WO2015109361A1

WO2015109361A1 - Wear tiles

Info

Publication number: WO2015109361A1
Application number: PCT/AU2015/000029
Authority: WO
Inventors: Barry Dawson; Peter NAZZARI; John ANGELINI
Original assignee: Dt-Hiload Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2014-01-21
Filing date: 2015-01-21
Publication date: 2015-07-30
Also published as: CN106103195A; AU2015208660A1; AP2016009381A0; AU2018271294A1; AU2018271294B2

Abstract

A truck tray includes a wear resistant lining covering an area of a floor (15) of the truck tray, with the lining including a tiled floor area. The tiled floor area includes (a) a plurality of tiles (3) formed from a wear resistant tough material arranged in a pattern on the tiled floor area and (b) fines of material transported on the tray in use of the tray covering exposed floor areas of the tiled floor area. The shape of the tiles (3) and the pattern of the tiles are selected so that the fines form protective layers of wear resistant material in the exposed areas of the tiled area. One embodiment of the tile has an hexagonal shape and has a key-hole shaped hole in the tile.

Description

WEAR TILES

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to a tile for use as a wear resistant lining of a truck tray, excavator bucket or other mining apparatus that are subject to wear due to contact of mined material with exposed areas of the apparatus .

The present invention relates particularly, although by no means exclusively, to a tile for use as a wear resistant lining on an area of a floor of a truck tray that transports mined material in mines .

The present invention also relates generally to a truck tray, excavator bucket or other mining apparatus that includes a lining of a plurality of wear resistant tiles in a predetermined pattern on exposed areas of the apparatus .

The present invention also relates particularly, although by no means exclusively, to a truck tray that includes a lining of a plurality of wear resistant tiles in a predetermined pattern on an area of a floor of the tray.

The following description of the invention focuses on truck trays.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The applicant uses triangular-shaped tiles as a wear resistant lining on high wear areas on floors of truck trays that transport mined material in mines .

The triangular tiles are fixed (by welding) to areas of a floor of a truck tray that have worn to a

predetermined extent. There are gaps between adjacent triangular tiles and, in use, the gaps become filled with fines of material that are transported on the tray. The fines tend to be hard material and form a protective layer of wear resistant material on these exposed areas of the tray floor between the tiles . The triangular tiles are laid down in a symmetrical pattern which, because of the size of the gaps, tends to allow turbulence in the

material flow to displace the protective layer of fines and cause wear of the floor.

The reference to the use of triangular tiles is not to be taken as an admission of the common general

knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on selecting (a) the shape of wear resistant tiles for a truck tray floor and (b) the pattern of the tiles in a tiled area on the floor so that the distribution and the size of exposed floor areas in the tiled area is optimised to make it possible to form and maintain stable layers of trapped fine material on the truck tray that form self-replaceable wear surfaces on the exposed floor areas.

Typically, the pattern of the tiles in the invention is such that exposed floor areas in the tiled area are not in straight lines that in effect form channels that make it easier for material in the truck tray to drag over the tray and dig out the layers of trapped fine material in the exposed areas and wear the resultant exposed areas .

More particularly, the applicant has found that stable layers of trapped fine material can be formed on exposed floor areas in the tiled area by selecting the shape of the tiles and the pattern of the tiles so that the size of each exposed floor area is not so large so that it is difficult to form stable protective layers of fines of mined material fines on these exposed floor areas .

Typically, the shape of the tiles and the pattern of the tiles are selected so that the exposed floor areas of the tiled floor are large enough to minimise the weight added to the truck body, because the lighter the body the more payload can be carried within the design limits of the truck .

Typically, when adding wear protection onto a tray floor the weight of that protection should be

approximately the same as the weight of tray floor

material that has been worn off the tray prior to adding the wear protection.

In broad terms the invention provides a tile formed from a wear resistant tough material that is suitable for use to form a wear resistant and durable lining covering an area of a mining apparatus , whereby in use a plurality of the tiles can be formed in a pattern on an area of the apparatus and form a tiled area that includes areas covered by tiles and exposed areas not covered by tiles, with the shape of the tile and the tile pattern being selected so that fines of material that are transported on the tray form protective layers of wear resistant material in the exposed areas of the tiled area.

