Unplanned shutdowns rarely begin with a major failure.

Most often, the problem begins much earlier: slowly progressing wear, a seemingly minor cut, a lining that begins to delaminate, or loss of wall thickness that goes unnoticed during operation.

When these warning signs are not detected in time, damage that could have been addressed during planned maintenance may require an emergency repair. This affects operational continuity, maintenance planning, and critical equipment availability.

Therefore, an effective maintenance strategy is not limited to repairing damage after it occurs. It also involves identifying early signs of wear and taking action before they compromise the operation.

Wear Often Provides Early Warning Signs

Mining equipment is routinely exposed to abrasive material flow, repeated impact, vibration, corrosive environments, and changes in process conditions.

Over time, these conditions can cause progressive deterioration in components such as conveyor belts, chutes, pulleys, rollers, pumps, hydrocyclones, piping, and other equipment operating under severe conditions.

Without timely action, minor damage can progress and result in leakage, delamination, structural failure, or unplanned shutdowns.

Visual Inspection Remains a Key Tool

Routine visual inspections performed by operators and maintenance teams are an important first-line method for detecting anomalies before they develop into major failures.

Assessing lining condition, identifying areas of accelerated wear, and detecting minor cracks or delamination make it possible to schedule repairs during planned maintenance windows, reducing the risk of emergency work.

Where required, visual inspections should be complemented by wall-thickness measurements and other condition-monitoring methods.

More than a routine task, visual inspection provides an opportunity to anticipate problems and help maintain operational continuity.

Warning Signs That Should Not Be Overlooked

During an inspection, several indicators may signal the need for preventive maintenance:

• Cuts or tears in conveyor belts.
• Partial delamination of rubber linings.
• Abrasion-related loss of wall thickness in chutes, hoppers, or ducts.
• Cracks or fractures in surfaces exposed to continuous vibration.
• Localized corrosion or areas affected by chemical attack.
• Leakage or wear in pumps, hydrocyclones, flotation cells, piping, and launders.
• Damage to pulleys, rollers, and components exposed to repeated impact or abrasion.

Detecting any of these conditions makes it possible to evaluate repair alternatives before the damage affects equipment availability.

However, once a failure has occurred, time becomes the critical factor. In such cases, the objective is no longer to prevent the damage but to restore operation as quickly as possible.

Therefore, solutions used to repair critical components must enable fast, reliable work that can be performed directly onsite.

Rapid Repair Is Also Part of Operational Continuity

Our FLEXSOL® and DURAFAST® product lines provide repair and protection options for several of these operating conditions.

FLEXSOL® provides fast-curing, flexible repair and protection systems for rubber and rubber-to-metal applications exposed to abrasion, impact, vibration, expansion, and contraction.

DURAFAST® provides rigid epoxy systems for metal, ceramic, and concrete substrates exposed primarily to severe abrasion and moderate impact.

These cold-applied, onsite repair systems allow equipment to be repaired without complex disassembly. Depending on the product selected and the specified application conditions, equipment can return to service in approximately one hour. For DURAFAST®, the 60-minute cure time applies at 25°C and may require the specified accelerator dosage.

The ease of application, high adhesion, and mechanical properties of these systems enable a rapid response to unexpected failures, helping extend the service life of critical components and reduce the need for premature replacement.

Keeping an operation running requires recognizing the earliest signs of wear, planning preventive repairs, and having solutions that enable a rapid response when a shutdown cannot be avoided.

In mining, a properly executed repair can help protect operational continuity across the entire site.

We make it simple.

For more information about our repair and wear-protection solutions or technical advice for your operation, please complete the form by clicking the “Contact Us” button. You can also email us at:

• Chile: contacto@bertech.cl
• Brazil: comercialbrasil@bertech.cl
• Other countries: internationalsales@bertech.cl