DRIVES AND CONTROLS Geared and gearless drives, motors, fluid ...

Investment and growth in developing markets

is key to growth in drives and controls as it is

in other mining technology areas. David

Brown Group recently announced that it has

increased its shareholding in David Brown

Bharat Forge Gear Systems India Ltd by buying

out its Indian partner, Bharat Forge Ltd. The

move “will initiate a major programme of

investment and forms a commitment to business

growth with strong alignment to the Made in

India initiative”, increasing the value of business

to $50 million in the next five years. The new

business will operate under the new name David

Brown Gear Systems India Pvt Limited.

Thomas Burley, Chief Executive Officer, David

Brown Gear Systems comments, “David Brown

Gears has a long history in India and we are very

pleased to be able to build our capability and

invest fully in this rapidly growing market. We

are tremendously excited by the Indian

government’s Made in India programme and the

encouragement it gives to businesses with

advanced engineered products and services

such as David Brown to develop a full design

and manufacturing capability in country. The fit

between India’s needs for advanced

transmission technology and David Brown’s

products is ideal. I would like to thank our

partner Bharat Forge for their support in helping

us establish our business over the last five

years. I would also like to thank our Indian

employees and leadership team for building up

the business during this period. Their commitment

and capability has given us the confidence to

take full control of the business and move to

this next phase of investment and growth.”

The JV was set up in 2011 as part of David

Brown’s global expansion strategy to serve

markets on an international stage, focused on

mining/metals and a range of other industries,

covering both new build and service and repair

sectors. The business also benefits from access

to David Brown’s existing

installed base for

service and

repair

activities

including

maintenance,

inspection, drop

in replacements,

overhauls and

reverse engineering to

deliver greater process

availability, reliability and

efficiency for its customers’

operations.

Venkatesh Subramanyam, MD India

comments, “David Brown will continue to build

on the sound base established in core markets

since 2011. Ongoing investment in

manufacturing, people and infrastructure will

further expand our capacity to meet local

customer needs, leverage low cost supply for

customers worldwide and continue a proud

tradition of Made in India”.

David Brown Gear Systems India investments

in the short term will focus on developing

manufacturing expertise in-house including gear

cutting. This will ensure closer control of quality,

the flexibility to respond to customer

requirements and expansion of the value

proposition. It will also expand the product

portfolio in the India market to include access to

a more comprehensive and sophisticated David

Brown global product range including

proprietary products such as the CX mining

conveyor and HX high speed gear technology

developed by David Brown centres of excellence

located worldwide. David Brown Gear Systems

India itself has potential for growth as a low cost

manufacturing centre for David Brown globally.

Gerry Marshall, Chief Operating Officer, David

Brown Group comments, “We are delighted to

announce this important development for David

Brown which demonstrates our continued focus

and commitment to the region. Additional

investment in our equipment and people in the

India facility will also strengthen our service and

repair capabilities and capacity in line with the

needs of our current and future customers.

Enhancing our presence in India is a critical step

for growth as we continue to develop our worldwide

capabilities and customer responsive services.”

New record in conveyor gearlessSiemens has upped the ante in gearless drives

for conveyors again, announcing an agreement

to supply the world’s biggest gearless conveyor

drive system to the

Cuajone mine in Peru which is

operated by the Mexican mining company

Southern Copper Corporation (SCC). The

modernisation project will entail the installation

of a new gyratory crushing and conveyor system

by 2016.

The belt conveyor will replace a railway

system currently used to transport the ore out of

the mine to the processing plant. The Integrated

Drive System (IDS) used to power the world’s

highest-powered gearless conveyor system with

an output totaling 12,000 kW is being supplied

by Siemens. “Not only does the gearless drive

enable efficiency to be increased by 3%, it also

cuts down the necessary maintenance work and

associated costs, as wearing parts such as

couplings, motor bearings and gearboxes are no

longer required.”

In mid-2014, Siemens was chosen by

ThyssenKrupp to supply the electrical package

to the Cuajone mine in Peru with a contract

valued in the double-digit million Euro range.

