HydX has custom-built and delivered another lubrication system to an international mine. This time to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “It is very exciting that we have once again been asked to customise an aggregate for the international mining industry,” says Viktor Johansson Rix from HydX. Ever since the beginning in 2009, HydX from Ystad in Sweden has manufactured lubrication systems and delivered them to every continent. HydX has delivered altogether more than 100 lubrication systems for grinding mills with hydrostatic bearings used in mines and as late as 2022 the company in Ystad developed a 14-metre-long system designed to distribute oil to a grinding mill with hydrostatic bearings, which can handle a load of up to 25 meganewtons. It was shipped across oceans and delivered to a gold mine in Australia’s outback. In December 2022 the company received a new order, this time to a mineral mine in central Africa, and there were, once again, several challenges to consider. “This time the aggregate is slightly smaller than before, but in order for it to handle the extreme weather conditions in the DRC we have built it inside a container,” explains Viktor Johansson Rix, Sales Engineer for HydX. “The concept is the same as in Australia, but this time the aggregate cannot be assembled on site. Instead it needs to come in a container that will be placed outdoors, in extreme heat.”
The aggregate was designed, produced and assembled in Ystad. The aggregate and the container together are composed of nearly 1,500 components and it has taken almost 400 hours to complete. “The assignment involved, among other things, us going through the specifications and making sure that both the aggregate and the container meet the local regulations and withstand the extreme weather conditions of the area. The temperature there can reach as high as 45 degrees – sometimes, in direct sunlight, even higher than that,” Viktor Johansson Rix explains. “We needed to make many adjustments compared to the standard aggregates.” HydX has, for example, modified the aggregate to withstand higher ambient temperatures and adjusted the layout of the aggregate to fit it into a 20-foot container. “That, in particular, was a major challenge and these types of assignments demand a great deal from us. We needed to ensure that the lubrication system can handle all the challenges of the sea transport but also the challenges the location presents,” says Johansson Rix. The container has been equipped with two openable short sides and one openable long side to enable repairs on site. There is also an extensible crane/winch, lighting, an AC unit, an interface and controls for the AC and a fire extinguishing system. All customised for the conditions prevailing in the southern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The aggregate and the container will start their overseas journey from Sweden to Africa during autumn 2023. Do you wish to contact HydX? No need to hesitate, contact one of our Sales Engineers now.