Kennametal recently confirmed an expansion of its comprehensive product line of tooling and wear protection solutions for mining applications with three products: picks to meet diverse customer demands and an innovative round drill steel system designed to improve efficiency and safety.
PrimePoint features a polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tip, enabling longwall operators to mine longer. With increased hardness over traditional tungsten carbide, abrasive wear to the PCD tip is significantly reduced, increasing uptime.
Developed to meet a different need, PlusPoint picks utilize an extra tough grade designed to penetrate the hardest of rocks when continuous miner operators unexpectedly encounter adverse geological conditions, minimizing downtime and reducing tool usage.
Weak roof bolting is not only a risk to productivity but also a safety risk. The Defender Round Drill Steel System was added to the lineup to solve challenges miners face when poor roof geology and water combine. Maintaining a lower noise level and generating less dust compared to stackable hex steel, this new system also features thicker round steel that is stackable and repairable compared to upset steel; self-aligning, hands-free chuck and driver; spline-drive adapters that transfer rotation to the inside hex of steel pieces, enabling a machine to drill larger and longer holes faster.
“Our team of wear experts really listen to our customers, and we deploy our materials and industry experts to develop proven solutions for their challenges,” said Marcelo Campos, vice president, Global Earth Cutting Tools. “These new products are the latest result of that collaborative effort.”
Source: Kennametal