In more particular terms, the invention provides a tile formed from a wear resistant tough material that is suitable for use to form a wear resistant and durable lining covering an area of a floor of a truck tray, whereby in use a plurality of the tiles can be formed in a pattern on an area of the floor and form a tiled floor area that includes areas covered by tiles and exposed floor areas not covered by tiles , with the shape of the tile and the tile pattern being selected so that fines of material that are transported on the tray form protective layers of wear resistant material in the exposed areas of the tiled area.

Typically, the shape of the tile and the thickness of the tile are chosen to optimise competing criteria, including but not confined to:

· load discharge time which is affected by the friction of the floor,

• price, • propensity to cause hang up/carry back,

• longevity required,

• the available room to apply the tile to a floor area to be tiled - for example, when the fixing method is welding the tile, there needs to be

sufficient room to be able to create a thick enough run of weld for strength - and, in cases where enhancement products are added to the tile (such as a tile surface coating) , the fixing method must not damage the enhancement products.

The tile may have a hole extending through the tile from one surface to the other surface of the tile. The hole in the tile forms part of the exposed floor area of the tiled floor area when in use the plurality of the tiles is formed in the pattern on the truck tray floor.

In use, fines of material that are transported on the tray form protective layers of wear resistant material in the holes in the tiles .

The size of the hole in the tile may be selected so that the surface area of the hole is 30-70% of the total surface area of the tile .

The size of the hole in the tile may be selected so that the surface area of the hole is 30-60% of the total surface area of the tile.

The size of the hole in the tile may be selected so that the surface area of the hole is 40-60% of the total surface area of the tile.

The size of the hole in the tile and in use the pattern of the tiles may be selected so that the surface area of the tiles is 40-60% of the tiled floor area.

The size of the hole in the tile and in use the pattern of the tiles may be selected so that the surface area of the tiles is 45-60% of the tiled floor area.

The size of the hole in the tile and in use the pattern of the tiles may be selected so that the surface area of the tiles is 40-55% of the tiled floor area. The size of the hole in the tile and in use the pattern of the tiles may be selected so that the surface area of the tiles is 45-55% of the tiled floor area.

The size of the hole in the tile and in use the pattern of the tiles may be selected so that the size of the holes and the area of the gaps between adjacent tiles is substantially the same.

The size of the hole in the tile and in use the pattern of the tiles may be selected so that the size of each of the holes and the size of each of the gaps between adjacent tiles do not exceed a threshold size. In any given situation, the threshold size is determined based on the particular material being transported and other factors . A relevant consideration is that the likelihood of a loss of stability of the lining increases with hole and gap size .

Typically, the size of the hole in the tile and in use the pattern of the plurality of the tiles and the coverage of the tiles in the tiled floor area are selected so that there is a substantially uniform cover of tiles per m² of the tiled floor area and therefore substantially uniform small gaps between tiles . This means that the exposed floor areas of the tiled area of the floor, i.e. the holes in the tiles and the gaps between tiles , can be small enough so that fines of material that are

transported in the truck tray can pack into the exposed areas and form wear resistant filler layers in the exposed floor areas that are resistant to waves of material in the truck tray flowing and dragging over the tray and digging out the fines in these layers and wearing the resultant exposed area of the floor.

The hole may be a closed hole in that it is defined by a continuous internal wall .

The hole may be any suitable shape.

The hole may be a central hole.

The central hole may be circular or non-circular. The hole may be a key-hole shaped hole with a throat that extends from a perimeter edge of the tile and opens out into a main section of the hole .

The main section may be any suitable shape .

The central hole may be a central hole .

The hole may include a plurality of holes extending through the tile .

By way of example , the tile may include a central hole and at least one additional hole positioned between the central hole and a perimeter edge of the tile.

By way of example , the tile may include a central hole and a series of annular-shaped holes

By way of example, the additional hole may be an elongate hole that extends a part of the way around the central hole. The hole may be described as a curved or a chevron-shaped or a part annular-shaped hole.

The tile may be a solid tile, i.e. without any holes in the tile . This may be a preferable tile to a tile with a hole for example when tiles are required to protect and strengthen a longitudinal centreline weld in a tray floor.

The tile may be any suitable shape .

The tile may be a hexagon shape . The applicant has found that hexagon tiles are effective. In particular, the applicant has found that hexagon tiles have advantages over the above-described triangular tiles.

The tile may be a heptagon shape.

The tile may be an octagon shape .

The tile may be a circular shape .

The tile may include a coating of a hard wearing abrasion resistant material.

The tile may be formed from any suitable high wear resistance and tough material.

