Apron Feeder Wear Plate Shimming

The challenge

An apron feeder's wear plates were seating unevenly against the structure behind them. With gaps under the plates, every load that dropped onto the feeder drove the plates down onto the steel and pounded it, working the bolts loose and hammering the seating surfaces out of shape. As the gaps grew, the plates shifted under load and the high-wear faces took the abrasion of the moving material on top of the impact. Left alone, the loose, pounding plates would keep chewing up the structure and pulling the feeder out of service for repeated repairs.

The Belzona approach

Work starts by checking how each plate is sitting and finding where the gaps are that let it move and pound. The seating surfaces and the back of the plates are cleaned, then a conforming shim is cast behind each plate with a 2000 Series material so it fills the gap exactly and the plate beds down on a full, even support instead of a few high spots. With the plates seated solid and re-tightened, a 1000 Series abrasion-resistant system lines the high-wear faces so the surface that carries the material holds up. The plates stop hammering the structure and the wear faces last between repairs.

1. Assess and mapEach wear plate is checked for how it is seating, the gaps that let it move are found, and the faces taking the most abrasion are identified.
2. Surface prepThe seating surfaces behind the plates and the high-wear faces are cleaned so both the shim and the lining bond and bed properly.
3. Cast conforming shimsA 2000 Series shim is cast behind each plate so it fills the gap exactly and the plate seats on full, even support.
4. Re-seat and lineThe plates are bedded and re-tightened on their shims, then the high-wear faces are lined with a 1000 Series abrasion-resistant system.
5. Return to serviceWith the plates confirmed seated solid and the lining cured, the feeder goes back ready to run.