Inspection of rubber wear plates just became easier with the recent introduction of Multotec’s Yellow Belly wear indicator.

The Multotec Yellow Belly Liner is the same quality rubber liner or plate that the market has come to accept, but now it is supplied with an integral yellow rubber compound which acts as a visual aid specifically for condition monitoring purposes.

Matthew Fitzsimons, technical manager at Multotec Rubber, says that the launch of this innovative rubber wear plate follows on Multotec’s philosophy of providing wear indicators on consumable products.

“Developed as the optimum solution for simple and safe inspection of rubber wear plates in all types of applications, the Multotec Yellow Belly Liner will allow personnel to make a visual inspection and it eliminates the need for people to enter confined spaces such as transfer points. It also eliminates the need for time consuming lock-out procedures,” Fitzsimons says.

The traditional well-accepted Multotec black rubber wear plates now have a bright yellow layer above the steel backing plate. When this is exposed it will clearly indicate that the level of wear has been reached where replacement is necessary.

An in-depth understanding of the operational requirements in a plant resulted in the development of this wear indicator, and at the stage where the yellow becomes visible the operator or mine personnel has a period of time in which to do the liner changeout.

Fitzsimons explains that this will assist maintenance personnel to plan the inclusion of such changeouts in already scheduled maintenance activities, or plan an appropriate shutdown for the replacement. “Most significantly when recognised, and acted upon, this wear indicator will avoid damage being done to equipment,” he says.

The inclusion of the yellow compound rubber liners does not in any way affect the superior performance of the Multotec rubber wear plates and these can be applied to a multitude of applications where impact and abrasion cause wear. Typically these would be chute or transfer points, bins, vibrating screens at the feed point, dead boxes, protection liners in mill applications and trommel liners.

Fitzsimons is quick to add that Multotec Rubber wear liners and wear plates are not an off-the-shelf product. These liners are Engineered To Order (ETO) products and the result of significant input on the part of Multotec engineers.

Skilled personnel visit the customer site to do a full inspection and take detailed measurements. This information is then leveraged using the Multotec Rubber team’s extensive experience and applications knowledge to produce an engineered solution to meet all the operating parameters of the application

These custom solutions are engineered specifically for individual application requirements taking all factors into account such as impact, energy, flow rate, particle size and angle of impact.

Flexibility of installation is another significant advantage when using Multotec Rubber wear plates. These can be provided with the traditional bolt and rubber plug system or stud welding according to the drilling pattern of the chute or bin. Fitzsimons says that, in instances where drilling into the equipment is not a favourable option, Multotec Rubber can provide magnetic liners which can include the Yellow Belly wear indicator. This, he says, also allows for ease of installation saving substantial stoppage time for the liner installation.

The Multotec Yellow Belly Liners are manufactured in Multotec Rubber’s ISO 9001:2008 accredited press shop in Spartan Johannesburg using state-of-the-art PLC controlled compression moulded rubber presses with a bar coding system that interfaces with the company’s ERP system. This facilitates optimum supply chain management and delivery accuracy, with the shortest lead times possible.

An important factor that underpins Multotec Rubber’s commitment to its customer base is its strategically situated branch network which covers South African as well as the African continent. “At all times there is access to technical support and personnel who fully understand the operation of plants and the challenges experienced, and can provide the optimal solution for a given application using our quality Yellow Belly rubber wear plates,” Fitzsimons concludes.