The tile may be formed from steel.

The present invention also provides a mining

apparatus, such as a haul truck tray, that includes a wear resistant lining covering an area of the apparatus, with the lining including a tiled area including (a) a plurality of the above-described tiles arranged in a pattern on the tiled area and (b) fines of mined material that come into contact with the apparatus in use of the apparatus covering exposed areas of the tiled area not covered by the tiles , with the shape of the tiles and the pattern of the tiles being selected so that the fines form protective layers of wear resistant material in the exposed areas of the tiled area.

In more particular terms, the present invention also provides a truck tray that includes a wear resistant lining covering an area of a floor of the truck tray, with the lining including a tiled floor area including (a) a plurality of the above-described tiles arranged in a pattern on the tiled floor area and (b) fines of material transported on the tray in use of the tray covering exposed floor areas of the tiled floor area, with the shape of the tiles and the pattern of the tiles being selected so that the fines form protective layers of wear resistant material in the exposed areas of the tiled area.

Typically, the shape of the tiles and the pattern of the tiles are selected so that the size of each exposed floor area is not so large so that it is difficult to form stable protective layers of fines of mined material fines on these exposed floor areas .

Typically, the shape of the tiles and the pattern of the tiles are selected so that the exposed areas of the tiled floor area are large enough to minimise the weight added to the truck body. The lighter the body the more payload can be carried within the design limits of the truck.

The size of each of the exposed floor areas of the tiled floor area may be selected so as not to exceed a threshold size.

The pattern of tiles may be any suitable pattern.

There may be different patterns of tiles in different areas of the tray floor. The pattern may include no gaps between adjacent tiles .

The pattern may include gaps between adjacent tiles.

The gaps between adjacent tiles may be filled with a suitable filler material before the truck tray is brought into service .

The filler material may be a composite of

polyurethane or other polymeric material and particles of a hard material dispersed in the polymeric material .

The gaps between adjacent tiles and the size of the holes in the tiles (where the tiles have holes) may be selected so that the surface area of the tiles is 40-60% of the tiled floor area.

The gaps between adjacent tiles and the size of the holes in the tiles (where the tiles have holes) may be selected so that the surface area of the tiles is 45-60% of the tiled floor area.

The gaps between adjacent tiles and the size of the holes in the tiles (where the tiles have holes) may be selected so that the surface area of the tiles is 40-55% of the tiled floor area.

The gaps between adjacent tiles and the size of the holes in the tiles (where the tiles have holes) may be selected so that the surface area of the tiles is 45-55% of the tiled floor area.

In a situation where the tiles have holes, at least some of the holes may be filled with a suitable filler material before the truck tray is brought into service, such as the above-described composite material .

The pattern of tiles may be selected so that exposed floor areas in the tiled area are not in straight lines that in effect form channels that make it easier for material in the truck tray to drag over the tray and dig out the layers of trapped fine material in the exposed areas and wear the resultant exposed areas.

In some very high impact areas or very high wear areas of the tiled area of the truck tray floor, the tiles may be butted up against each other along the sides of the tiles or in very close proximity with respect to adjacent sides of adjacent tiles.

The pattern of the tiles may include a combination of tiles that have holes and tiles that do not have holes .

The tiles may be secured to the floor of the truck tray by being welded to the floor.

The welds may be around the hole in each tile .

The welds may be around an external perimeter of each tile.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described further by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a hexagon tile in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the tile shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of another, although not the only other, embodiment of a hexagon tile in accordance with the invention;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the tile shown in Figure 3; and

Figures 5-8 are top plan views of a truck tray floor showing the stages of laying a plurality of the tile shown in Figures 1 and 2 to form a full wear pattern of tiles on a truck tray floor in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Figures 1-4 show two embodiments of hexagon tiles in accordance with the invention.

The tile 3 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a basic hexagon tile that includes a central hole 5. The hole 5 is a key-hole shaped hole with a throat 7 that extends from a perimeter edge of the tile 3 and opens out into a main section 9 of the hole 5. The main section 9 of the hole 5 has a circular shape . The main section 9 may be any suitable shape. The tile 3 is made from quench and tempered 450 grade steel. The tile 3 may be made from any other suitable high wear resistant, tough material. The tile 3 is made by profile cutting a blank. The key-hole shape facilitates cutting the hole in the blank.

