Hot-rolled cast steel balls - High hardness, low loss. Special for gold and silver mines, wear-resistant and impact-resistant.
Jinan Haoyang Forging & Casting: High-maintenance Cast Balls Empower Efficient Grinding in Mining, 14 Years of Technology Accumulation Makes It an Industry "Hidden Champion"
Introduction: The "Cast Ball Strength" Behind the Industry Award
In late June 2025, at the "2025 China Mining Machinery and Materials Industry Expo" held in Qingdao, the "B2B3 Series Hot-Rolled Forged Steel Balls" exhibited by Jinan Haoyang Forging & Casting Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Haoyang Forging & Casting") stood out from 120 participating enterprises and won the "Annual Preferred Brand for Mining Grinding Media" award. This award not only represents an authoritative recognition of the product's performance, but also reveals the development code of this "invisible champion" that has been deeply engaged in the cast ball field for 14 years.
I. 14 Years of Focus: From "Machining of Cast Balls" to "Supplier of Wear-resistant Materials Solutions"
Haoyang Forging was established in January 2011, located in Taotou Village, Guanzhuang Street, Zhangqiu District, Jinan. It is one of the earliest enterprises in Shandong Province that focuses on the research and production of mining wear-resistant cast balls. At the beginning of its establishment, the company set the development orientation of "with wear-resistant materials as the core, serving the mining industry", starting from traditional cast ball processing and gradually expanding to the "research - production - sales - after-sales" full-chain service.
After 14 years of accumulation, the company has formed a product structure of "cast balls as the mainstay, with forgings as a supplement". Among them, the proportion of cast ball products is 70%, covering all specifications from 20mm to 125mm, which can meet the grinding needs of ball mills in different mines such as gold mines, silver mines, and coal mines. By the end of 2024, the company's annual production capacity reached 20,000 tons, and its sales exceeded 120 million yuan, becoming a "first-tier" enterprise in the domestic mining cast ball field.
II. Product Breakthrough: Solving Mine "Challenges" with "Technical Indicators"
The grinding efficiency of the mine ball mill is directly related to the performance of the steel balls - ordinary cast balls are prone to wear and breakage, which not only increases the replacement frequency but also leads to an increase in the cost of grinding media (accounting for approximately 15% of the mine's operating costs). Haoyang Casting and Forging's "B2B3 Series Cast Balls" is specifically designed to address this challenge. Its core advantages are reflected in three "surprising expectations":
Unusually high hardness: Through the process of "high-quality alloy steel + hot-rolled forging + quenching and tempering", the surface hardness of the steel balls can reach HRC 60-65 (while ordinary cast balls only have a hardness of HRC 45-50), and the wear resistance is increased by more than 40%.
More stable toughness: Through the "temperature-controlled cooling" technology, it ensures uniform internal structure of the steel balls, with impact toughness ≥ 12J/cm² (the national standard is ≥ 8J/cm²), effectively avoiding the "ball fragmentation" phenomenon.
Super long service life: According to the actual measurement data from a gold mine in Shandong Gold, the service life of Haoyang cast balls can reach 180 days (while ordinary cast balls have a lifespan of 90-120 days), and the cost of grinding per ton of ore is reduced by 20 yuan.
III. Technology-driven: The Key Leap from "Followers" to "Leaders"
The product advantages of Haoyang Forging stem from its continuous investment in technological innovation. The company has a research and development team consisting of 12 senior engineers (accounting for 15% of the total staff), who allocate 5% of their annual sales revenue to research and development. They have successfully overcome industry challenges such as "balancing high hardness and high toughness" and "controlling the size accuracy of cast balls".
In 2023, the company collaborated with the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Shandong University to establish a "Joint R&D Center for Wear-resistant Materials", jointly developing "new low-alloy wear-resistant steel" materials. This resulted in a 10% reduction in the alloy content of the cast balls, a 8% decrease in cost, while maintaining the same performance. This technological achievement has been applied for a national patent and will be mass-produced in 2024, becoming the company's "signature product".
IV. Market Breakthrough: From "Domestic Coverage" to "Global Layout"
Thanks to its product advantages, Haoyang Forging's market share has been expanding year by year:
Domestic market: Covers over 10 provinces including Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. Has established long-term cooperative relationships with large mining enterprises such as Shandong Gold, Shanxi Coking Coal, and China Coal Group for more than 5 years, with a market share of 12%.
International Market: The products are exported to countries such as the United States, Australia, and South Africa. Among them, the US market accounts for 35% of the total export volume. The purchasing manager of a certain gold mining enterprise in the US stated: "The wear resistance and stability of Haoyang Casting Balls far exceed those of the European brands we previously used. They are our 'reliable partners' for mining grinding operations."
V. Future Planning: From "Casting Ball Expert" to "Overall Solution Provider for Mining Services"
Facing the development trend of "intelligence and greenness" in the mining industry, Haoyang Casting and Forging has formulated a "two-step" future plan:
Short-term (2025 - 2027): Introduce the "Intelligent Casting Balls" product - implant sensors inside the casting balls to monitor wear conditions in real time. Through the IoT platform, send "replacement alerts" to customers to reduce downtime losses. Long-term (2028 - 2030): Expand business scope, provide an overall solution including "ball mill selection + custom casting of balls + wear monitoring", and become a "comprehensive service provider" for the mining industry.
Conclusion: The "Grand Vision" Within the "Small Balls"
From a "small workshop" 14 years ago to the current "industry benchmark", the development journey of Haoyang Forging & Casting is fundamentally a victory of "focus + innovation". As the company's general manager Li Jianguo said: "Although the casting balls are small, they are related to the efficiency and cost of the mines. What we need to do is to make this 'small steel ball' perfect and become the 'invisible champion' in the mining industry."
As the mining industry continues to develop, Haoyang Forging & Casting's "high wear-resistant casting balls" will continue to empower more mining enterprises, injecting new impetus into the industry's efficiency and green development.
