Not all parts are created equal – Metso Outotec highlights the factors to consider when it comes to spares

When your crushers and screens are tirelessly working far from your home base, everything can be going smoothly – until it isn’t. Applications can be demanding and when a component eventually fails, you want to be sure replacement parts perform as they should.
April 5, 2023
By Maiju Niiranen
Metso Outotec

 

Although spare and wear parts may look the same from the outside, they may be very different in terms of quality and materials. The results of using an incorrect part that does not perform can be very costly – equipment can be damaged; the part’s lifetime may be considerably shortened, or the equipment could fail catastrophically putting the safety of workers at risk.

The importance of using the right parts

Nordberg C series jaw crushers have been a workhorse in quarries around the world for decades. When it comes to critical components for the crusher such as the pitman assemblies or frame parts, using components designed for the machine is an important step to caring for your producing equipment. Factors that affect the performance and reliability of components can be difficult to see, such as the raw materials used, the casting technology, pouring plan, the exact tolerances, and contact surface quality. There are also hours and hours of engineering, quality assurances and testing methodologies that take place before the manufacturing process of the units and spare and wear parts even starts.

With Nordberg HP crushers, the case is similar. For instance, the thrust bearing design is very delicate and if not lapped correctly, may result in improper contact and having a different pressure profile than it was designed for. To the human eye, parts may look like the right fit but an important question to ask is whether it has been made to the right tolerances? Fractions of a millimetre can make the difference between a correct and an incorrect fit, and between optimal machine performance and equipment failing due to a wrongly-sized component. OEM parts are designed for fit and function and to bear the operating load at its design parameters, helping the crusher to avoid seizure or early failure.

Unplanned issues can easily result in significant lost production and costly repairs so ensuring that replacement parts are made exactly to the specified dimensions, and fit is a big part of maintaining the performance of your crushers and other machines.

Metso Outotec premium spares

Metso Outotec premium spare parts are built to ensure crusher availability, uninterrupted work, and a long service life – not to mention safety and sustainability. Key spare parts are designed and manufactured by skilled Metso Outotec professionals, each taking pride in the quality of their work. Many of them have seen the evolution of the machines over the years as well as their spare parts – the gradual improvements that add uptime and reliability. An often-overlooked factor is an OEM’s ongoing R&D work that can take the engineering to the next level, bringing benefits to older Metso Outotec equipment. Besides keeping it in original working order, premium spare parts can also enable a full upgrade – adding crusher availability and capabilities.  Backed by the Metso Outotec Services portfolio of Equipment protection, Availability, Upgrade or Performance Services – your operations can reach new levels, even in the face of the most challenging conditions.

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