Previously, the ore was transported out of the

mine for further processing using a train over a

distance of more than 6 km to the processing

plant. The existing railway is now being replaced

by an efficient conveyor belt system and a

gyratory crusher, for which Siemens is providing

the automation system, the power distribution

equipment, and the drive system. Alongside

conventional drives, Siemens is deploying

primarily Integrated Drive Systems (IDS) with

gearless drives which offer a high level of

availability by dispensing with many of the

wear-prone components such as gearboxes,

couplings and motor bearings.

Gearless drives also enable the use of a

continuous conveyor belt, eliminating the need

for transfer stations and so reducing

susceptibility to faults, cutting out the need for

high-intensity maintenance and driving down

costs. The conveyor belt system comprises three

DRIVES AND CONTROLS

60 International Mining | NOVEMBER 2015

Geared and gearless drives,motors, fluid couplings andbrakes all have a crucial roleto play in the performanceand safe running ofeverything from mills toconveyors, and from electrictrucks to draglines. Paul Moore looks at some ofthe recent developments

Industry in motionSumitomo Drive Technologies’ SM-Cyclo Iberia(SMIB) in Spain and Hansen IndustrialTransmissions (HIT) in Belgium jointly landed anorder for 43 gearboxes including accessory drivecomponents from PHB Weserhütte in Spain

DRIVES AND CONTROLS_proof 21/10/2015 10:52

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individual sections which are equipped by a

total of five Integrated Drive Systems. For the

largest of the belt sections, Siemens is

supplying two gearless drive systems with an

output of 6,000 kW each, comprising a low

speed synchronous motor and a Sinamics SL150

cycloconverter. The two smaller feed and

discharge belts will be driven by two 500 kW

low-voltage motors using Sinamics S150

inverters with regenerative feedback capability

and one 1,200 kW medium-voltage motor. The

converters and motors as well as the gearboxes

and couplings for these drives are all supplied

by Siemens. The automation components as

well as the drive and power distribution

technology are provided in modular electrical

rooms (E-houses).

Siemens is not new to the Cuajone mine

facility, where it supplied a drive system for a

HPGR system back in 2013. SCC operates mines

and metal processing factories in Peru, US and

Mexico, including the Toquepala and the

Cuajone copper mines in Southern Peru. The

company mines and produces copper,

molybdenum, selenium, gold and silver and also

invests in the exploration and extraction of

mineral deposits in Peru, Mexico and Chile.

Unearthing electric motor potentialin miningWeak commodity prices and tighter financing is

putting the mining and minerals sector under

pressure. Embracing technology is seen as the

way forward. ABB states: “It is important,

however, not to overlook established

technology, especially the humble electric

motor. Today’s motor has much more to offer the

industry and may have the answers to many of

its challenges. The motor technology, it could be

argued, is well established. The motor must

meet global mining standards, yet be flexible for

adaptation to local legislation; robust to meet

the aggressive nature of the environment; and

highly reliable, never being the component in

the drive train responsible for unplanned

downtime.”

ABB argues that this is only half the story. “It

is essential that the product has comprehensive

lifecycle services that help define the true cost

of ownership of that motor. In short it must

provide maximum uptime with minimal

maintenance. What is harder to engineer is

ensuring that both these aspects – the products

and the services – address the key challenges

that the industry faces. The top three challenges

upon which everyone is agreed is the need to

maximise productivity, improve performance and

operational efficiency and enhance safety, all of

which will help tackle a fourth challenge –

profitability.”

One thing all mining companies appear to

have in common is their

conservatism towards new

products and technologies. For

instance, many sites have a habit

of scrapping motors, sometimes

on a two-year cycle, or at best

sending the motor for rewind. “Yet

today’s motors are designed to

the highest levels of reliability, meaning that

they can survive in the mining environment for

periods in excess of the warranty. With planned

preventive maintenance the motors can last

several decades.”

