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Iron castings for the mining industry

Saguenay Foundry has been working for 30 years with mining equipment manufacturer. We are fully aware of the requirements of this industry and offer competitive prices  and great quality.

Self lubrication of gray iron castings

The mining industry faces among the toughest service condition for their moving parts. The high level of dust prohibits the use of oils and grease for most of their castings. Gray iron bearing housings have the distinct advantage of self-lubricating because of their graphite flake microstructure, which makes for a much better wear resistance in this harsh environment.

Gray Iron bearing housing with babbitt anchor

This holds true for all other castings requiring relative movement, like iron trunnions and some pillow blocks also made of gray iron. Saguenay Foundry closely watches de microstructure of all ladles, ensuring that the microstructure has the flake microstructure that will ensure good wear resistance of all parts.

Wear resistance of Ni-Hard parts

This said, not everything in the mining industry is made of gray iron castings. The parts requiring the most wear resistance are often made of Ni-hard. Liners of various types are among the castings made of Ni-Hard, because this material has a much higher hardness.

Shock resistance of ductile iron castings

Because Ni-hard and gray iron are brittle, many bearings and pillow blocks are ductile iron castings. The selection criterion to determine which material should be used is based on the amount of shocks the part will have to withstand during usage, because ductile iron castings have a much better impact and shock resistance.

Ductile iron pillow block

To maintain the high ductility and toughness of the castings, Saguenay Foundry enforces strict control over the conversion process of ductile iron, ensuring a very high nodularity for every casting that is shipped to the client.