The tile 3 shown in Figures 3 and 4 includes the keyhole shaped hole 5 with a circular central section 9 of the Figures 1 and 2 embodiment and also includes

additional holes in the form of a pair of holes or pockets 11 between the central section 9 and a perimeter edge of the tile 3. In the particular embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 the additional pockets 11 extend a part of the way around the central section 9 of the hole 5. The

additional pockets 11 may be described as curved or chevron-shaped or part annular-shaped pockets 11. The additional pockets 11 may be pre-filled with a filler material of low coefficient of friction and capable of resisting the wear. For example, the filler material may be a composite of polyurethane or other polymeric material and particles of a hard material dispersed in the

polymeric material. The filler may be applied to the additional pockets 11 in the Figure 3 and 4 embodiment before or after fitting the tiles 3 to a tray. Normally the centre section 9 of the hole 5 would only be filled after fixing to the tray if that is the welding zone.

Other shaped welding pockets may be cut in the tile or weld material may be applied on the external perimeter of the tile 3, in which case, the centre may be pre filled.

The tiles 3 shown in Figures 1-4 may be coated with a hard wearing abrasion resistant material, which may in some applications also be chosen for a low coefficient of friction to prevent hang up of material in the tray when the tray discharges . This is also referred to as carry back as material that is not discharged is carried back to the start of the trucking cycle and effectively reduces the capacity of the truck or it causes overload when a standard amount of payload is put into the truck.

The coating may be applied to the tiles 3 before the tiles 3 are fixed to a truck tray floor or after the tiles are fitted to the floor.

Coatings may be a metal spray of hard wearing

material or chemical mixtures of suitable materials .

Fillers could be polyurethane filled with suitable hard wearing material additives .

Figures 5-8 show one embodiment of the stages of laying a plurality of the tile 3 shown in Figures 1 and 2 to form a full wear pattern of tiles on a floor 15 of a truck tray (not shown) . The Figures are top plan views of a typical truck tray floor 15 and show a forward end 23, rear end 25, and sides 27 of the tray floor 15 and the floor 15 itself . The shape and size of the truck tray floor 15 and the truck tray do not form part of the invention.

Each of Figures 5-8 shows a new stage that has been laid on the truck tray floor 15. Figure 5 shows the tiles 3 in a 1st stage 21, Figure 6 shows the tiles 3 added in a 2nd stage 29, Figure 7 shows the tiles 3 added in a 3rd stage 31, and Figure 8 shows the tiles 3 added in a 4th stage 33.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 5-8, the 1^st stage of tiles 3 is laid in a tail strip section 35 of the truck tray floor 15. Typically, this is the highest wear area of the floor and an appropriate starting point for the wear pattern of tiles. Each successive stage extends the tile pattern further into the truck tray floor 15. In the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd stages 21, 29, 31 the tiles 3 are

positioned in abutting relationship and form closely packed arrays of tiles 3. This is consistent with the high wear in these floor areas. In the 4^th stage the tiles are spaced apart, with gaps between adjacent tiles 3. The tiles 3 are welded to the truck tray floor 15, with welds (not shown) around the hole 5 in each tile 3.

Each stage of laying the tiles 3 is applied to the tray at different times in the life of the truck tray depending on the wear rate of the tray floor 15 caused by material being moved in the truck body. An abrasive gold ore will wear the floor faster than coal and the wear protection packages in accordance with the invention will be applied at different operating ages of the body. For example, the tail strip could go at any time up to 5000 hours, stage one may go in at 15000 hours, stage 2 at 20000 hours and so on.

The tiles 3 are laid in each stage 21, 29, 31, 33 in a predetermined pattern of the tiles as described above and shown in the Figures. The (a) shape of the tiles 3 and (b) the pattern of the tiles 3 are selected in this and other embodiments to optimise wear performance along with other competing priorities, as is discussed further below.

In this regard, as indicated above, the invention is based on selecting the shape of wear resistant tough tiles for a truck tray floor and the pattern of the tiles on the floor so that the distribution and the size of exposed floor areas in the tiled area is optimised to make it possible to form and maintain stable layers of trapped fine material on the truck tray when the truck tray is brought into service that form self-replaceable wear surfaces on the exposed areas of the gaps in the tiles . Typically, the size of the holes 5 in the tiles 3 and the pattern of the tiles 3 are selected so that the surface area of the tiles 3 is 40-60% of the tiled floor area. Typically the size of the exposed floor areas of the tiled floor area are selected so as not to exceed a threshold size. Typically, the hole size and tile pattern and the threshold size are determined having regard to factors such as the type of material being transported, including the particles size distribution and the hardness and other physical characteristics of the material, and the extent to which fines of the material can form stable protective layers in the exposed floor areas .