If a company’s policy is to change the motors

as a matter of course, then purchase price

becomes a dominant factor. However, a mining

motor should be viewed as a long term

investment. “Why scrap a motor that has shock

resistance windings and up to 30 years lifetime,

just because that’s the way it has always been

done” argues ABB’s Product Manager Tom Eklof.

“Mining companies need to re-assess their

motor management policy.”

This conservatism manifests itself in a

reluctance to embrace change. “Two areas

demonstrate this. The first is the insistence on

rewinding motors when often a rewind can

adversely affect a motor’s efficiency and may

incur a higher cost than buying and installing a

new model. Studies show that the first rewind of

a new electric motor can result in as much as a

3% reduction in efficiency. It can also, in some

cases, cost more than a new motor.”

The second area relates to insulation class.

Many specifications call for Class H insulation

which covers motors temperatures up to 180°C.

However, achieving such a high temperature use

comes at a price. The winding tends to be fragile

and cannot withstand vibrations.

It can also lead to premature bearing failure if

the higher running temperatures offered by

Class H insulation are really utilised. The hotter

the motor runs the hotter the bearings. Every

15° increase in bearing temperature will cut

grease lifetime in half. Therefore, hot running

bearings will require frequent lubrication,

otherwise failure is inevitable.

An alternative is to use Class F insulation and

utilise built-in winding temperature protection

to safeguard against accidental, long term

overloading. Typically mining motors are

dimensioned for 120°C, Class B temperature

rise. Motors that meet global standards for

explosive atmospheres and efficiency provide

the minimum requirement within the mining

sector. “Several countries, like China, Russia

and South Africa, have local standards or

adaptations that a motor supplier must be able

to accommodate. For instance, regarding

mechanical specifications, in countries like

Australia and South Africa, British Imperial

standards still dominate.”

While new installations in Australia are based

on IEC and Cenelec, the replacement market is

still biased towards Imperial standards,

especially with certain frame size motors where

the shaft diameter is different to that required

by Cenelec. In South Africa customers are

requiring motors with Imperial dimensions even

with new installations.

“For those mines building new lines or

refurbishing existing ones, it is important to

involve the motor supplier at the start of any

project; during the front-end engineering design

(FEED) stage. The suppliers have a wealth of

know-how about all applications where motors

are used, from pumps, ventilation and conveyors

to crushers, hoists and drills. They understand,

for instance, that a conveyor drive system failure

is extremely costly, which makes motors and

mechanical power transmission equipment a top

priority.”

The manufacturer can advise on temperature

rise, IP-classification, insulation type and

compatibility with other products, such as

couplings, gearboxes and variable-speed drives.

They can spot pitfalls in technical specifications

that can lead to over-dimensioning, unnecessary

energy use and higher maintenance costs.

“We invest massively in R&D and have some

great new technologies that can be used in

mining, such as the synchronous reluctance

motors package, SynRM. We are also refining

and perfecting our standard induction motor

range, including pushing efficiency levels

towards IE4 and beyond,” says ABB’s Mining

Segment Market Manager Jari Korkiakangas.

“Looking to the future we may see the

introduction of advanced materials that improve

motor strength, conductivity, functionality and

self-healing. This will extend the life and

performance of mining equipment while

reducing the downtime and costs associated

with ongoing maintenance.”

DRIVES AND CONTROLS

ABB says it has some great newtechnologies that can be used inmining, such as the synchronousreluctance motors package,SynRM, the new rotor design forwhich is shown here

DRIVES AND CONTROLS_proof 21/10/2015 10:52 Page 2

High accuracy in dynamic applicationsCG Drives & Automation products are well proven

in material handling applications. “Robust

construction and advanced functionality means

they handle heavy operations in a reliable and

efficient way, whether they are crushers,

conveyors, hoists, pumps or fans.” Its Emotron

AC drives offer high accuracy in dynamic

applications such as crushers and conveyors.

According to the company they ensure the right

feeding rate by adapting motor speed to load

variations, minimising energy consumption and

wear. Direct torque control handles abrupt load

changes and overcomes initial peak loads,

reducing mechanical stress and preventing

interruptions and false trips. The range covers

motor powers up to 3,000 kW for up to 690 V

mains voltage. Units with liquid cooling are

available as an option.

