Puerto Rico using Sylmasta products

Riding the storm – how a Sylmasta contaminated water pipe repair helped keep power going in Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria

In 2015, a contaminated water pipe in a Puerto Rican Power Station began leaking, leaving the Power Authority in charge of the plant with two options – find a way to carry out a repair which did not require taking the pipe out of service or shutdown the generator it was connected to. Little did they know what an important decision they were taking.

Case Study Data

Site
Power Station
Location
Puerto Rico
Repair Type
Live leak pipe repair
Defect
Cracked steel contaminated water pipe

Products Used

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape
Wrap & Seal fused over the crack to provide a high pressure, temperature resistant, solid rubber band, sealing the leak

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
The taped crack was overwrapped with SylWrap HD, reinforcing the initial repair with an impact resistant layer

SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit
The products were provided as part of a Universal Pipe Repair Kit for live leaks

Case Study PDF

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The Puerto Rico Power Authority contacted Sylmasta to ascertain if a live leak repair to the cracked steel pipe would be possible. The SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit was recommended and so the contaminated water pipe was easily repaired.

Which was just as well. Within 18 months, Puerto Rico needed all the power generating capability it could muster after the most devastating natural disaster in the recorded history of the island.

The damaged steel pipe was responsible for running contaminated water from a generator in the Power Station back to a treatment plant. At some point, a crack had developed in the bottom of the pipe, through which contaminated water was now escaping.

Nobody was sure how the pipe had been damaged. It was thought that equipment which had been stored underneath the pipe may have inadvertently impacted on it when it was moved shortly before the leak was noticed.

For the Power Authority to make a repair with water pressure turned off or replace the leaking pipe, the generator which was connected to the pipe would have needed to be shutdown. This would have been expensive and severely reduced the Power Station’s capacity for generating electricity.

There was also the danger that once taken out of the service, the repair could have taken a significant amount of time owing to the complications of getting parts shipped to Puerto Rico and flying in contractors to carry out the work. If all of this turned out to be too time consuming and costly, then the generator may have remained out of service.

*An earlier repair attempt made with blue tape had failed*

SylWrap HD Pipe Repaor Bandage is applied as part of a leaking steel contaminated water pipe repair in a Puerto Rico Power Station — *An earlier repair attempt made with blue tape had failed*

Thanks to a Universal Pipe Repair Kit, it did not come to that. Wrap & Seal Pipe B u rst Tape was applied to the pipe to seal the crack. The waterproof repair tape stretches by 300% and is twice the thickness of any other self-fusing pipe repair tape, ensuring that it fixes leaking pipes even when pressure cannot be turned off.

A SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage was then applied over the Wrap & Seal. SylWrap HD set rock hard inside 30 minutes, providing an impact resistant layer and turning the repair permanent. Within an hour, the contaminated water pipe repair was completed, the generator was put back into service and the Power Plant was producing electricity at full capacity again.

Completed repair of a cracked contaminated water pipe in a Puerto Rico Power Station — *The completed repair*

The true value of the repair became apparent in 2017, when the category five storm Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Dominica and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane for nine years and left a trail of destruction in its wake across the Caribbean.

Central to the relief efforts both during and after Hurricane Maria was keeping the power on in Puerto Rico. Six months after Hurricane Maria, the contractor who fixed the contaminated water pipe got in contact to say that without the Sylmasta repair of the contaminated water pipe, the Power Station would have had one less generator at a time when Puerto Rico needed all the power available to it.

As a result, the Power Authority were extremely grateful that such a quick and easy repair had been possible. They have since started using the contaminated water pipe case study as an example of why industry should seek repair solutions as soon as problems arise.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: sales@sylmasta.com

Posted on December 18, 2019January 21, 2022 by Scott McCarthy

Case Study: Burst Underground Water Main is Repaired After 15 Years of Leaking

A live repair carried out on a water main which had been leaking for the previous 15 years

Repairing the unrepairable – Sylmasta devise a live leak repair method for a burst underground water main which had been leaking for 15 years

For 15 years, no contractor, maintenance company or water board had been able to find a repair method for a burst 400mm carbon steel underground water main. That was until Sylmasta devised a successful live leak repair method which was effective inside an hour.

