Fracture Analysis – SAG Mill Gear

Fracture Analysis SAG Mill Gear

Location: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Timeframe: Nov 2014
Challenge: The client was faced with the prospect of an early change out of a cracked SAG Mill gear.  The purpose of the analysis was to see if the gear had sufficient remaining life to avoid a costly unplanned shut.
Services: FEA and Fracture Analysis
Solution: The gear was modelled including the detail of the crack which was measured using ultrasonic inspection.  The stress intensity factor at the edge of the crack was determined so that the crack propagation rate could be estimated so that the remaining life could be estimated.