It is noted that the pockets 11 in the tiles 3 and the gaps between adjacent tiles 3 may be pre-filled with a filler material of low coefficient of friction and capable of resisting the wear. For example, the filler material may be a composite of polyurethane or other polymeric material and particles of a hard material dispersed in the polymeric material.

Wear resistant tiles for truck tray floors (which are typically formed from steel) add weight to the truck trays and minimising weight is an important consideration..

Exposed areas of a tiled floor area (i.e. floor areas not covered by tiles) can be covered by fines of material that are transported on a tuck tray. If the fines can become trapped in the gaps created by the tiles and the pattern of tiles and form layers of trapped fines , the trapped fines can form a self-replaceable wear surface in situ. There is no direct cost associated with fines forming these wear resistant layers and fines wear less than the same volume of steel. Clearly, maximising the proportion of the exposed areas provides an opportunity to minimise cost and weight.

Trials carried out by the applicant indicate that the exposed areas of a tiled floor covered with hexagon tiles in accordance with embodiments of the invention in a tile pattern in accordance with embodiments of the invention wear at a slower rate than the exposed areas of a tiled floor covered with triangular tiles. The triangular tiles and the hexagon tiles in the trial each had around 50% coverage in the tile patterns. However, the gaps between the hexagon tiles were less than the gaps between the triangular tiles . Moreover , the tile shapes , including providing the hexagon tiles with holes, were different. In the course of the trials , the holes in the hexagon tiles and the gaps between the hexagon tiles and the gaps between the triangular tiles became packed with fines of the mined material transported in the truck trays in the trials . These packed beds of fines completed the linings formed in the truck trays .

The applicant believes that the holes in the hexagon tiles and the gaps between tiles were small enough to stop the fines falling out easily and were not so big that waves of material flowing and dragging over the tray floor dig out the fines and wear the floor.

In addition, the triangular tile pattern had straight lines of gaps between adjacent tiles and the hexagon tile pattern did not have such straight lines of gaps, and the applicant believes that it is possible that the lack of contiguous straight gaps, which in effect form channels, helped to trap material in the gaps and generally prevent wear of the exposed areas of floor in the gaps .

The advantages of the hexagon tiles and the tile system of the invention generally are as follows.

• The tiles are easy to handle and to apply to a tray floor.

• Hexagon tiles provide a similar coverage of the floor when compared to triangular tiles in terms of weight added but greater protection of the floor as the open spaces are more evenly distributed across the floor.

Thus, hexagon tiles provide better resistance to the material discharge characteristics that can adversely affect wear.

• When used with a tail strip as shown in Figures 5-8, the hexagon tiles provide an orderly transition without gaps so that the pattern can be started in a straight line. The tail strip may also be cut with a shape to suit the tile pattern.

• The shape of the hexagon tiles and the spacing between adjacent tiles provides improved wear protection through improved wear on the edges of the tiles due to the tile shape . Many modifications may be made to the embodiments of the invention described in relation to the Figures without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

By way of example, whilst the Figures show hexagon-shaped tiles , the present invention is not so limited and extends to any suitable-shaped tiles.

In addition, whilst the Figures show a particular pattern of tiles on a tray floor, the present invention is not limited to this pattern and extends to any suitable pattern .

In addition, whilst the Figures show tiles 3 having holes 5 , the present invention is not so limited and extends to tiles that do not have holes and to patterns of tiles that include combinations of tiles with holes 5 and tiles without holes. By way of example, the invention extends to the use of a solid hexagon tile that is laid down a centre-line of a tray where there is a welded joint in the floor.

In addition, whilst the Figures show tiles 3 for use as a wear resistant lining of a floor of a truck tray, the present invention is not so limited and extends to the use of the tiles as linings of excavator buckets or other mining apparatus that are subject to wear due to contact of mined material with exposed areas of the apparatus .

Claims

1. A tile formed from a wear resistant tough material that is suitable for use to form a wear resistant and durable lining covering an area of a floor of a truck tray, whereby in use a plurality of the tiles can be formed in a pattern on an area of the floor and form a tiled floor area that includes areas covered by tiles and exposed floor areas not covered by tiles, with the shape of the tile and the tile pattern being selected so that fines of material that are transported on the tray form protective layers of wear resistant material in the exposed areas of the tiled area.