The direct torque control offers efficient starts

of a heavily loaded crusher or conveyor by also

utilising the full motor capacity from standstill.

Emotron softstarters handle this by boosting the

torque. Minimised start currents are still ensured,

meaning less mechanical stress and lower

installation and energy costs. Both products have

integrated vector braking for quick and safe

braking without the need for mechanical brakes.

Soft starts of fans reduce the hydraulic and

mechanical stress on pipes and gaskets. Linear

pump stops eliminate the risk of water hammer,

without costly motor-controlled valves. This is

ensured with Emotron softstarters and AC drives.

The AC drive in addition offers considerable

energy savings by continuously adapting motor

speed to demand. A sleep function saves further

energy and automatic pump rinsing makes sure

efficiency is maintained.

A built-in load monitor protects the process

against damage and inefficiency. Any over or

underload situation is detected immediately,

across the entire speed range. This allows for

preventive action, if a crusher jams, a pump is

running dry or a pipe is blocked. No energy is

wasted and unplanned downtime is minimised.

In July 2015, CG signed a global supply

agreement with quarrying and cement major

Lafarge for electrical motors. This agreement

positions CG as one of the select few preferred

global suppliers for Lafarge. “A company like

Lafarge, dedicated to making better cities, is well

placed to address the global demand that will be

further augmented by enhancing manufacturing

efficiency. This is where CG plays its role as a

domain expert with its flexible and customised

solutions, high quality of products and global

sales and service setup, to support Lafarge

wherever their operations are located. From rotor,

stator design and stamping to finished motor, CG is

one of the few global motor manufacturers to own

the complete chain of design and manufacturing.”

With over 40,000 CG-made motors running in

various cement factories, CG is one of the major

motor suppliers to the industry. For decades now,

CG has been providing the cement industry with

electric motors for various applications, including

unique construction of slip-ring, twin drive slip-

ring and double squirrel cage motors. CG’s low

maintenance-energy efficient motors are

specially designed for demanding applications

such as in the quarrying and cement industry,

delivering high starting torque, low noise and

vibration. “They boost process reliability to

enable manufacturing plants to increase their

output, enhance product quality and reduce

energy consumption and carbon emissions.”

At the Yanacocha gold mine in Peru, the 4,200

m altitude is extra tough on electrical equipment,

because thin air reduces cooling capacity and

electrical isolation. Power comes on cables 30-50

km long, and then there are the standard

conditions for mining: huge temperature

variations, humidity, rain, dust and sand. CG

Drives & Controls provided drives and soft

starters for deep well pumps that dry out parts of

the mountain before blasting. These pump

systems are “portable”, and move every 3-4

weeks to a new location.

Rene Rodriguez, Sales Manager South

America, CG Industrial Systems, told IM: “Almost

80% of the mining in Chile are using or have

some Emotron drives running. A key value in the

mining sector is that our drives have an IP54

enclosure protection rating. Normally the user

puts our drive inside of another panel that is IP55

or IP66, with our standard IP54, which allows our

drive to work

well for many

years,

maintenance

free.

Our IP54 a

coated board,

means that the

drive are

recognised as

a heavy duty

drive for very

difficult

applications in

poor

environmental

conditions, such as

temperature ranges of -20° to

+40°C as well as dusty and humid environments.

The direct torque control, also a plus for

applications like mill, conveyor and crusher drive,

especially with the soft starter, means often

competitor drives do not function properly, but

the Emotron MSF works well with very accurate

torque control. Finally, the HCB to protect the

rectifier and filters as well as the DC coils, make

Emotron drives acceptable in the most extreme

conditions and applications.”

Operations using Emotron drives include

ENAMI, ENAMI Planta Mata, ENAMI Paipote; as

well as Candelaria, Mantos de Oro, Collahuasi,

Escondida, Los Bronces, El Teniente,

Chuquicamata, Mantos Blancos, Andina, Xstrata

Copper, ACF Minera, Punitaqui, Lomas Bayas, and

El Abra.

