Applications of Steel Fabrication in Mining Industry
Due to their remote location and extreme conditions, mining projects require durable construction materials that can withstand the rigors of mining operations for many years. The remote location means very less access to replacements or repairs and mining infrastructure needs to be able to withstand searing heat, freezing nighttime temperatures, dust and sand storms and even hail and flooding. In this regard, steel fabrication is considered to be the prime raw material for the mining industry. So, what are the features and advantages of steel fabrication which makes it such a perfect fit for mining infrastructure? Let’s find out more in this blog.
Use of Iron Ore and Steel
Iron ore is a rock that metallic iron is extracted from. In the modern world, we use iron ore in our everyday lives. Most of the iron ore is used to make steel, which is used in building an incredible variety of things. From trains, planes and automobiles to high-rise buildings and bridges, steel is used in the development of many, many products and industries. We use it to create everything from ships and pipe fabrication to machinery and tools, from building and construction to manufacturing cans of food and much, much more.
Steel is well known for its strength, but it is its malleable qualities that make it a preferred material of choice for most fabricators. Since steel is such a versatile material, it is ideal for applications that require heat induction bending as it can be bent or molded in many different ways without losing any of its durability. It is an essential material for the construction industry, automotive manufacturing, for the infrastructure required to generate and distribute energy and many other sectors ranging from household appliances to shipbuilding. It is a vital cog of the mining industry where the mining infrastructure itself is constructed using steel structural frameworks. It is also a critical part of the oil and gas industry, to know more click here.
Applications of Steel in Mining
Steel is the most common metal in the mining industry because of its benefits and properties, such as its low cost, strength, light weight, resistance to corrosion, durability, and sustainability. With computer-aided design technology, steel can be manufactured with greater efficiency and precision than ever before, which means that it is used for advanced pieces of equipment that contribute to mining, including:
Vehicles and Machinery: Including bulldozers, crushers, excavators, drill rigs, front end loaders, surface feeder-breakers, track loaders, trucks, graders and much more.
Tools: Steel is an essential material for manufacturing necessary tools like shovels, grinding equipment, demolition equipment and various handheld and machinery-installed devices.
Infrastructure: Including water tanks, pipes, vessels, boilers, screens, stairs, handrails, elevators, mine cages, conveyor belts and even basic workplace essentials like workbenches and doors.
Equipment: like high-strength plates, pumps, screens, filters, augers, blades, hammers, rippers and more.
Fabricated Steel Structures
Ensuring a safe work environment and preventing work-related injuries or worse is as vital as it is challenging when dealing with underground mining operations. To protect workers underground, structures made of fabricated steel are used. Underground mine workings must have strong, rigid, flexible supports that meet the required technical requirements and fabricated steel ticks all boxes.
Now, steel is used in every aspect of mining around the world. To even build the mines requires structural steel frameworks. Stainless Steel fabrication has been used to create a wide range of equipment for mining purposes. In our modern age, this fabrication of steel is even more precise and efficient due to the use of computer-aided design technology.
Conclusion
The dependency of the mining industry on steel is patently obvious and hence, the availability of iron ore and steel to develop robust infrastructure based on steel fabrication is essential. Safety is a must-have requirement in mining and the qualities of steel help to meet this requirement in various mining global projects. Steel fabrication is also used in other industries like oil and gas, and this reinforces the fact that, in fabrication at least, steel is king!
