Skipper in Duroxite® 100 takes wear and impact
September 11, 2025
5 min read
Case details
The mining company Boliden in Sweden uses skippers in Duroxite® 100 overlay plates at their Boliden Renström mine. The mine is Sweden's deepest, reaching a depth of 1,700 meters.
The skippers haul complex ores containing zinc, copper, lead, gold and silver from a depth of 900 meters to the surface. The skippers hoist a load of about 5 tons of ore each time, with a frequency of 60,000-70,000 movements per year. The skippers’ durability and reliability are of course vital for Boliden’s successful operation.
Made by StilMek
StilMek, a local mechanical workshop has been manufacturing the skippers for several years, with a rate of 1-2 skippers each year to match the expected wear life. Boliden switched to Duroxite® since the previous material experienced sudden cracks that halted production. Duroxite® has proven to endure both wear and impact from the ore, reducing maintenance and downtime costs for Boliden.
Learn more about Duroxite® overlay products
From stock to box
Stilmek receives Duroxite® 100 plates with 5 mm hardfacing on 8 mm base plate in full dimensions from stock. To make the skipper’s box shape, they start by cutting the plates to size with a laser cutter.
Some plates get a slight bend with a press brake before assembling the box using external structural beams. They are welded to the base steel of the Duroxite® 100 plate using conventional stick electrodes.
“We use laser and cut from the base plate side. The cutting works tremendously well and we get a very fine cut edge,”
Members of Hardox® Wearparts
Stilmek joined the international wear service network Hardox® Wearparts some years ago. With a workforce of around 30 people and a well-equipped workshop, they design and manufacture wear parts and other components in Hardox® wear plate for mainly mining, forestry and process industries in the northern part of Sweden.