Case Study Data

Site
Underground Water Main
Location
United Kingdom
Repair Type
Live leak pipe repair
Defect
Split 400mm carbon steel water main

Products Used

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape
Multiple Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tapes were used to provide a pressure resistant repair to the live leak

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
SylWrap HD was overwrapped to offer an impact resistant layer over the Wrap & Seal

SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit
All the products used in the repair are available as part of the SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit for fixing live leaks

SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case
A Contractor Case containing enough products to make up to six live leak pipe repairs was recommended to the contractor for conveniently fixing future bursts and leaks

Case Study PDF

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The large split across the diameter of the 400mm underground carbon steel water main had been considered unrepairable for 15 years for several reasons. The normal method for fixing a pipe on the underground water network would be to use a hefty pipe repair clamp, but that was not possible due to the severely confined space the main was located in.

Only a single contractor could access the water main at any one time and there was no room for any heavy equipment, including a clamp. This also made replacement impossible without digging up the area surrounding the water main.

The importance of the water main to the network meant that shutting off flow to carry out work was impractical. The only solution therefore was to find a way to carry out a live leak repair in a restricted space which could be effective even when water pressure could not be turned off – something which had proven elusive until Sylmasta were consulted.

A burst underground carbon steel water main which had been leaking for 15 years — *The burst carbon steel water main was buried underground with restricted accessibility*

Because of the complexity of the repair and the lack of space in which the contractor attempting to fix the burst water main had to work, Sylmasta recommended the use of multiple Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape and SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage.

It was decided to double wrap 400mm from the flange up the tapered pipe. Double wrapping compensated for the fact that the waterproof repair tape could not be stretched by its full 300%, which could have resulted in less effective fusion.

Applying more than the required number of tapes increased the pressure resistance of the repair. These additional rolls of Wrap & Seal bond to each other in the same way that a single tape fuses to form a solid rubber band. This repair method sealed the leak on the water main.

The Wrap & Seal was then overwrapped using several SylWrap HD 416 Pipe Repair Bandages. On a pipe 400mm in diameter, Sylmasta would normally have advised the use of an 866 Bandage but at 200mm wide by 20m long, there would have been no room to apply such a large wrap to the pipe.

Multiple 416 Bandages were used to cover the same repair area as an 866 Bandage, providing an impact resistant, protective layer to the Wrap & Seal, turning the repair permanent. Once cured, it was evident that the job had worked. Sylmasta had done in an hour what nobody else had managed in a decade-and-a-half by finding a method to repair the burst water main.

SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit successfully repairs a burst carbon steel underground water main which had been left to leak for 15 years — *The repair of the carbon steel water main was a complete success*

Wrap & Seal and SylWrap HD both have WRAS approval, meaning that they are safe to use on drinking water. With the water main in question connected to the public supply network, any repair materials had to meet the stringent criteria set out by WRAS so as not to pose a threat by contaminating water which could be consumed by humans.

The contractor carrying out the repair was delighted that after such a long period of time, they had finally been able to offer a solution. They said afterwards: “The repair was a complete success, as we knew it would be. The information that Sylmasta provided greatly supported the project and more importantly, future projects.”

Sylmasta have since recommended that the contractor take stock of the SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case. The Case contains enough products to enable a user to carry out up to six live leak pipe repairs, allowing the contractor to fix burst and leaking pipes in under 30 minutes as soon as problems are reported.

They will never have to wait 15 years to repair a leak again.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: sales@sylmasta.com

Posted on November 29, 2019January 21, 2022 by Scott McCarthy

Case Study: Creating a Flexible Expansion Joint Filler for a Residential Property in the UK

Liquid Rubber used as an expansion joint filler to fill 25mm gaps between glass panels on a roof terrace at a residential property in Essex

Sealing the Dream – Sylmasta Liquid Rubber used as a flexible expansion joint filler eliminates problematic balcony drips at a dream home

An unexpected issue hit a dream home being built in Essex when water began to drip through glass panel expansion joint gaps in a roof terrace onto a balcony below – leading the homeowner to come up with a creative flexible filler solution to seal the joints

Case Study Data

Site
Residential Property
Location
Essex, United Kingdom
Repair Type
Expansion Joint Filler
Defect
Water dripping through expansion gaps in a roof terrace onto a balcony below

Products Used

Liquid Rubber 80
Rubber elastomer compound which was poured into the expansion joints to offer a water resistant and flexible filler

Case Study PDF

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Case Study Review

The striking property overlooking the Thames Estuary featured a roof terrace with panoramic views. Surrounding the terrace were 26 glass panels with 25mm expansion gaps either side. Below the roof terrace was another balcony where electrical installations such as LED lights and speakers had been added.

Whenever it rained or spray blew in off the Thames, water would drip through the expansion gaps and onto the balcony below, causing issues with the electric equipment.