New combined approach from ATBUK motor specialists ATB Laurence Scott, ATB

Morley and ATB Special Products, subsidiaries of

ATB Group Austria Antriebstechnik AG, have

joined forces under one banner, ATB Group UK

Ltd. ATB Laurence Scott, ATB Morley and ATB

Special Products are amongst Britain’s oldest

manufacturers of electric drive systems, with over

300 years of combined experience. “This rich

heritage in the electrical engineering industry

serves as testament to the reliability and quality

of the companies’ products and to their ethos of

designing equipment to customer-specific

requirements.”

As of September 1, the companies merged into

one legal entity. “The group will focus on niche

markets, close customer relationships and

utilising its extensive experience and

competencies as electrical engineering

businesses, to provide customers with the

optimum motor solution across numerous

industries. The merger will unlock operational

benefits, as the companies will be able to share

resources and facilities, allowing for a more

flexible approach to future business.”

Continuous innovation will be a

key focus for ATB Group UK, which

says it will utilise its

development and

manufacturing expertise to

bring a range of new products

to market. In October of this

year, the group was due to

unveil its VFD motor for mining

applications, which uses the

latest technology and topology.

“The companies will continue

to operate from their existing sites,

but now under one management team, with one

mission; helping customers to create world

leading solutions in terms of performance and

reliability.”

Although ATB Group UK is a recent

establishment, its electrical engineering roots

trace back to 1883 with the Laurence Scott

business. Accordingly, the group will adopt the

tagline ‘Electrical Engineers since 1883.’ Whilst

the established brands of Special Products,

Morley and Laurence Scott will be preserved, this

merger signals the start of a new chapter for the

manufacturers.

DRIVES AND CONTROLS

NOVEMBER 2015 | International Mining 63

A 3D image of the new VFD motor from ATBGroup aimed at mining applications


Motor braking systemsTwiflex offers the largest range of industrial disc

brake calipers in the world. Spring applied units

may be retracted pneumatically, hydraulically or

electrically (depending on caliper design) while

most direct acting brakes have some form of

positive retraction device. A key market for the

company is mining, including brakes for large

dragline motors.

A major Australian coal mine operator needed

to replace the brakes on the dragline at their

mine in the Bowen Basin. In constant operation

since 2011, the dragline’s original braking

systems had reached their useful service life.

With a working weight of 6,950 t and a bucket

capacity of 152 yd3, the dragline can move 240 t

of overburden in a single pass. Twiflex was

selected to provide spring-applied, air-released

replacement caliper brakes for all the dragline’s

eight hoist and eight drag 1,450 hp motors. Each

have been equipped with multiple GMR-SD 15.6

caliper brakes operating on 46 in diameter discs

that provide a combined braking force of 72 kN.

On the eight swing 1,045 hp motors, Twiflex

has equipped each with multiple GMR-SD 8.4

caliper brakes operating on 46 in diameter discs

that provide a combined braking force of 39 kN.

On the four propel 1,045 hp motors, Twiflex

equipped each with multiple GMR-SD 15.6 caliper

brakes operating on 46 in diameter discs that

provide a combined braking force of 72 kN.

The GMR-SD caliper brake’s modular design

allows for quick change outs and the ability to

use multiple units of varying sizes to meet

specific installation requirements. Torque is

adjusted in the field to meet operating

conditions. The low-maintenance brakes feature

easy-to-replace brake pads and low cost spares.

Twiflex recently also provided GMR-SD caliper

brakes for use on a new medium-duty 4,500 t

dragline at a mine in India. The brakes stop the

dragline’s load from moving as quickly as

possible and bring it to rest in a controlled

manner to avoid shocking the drivetrain and

machine frame. The GMR-SD brakes are designed

to handle the high energy associated with

stopping these massive loads.

The GMR-SD caliper is Twiflex’s most popular

model for draglines and consists of a cast frame

with two pivot-mounted arms which are actuated

by a spring-applied, air-released thruster.