2. The tile defined in claim 1 includes a hole extending through the tile from one surface to the other surface of the tile , whereby the hole forms part of the exposed floor area of the tiled floor area when in use the plurality of the tiles is formed in the pattern on the truck tray floor.

3. The tile defined in claim 2 wherein the size of the hole in the tile is selected so that the surface area of the hole is 30-70% of the total surface area of the tile.

4. The tile defined in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the size of the hole and in use the pattern of the tiles is selected so that the surface area of the tiles is 40- 60% of the tiled floor area.

5. The tile defined in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the size of the hole and in use the pattern of the tiles is selected so that the size of the holes and the area of the gaps between adjacent tiles is substantially the same .

6. The tile defined in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the hole is a closed hole in that it is defined by a continuous internal wall.

7. The tile defined in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the hole is a key-hole shaped hole with a throat that extends from a perimeter edge of the tile and opens out into a main section of the hole .

8. The tile defined in claim 1 being a solid tile, i.e. without any holes in the tile.

9. The tile defined in any one of the preceding claims being a hexagon shape .

10. The tile defined in any one of claims 1 to 8 being a heptagon shape.

11. The tile defined in any one of claims 1 to 8 being an octagon shape.

12. The tile defined in any one of claims 1 to 8 being a circular shape .

13. The tile defined in any one of the preceding claims including a coating of a hard wearing abrasion resistant material.

14. A truck tray that includes a wear resistant lining covering an area of a floor of the truck tray, with the lining including a tiled floor area including (a) a plurality of the tiles defined in any one of the preceding claims arranged in a pattern on the tiled floor area and (b) fines of material transported on the tray in use of the tray covering exposed floor areas of the tiled floor area, with the shape of the tiles and the pattern of the tiles being selected so that the fines form protective layers of wear resistant material in the exposed areas of the tiled area.

15. The truck tray defined in claim 14 wherein the size of the hole and the pattern of the tiles are selected so that the surface area of the tiles is 40-60% of the tiled floor area.

16. The truck tray defined in claim 14 or claim 15 wherein there are different patterns of tiles in different areas of the tray floor.

17. The truck tray defined in any one of claims 14 to 16 wherein the pattern includes gaps between adjacent tiles .

18. The truck tray defined in any one of claims 14 to 17 wherein the gaps between adjacent tiles are filled with a suitable filler material before the truck tray is brought into service .

19. The truck tray defined in claim 18 wherein the filler material is a composite of polyurethane or other polymeric material and particles of a hard material dispersed in the polymeric material .

20. The truck tray defined in any one of claims 14 to 19 wherein, in a situation where the tiles have holes, at least some of the holes are filled with a suitable filler material before the truck tray is brought into service, such as the above-described composite material .

21. The truck tray defined in claim 20 wherein the filler material is a composite of polyurethane or other polymeric material and particles of a hard material dispersed in the polymeric material .

22. The truck tray defined in any one of claims 14 to

21 wherein the pattern of tiles is selected so that exposed floor areas in the tiled area are not in straight lines that in effect form channels that make it easier for material in the truck tray to drag over the tray and dig out the layers of trapped fine material in the exposed areas and wear the resultant exposed areas .

23. The truck tray defined in any one of claims 14 to

22 wherein the pattern of the tiles includes a combination of tiles that have holes and tiles that do not have holes .

24. A tile formed from a wear resistant tough

material that is suitable for use to form a wear resistant and durable lining covering an area of a mining apparatus, whereby in use a plurality of the tiles can be formed in a pattern on an area of the apparatus and form a tiled area that includes areas covered by tiles and exposed areas not covered by the tiles , with the shape of the tile and the pattern being selected so that fines of material that are transported on the tray form protective layers of wear resistant material in the exposed areas of the tiled area.

25. A mining apparatus that includes a wear resistant lining covering an area of the apparatus, with the lining including a tiled area including (a) a plurality of the tiles defined in any one of claims 1 to 13 arranged in a pattern on the tiled area and (b) fines of mined material that come into contact with the apparatus in use of the apparatus covering exposed areas of the tiled area not covered by the tiles , with the shape of the tiles and the pattern of the tiles being selected so that the fines form protective layers of wear resistant material in the exposed areas of the tiled area.