A residential property in Essex required a flexible expansion joint filler to eliminate drips from a roof terrace onto a balcony below — *The residential property. The troublesome expansion gaps were allowing water to pass from the roof terrace onto the balcony below*

To prevent this happening, the homeowner needed to find an expansion joint filler material which was both waterproof to eliminate the drips and flexible enough to allow the glass panels to expand.

After speaking with Sylmasta, the homeowner decided to fill the expansion gaps with a packing material which was then encapsulated with Sylmasta Liquid Rubber 80.

A 25mm expansion joint between panes of glass on a roof terrace — *25mm expansion joints between the glass panels*

Liquid Rubber is a tough but flexible repair compound which can also be used to refurbish conveyor belts, make moulds, and add noise-reducing and abrasion-resistant linings to equipment.

The packing material was first pushed into the expansion gaps. Once the material was in place, the homeowner mixed the two parts of Liquid Rubber together, pouring it into the joints to seal everything.

Liquid Rubber used as a filler for a 25mm expansion joint between glass panels on a roof terrace at a residential property in Essex — *Each expansion gap was filled with a packing material which was then encapsulated with Liquid Rubber*

Within 16 hours, the Liquid Rubber cured to provide a water resistant filler which could also cater for glass expansion.

Liquid Rubber sets to black, which meant that it blended in seamlessly with the resin which had been used on the rest of the roof terrace’s balustrade. Even on close inspection, you could not tell that two different materials had been used.

*The Liquid Rubber blended in seamlessly with the existing resin used on the roof terrace*

Sylmasta Liquid Rubber used as an expansion gap filler between glass panels on a roof terrace in Essex — *The completed repair of the expansion joint gaps*

The use of Liquid Rubber as an expansion joint filler was a complete success and eliminated all drips from the roof terrace to the balcony below.

The homeowner contacted Sylmasta after the repair had been completed, saying he was delighted that a solution had been found to complete the building work on his dream home.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: sales@sylmasta.com

Posted on November 22, 2019January 21, 2022 by Scott McCarthy

Case Study: Live Leak Contaminated Water Pipe Repair at a Wastewater Treatment Works

A contaminated water pipe at a wastewater treatment works in the United Kingdom is repaired after being accidentally breached during construction work

Clearing up a mess – a SylWrap live leak repair saves a Wastewater Treatment Works from an environmental catastrophe

A Wastewater Treatment Works was undergoing a major infrastructure upgrade when contractors mistakenly cut through a 450mm steel contaminated water pipe which required a rapid live leak repair to prevent a serious environmental incident.

Case Study Data

Site
Wastewater Treatment Works
Location
Sussex, United Kingdom
Repair Type
Live leak pipe repair
Defect
Highly pressurised leak on a 450mm steel contaminated water pipe

Products Used

SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case
The site was recommended a Contractor Case in the aftermath of the incident as it would enable them to carry out up to six emergency live leak repairs in the future

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape
Multiple Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tapes were used to increase the pressure resistance of the repair

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
SylWrap HD provided a protective layer over the initial repair

SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit
Both Wrap & Seal and SylWrap HD are available as part of the Universal Pipe Repair Kit

Case Study PDF

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Case Study Review

The contractors working at the Wastewater Treatment Works in the United Kingdom mistakenly believed the pipe in question had been decommissioned and was due for removal. In actual fact, it was one of the most important live pipes on site as it was linked to all the waste treatment ponds. As a result, there was no feasible way to stop the flow once the pipe had been breached.

From the moment the pipe was damaged, the severity of the cuts inflicted to such a highly pressurised pipe resulted in a significant amount of contaminated water escaping. A rapid, live leak repair to the wastewater pipe was therefore required to prevent a catastrophic situation from occurring.

A high pressure leak in a contaminated water pipe at a wastewater plant in the UK — *The break in the contaminated water pipe allowed large amounts of contaminated water to escape*

The contractor contacted Sylmasta for urgent assistance. Luckily, the Wastewater Treatment Works was located less than one hour from Sylmasta HQ and so our technical team were able to rush all the SylWrap Pipe Repair products needed to the site and offer assistance throughout the repair.

Several Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape were first applied to the pipe. Wrap & Seal is made from self-fusing silicone which fuses to form a solid rubber band over the hole or crack, sealing the leak. The 450mm diameter of the pipe combined with the high pressure meant that multiple tapes were needed to provide an effective seal.

This initial repair was then overwrapped using a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage. SylWrap HD is a composite repair wrap with a water-activated resin which sets rock hard in 30 minutes, providing an impact resistant layer over the Wrap & Seal to protect the repair from further damage.

Within an hour of Sylmasta being on site, the contaminated water pipe had been permanently repaired at a cost of less than £300 to the contractor. This included additional SylWrap HD should there be any further mishaps or any existing pipes require strengthening or reinforcing during the construction works.

