SALT MINING CONTINUOUS MINER MAINTENANCE COMPONENTS

By: Scott Bahr

Salt mining is one of the most vital components of our society since we use these necessary minerals in a wide range of consumer products every single day. Because it’s so critical to modern life, manufacturing salt mining equipment is a booming business, too. This industry offers numerous types of tools and equipment for salt mining to meet the specific needs of these underground operations.

At Bit Service, we want to be your source for all machinery and parts. But that’s not all. We’re also here to focus on your particular needs, and that assistance extends to providing you with information that will aid you long after you’ve purchased your equipment and started putting it to use.

With our decades of experience in manufacturing and distributing in the underground and surface mining industry, we have learned a thing or two. Among the most important lessons is just how essential it is to have the right equipment—and to be able to keep that equipment up and running at optimal peak performance.

Because of the depth of our expertise and experience in this field, our clients often ask for our advice, and we are more than happy to oblige. In this article, we’re specifically focusing on salt mining, and what you should do when that essential equipment that allows you to do what you need to do breaks down, leaving you high and dry.

We’ve all been there. Your equipment suddenly stops working and you are now faced with the task of getting back in action as fast as possible. It can be a stressful time, having to make informed decisions quickly, while also navigating your way back to being smooth operators. It is an experience we all go through at some point, which usually includes the replacement of parts, upgrading components, and dealing with failed equipment.

In an ideal world, you would never have to deal with breakdowns or have to replace or upgrade equipment. But since we live in the real world, time always marches on, and wear and tear on machinery inevitably takes its toll—no matter how excellent and high quality your machinery may be.

However, we can mitigate those machinery meltdowns by choosing the best mining equipment and maintaining it properly. Using best practices in operations for optimum efficiency is also key. It really is a multifaceted approach, and one that we can help you master.

For instance, critical mining equipment such as continuous miners and roadheaders are reliable and durable pieces of equipment, providing excellent productivity and development duties for underground mines. In underground salt mines specifically—where expanded use of continuous miners has brought a new level of consistent and reliable production related to the traditional method of blasting and mucking—there are maintenance items that can elevate the reliability of these pieces of equipment to new levels.

We have also been seeing a surge in underground maintenance personnel looking for stronger and longer-wearing components, especially in areas including conveyor chains and crawler chains. The cast steel original components provide good reliability and service life. Yet we’ve noticed that after introducing the high-strength alloy chains from Cincinnati Mine Machinery, we are seeing new levels of increased service life for these critical items. Not only does this provide longer service intervals for your maintenance personnel, but it also offers peace of mind, since the stronger components allow operators to truly focus on hitting production goals, rather than being preoccupied with worrying about component integrity.

Ensuring your mining operations run smoothly is a full-time job in itself, and we at Bit Service are always available to make it easier by taking on some of the worries about whether or not your equipment will break down or fail you.

Whether you need new equipment, innovative solutions, an overall analysis, or something else to ensure your mining endeavor is a smooth operator, we can help you find what you need.