Eastern Cape quarry
East London Coastal Bolts
Fastener and grease discipline after salt corrosion.
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Corrosive salt air hammering Crusher fastenings
The quarry near East London sits just inland from the coast, so salt-laden air makes its way into the plant year-round. The crushing and screening spreads run long hours and the salty fog accelerates corrosion on exposed bolts, liner fasteners and screen tensioning hardware. Routine change-outs of jaw and cone liners, blow bars and screen cloths were becoming a headache, as the plant team regularly found corroded, seized and weakened hardware. Sometimes, old bolts would sheer off or get stripped, risking lopsided liner clamping and extended downtime while operators fought to cut or drill out the stubborn remains. Grease points showed evidence of wash-off, with water and salt working into moving joints.
High-Integrity fasteners and greasing routines
We supplied a campaign of galvanised high-tensile liner bolts, screen tensioning hardware and split washers rated for high vibration. Each fastener came with correct thread forms and head shapes for compatible fit to OEM profiles, and we delivered a drum of salt-resistant grease formulated for coastal conditions. Before changeout, the plant's maintenance team cleaned and prepped each mating surface, using wire brushes and compressed air to remove old scale. Applying the new grease, they torqued the fresh bolts to values specified in their OEM manuals, working in a cross-tightening pattern. Used bolts were properly disposed of to avoid confusion. For screen media, new polyurethane tension mats were fitted with the corrosion-resistant hardware, ensuring secure seating and correct aperture alignment.
- Galvanised liner bolts and washers
- Salt-resistant grease
- Polyurethane tension mats
- Thread cleaning and prep
- OEM torque patterns
Ongoing checks and lessons for salty environments
Since the upgrade, the maintenance team committed to regular inspections of all critical fasteners and grease points, especially after heavy rain or coastal storms. Bolt tension is checked with calibrated tools instead of by feel, and failed hardware is replaced immediately, never re-used. Greasing intervals were tightened up, particularly in exposed positions, with staff trained to spot signs of salt creep and early corrosion. If we tackled a similar project again, we would recommend even stricter isolation of wear part change areas, possibly using mobile tarpaulins, and a bigger starter stock of sacrificial bolts for unexpected breakages in the first campaign.
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