A live leak repair made using a SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit is made to a steel contaminated water pipe at a wastewater treatment works in the UK — *The successful repair of the contaminated water pipe*

Had a live leak repair not been possible, then the Wastewater Treatment Works would have had to shut down the entire site to isolate the damaged pipe whilst a replacement was sourced and fitted. The cost of such a procedure would have been astronomical.

The speed of the SylWrap repair also prevented a serious environmental incident from unfolding. This could have been damaging in monetary terms through the cost of a clean up operation and possible fines, and for the reputations of both the Wastewater Treatment Works and the contractor involved.

Understandably, the project manager was extremely happy with the speed and ease with which the contaminated water pipe had been repaired. He emailed Sylmasta a few days after the repair, saying: “Thank you so much, the pipe repair worked a treat.”

Sylmasta have since recommended that the Wastewater Treatment Works takes stock of a SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case. The Case contains enough equipment to carry out up to six live leak pipe repairs. By keeping one on site, the Wastewater Treatment Works will have everything they need to fix any future leaks as soon as a problem arises.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: sales@sylmasta.com

Posted on November 10, 2019January 21, 2022 by Scott McCarthy

Case Study: Heavily Damaged Metal Machinery Repair Saves a Puerto Rico Ball Mill $60 million

A repair carried out to machinery in a Ball Mill which helped to save a company around $60 million

Having a Ball – The metal machinery repair which saved a Ball Mill in Puerto Rico $60 million in lost revenue

A three week lead time on replacing heavily damaged metal machinery at a Ball Mill in Puerto Rico looked set to cost a company $60 million in lost revenue – until Sylmasta Ceramic Supergrade carried out a repair in under 24 hours

Case Study Data

Site
Ball Mill
Location
Puerto Rico
Repair Type
Metal Repair
Defect
Heavily damaged metal machine part

Products Used

Ceramic Supergrade
Ceramic Supergrade epoxy paste filled in the significant crack in the metal machine for a hard wearing surface repair

Case Study PDF

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Case Study Review

Ball Mills are used for mixing a wide variety of materials together by grinding particles down in size, often with the aim of turning them into powders.

A rotating shell is filled with balls or beads alongside the materials which are to be turned into powder. As the shell rotates, the balls and beads drop from near the top and impact on the materials towards the bottom, which grinds them down.

The process is hard wearing and the balls and beads have to be regularly replaced as a result. Whilst this maintenance work was being carried out, a part had been forced, causing significant damage to a metal part.

Metal machinery in a Ball Mill in Puerto Rico suffering from a heavy crack after being accidentally damaged during maintenance work — *The cracked metal part in the machinery which required repair*

It was not until a few days after the maintenance work had been completed that the Ball Mill noticed there was a problem. Water which ran between the liner and the outer wall of the machine was now leaking into the tank through a visible crack.

The cost of a replacement part was $200,000 with a three week delivery time from Germany. A specialist installer would also have to be flown over to Puerto Rico to fit the new part.

More pressing a concern for the Ball Mill was that daily production was worth $4 million. A three week wait would therefore have cost the Mill approaching $60 million in lost revenue.

Rather than replace the part, the Mill instead sought out a means to carry out a repair to the metal machinery. Sylmasta recommended the use of Ceramic Supergrade, a two-part epoxy paste designed to repair heavy damage to industrial machinery including silos, chutes, pumps, impeller blades, valves, fan blades, metals castings and tanks.

Sylmasta Ceramic Supergrade epoxy paste used to repair heavy damage to metal machinery at a Ball Mill — *Ceramic Supergrade applied to the damaged machinery*

The ease with which Ceramic Supergrade can be applied enabled the Ball Mill to carry out the repair themselves. Prior to application, the surface of the metal machinery undergoing repair was prepared by roughening it up. The epoxy paste was then spread over and pushed into the crack with a trowel, filling in the damage before it hardened.

Ceramic Supergrade is reinforced with silicon carbide for ultimate surface hardness, offers excellent protection against future wear and corrosion, and is moisture tolerant which would prevent any water leaking into the shell.

Repair to a metal machine part using Sylmasta Ceramic Supergrade epoxy paste saved a Ball Mill $60 million in lost production — *The completed repair saved the Ball Mill $60 million in lost revenue*

The repair was carried out whilst the Ball Mill was shut for business on a Sunday. Ceramic Supergrade has a full cure time of 24 hours. By the time the site reopened for business on Monday, the Ball Mill was able to operate at full capacity with tens of millions of dollars saved.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: sales@sylmasta.com