Fabrication & Machining of an 85-Ton Mining Crusher Base Frame
The Manufacturing Challenge
A top-tier global OEM of mining and mineral processing equipment required a manufacturing partner to build the foundational base frame for a colossal primary crusher. Operating in harsh, remote mining environments, this base frame had to withstand brutal impact shocks, constant vibration, and intense torsional loads without failing.
The project demanded exceptionally thick structural plates, flawless 100% full-penetration welding to avoid fatigue cracking, and—most challengingly—the entire 85-ton welded assembly had to be machined in a single setup to ensure the motor and bearing mounting pads were perfectly co-planar across a 12-meter length.
The Openex Execution
1. Material Prep & Beveling
We utilized large-format CNC oxy-fuel cutting centers to slice through 120mm thick High-Yield structural steel (Q345/S355) and high-wear areas utilizing Hardox plates. Edge beveling machines prepared deep grooves for massive, multi-pass weld joints.
2. Heavy Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
The frame sections were clamped using massive hydraulic fixtures to control thermal distortion. Root passes were TIG welded for supreme integrity, while massive Submerged Arc Welders (SAW) laid down thick, continuous defect-free passes for maximum structural rigidity.
3. 5-Axis Gantry Milling
Following complete thermal stress-relief (PWHT) in our massive furnaces to eliminate weld tensions, the entire 85-ton structure was hoisted via dual overhead cranes onto our 25-meter CNC gantry milling bed. We milled all mounting faces down to a ±0.05 mm planar tolerance.