Depending on the peak disc temperature

calculated, the calipers can be fitted with either

organic or sintered bronze pads which are

suitable for emergency stops.

For the Indian project, Twiflex provided GMR-

SD spring-applied, air-released caliper brakes for

the four hoist and four drag 1,230 kW motors,

each with multiple GMR-SD 15.6 caliper brakes

operating on 38 in diameter discs that provide a

combined braking force of 108 kN; and on four

swing 932 kW motors, each with multiple GMR-

SD 8.4 caliper brakes operating on 38 in

diameter discs that provide a combined braking

force of 58.5 kN

New options from the majorsThe new SEW Eurodrive P-X series of industrial

gear units combines the advantages of its P

planetary gear units with those of its helical-

bevel gear units in the X range. “With specially

designed housings that integrate the

intermediate flange, the result is a series of

compact, weight-optimised drive units.” These

are available in seven sizes and with a torque

range of 100 to 500 kNm and a gear ratio range of

i = 160 to 560.

Applications include anything from bucket-

wheel excavators to apron feeders in mining,

where high-power and high-performance is

needed.

One key feature comes in the form of the high

thermal ratings that these industrial gear units

are equipped for as a result of their shared oil

chambers and thermally optimised housings –

this helps keep down cooling system costs.

However, the drive units also function reliably at

temperatures of below -25°C if used in

conjunction with the relevant heaters and heating

mats.

Another important plus-point is that the

housings are designed as symmetrical, invertible

enclosures and have an inspection cover on both

sides. The motor adapters can also be used to

connect motors of up to IEC 355 with 500 kW.

Cited benefits include saving on cooling

system costs thanks to the high, gear unit-

specific thermal ratings; and reducing costs

spent on storing replacement units thanks to the

symmetrical, invertible enclosures.

Gear lubrication successLarge open gears in mining face challenging

conditions including a harsh environment,

extended service operation, dust, silica, water,

extreme heat and extreme pressures. Open gear

lubricants must be specially formulated to keep

equipment operating at maximum efficiency.

Lubrication Engineers’ Pyroshield line of heavy-

duty synthetic open gear lubricants meets or

exceeds all relevant manufacturer specifications

for open gear applications, providing “reliable

lubrication in coal power generation facilities,

cement kilns, and metal and mineral mining

operations.” Pyroshield's ability to protect open

gears from extreme pressures, heavy loads and

high temperatures is well proven, according to

the company.

An improved Pyroshield formula no longer

contains any heavy metals or lead. LE also

increased the film strength of the lubricants,

making them easier to pump - particularly for

automatic lubrication systems. Finally, LE raised

the viscosity index, removing temperature-based

fluctuations that would be seen during actual use.

Pyroshield does not require the equipment to

be shut down during the conversion process.It

can be applied manually or through automatic

spay systems. It also appears translucent in use,

allowing for the visual inspection of the open

gear.

Lubrication Engineers South Africa’s approved

reseller, Filter Focus, successfully converted the

girth gear lubricant on the mill drive at Impala

Platinum to PYROSHIELD 9011 XHvy high

viscosity oil back in 2014. Jaco van Rooyen.

Implats Operations Engineer UG2 & Tailings

commented: “The mill drive motor has

historically operated at between 5.6 MW and 5.4

MW. After the conversion, the mill drive motor is

now operating at between 5 MW and 4.8 MW. The

preliminary results indicate a significant

reduction in energy consumption of

approximately 400-600kW or approximately 12%

on the mill motor, while maintaining the same

production output.”

Since converting to PYROSHIELD 9011, Impala

had also recorded a reduced Delta T across the

face of the pinion gears. Vibration analysis

indicated an improvement in vibration, with the

historical vibration already very low prior to the

conversion.

After converting to PYROSHIELD 9011, Impala

reduced its lubricant consumption from 800 kg

per month, down to 80 kg per month, equating to

a 90% reduction in usage, with less friction and

greater levels of gear protection. “We no longer

have to dispose of large volumes of used

lubricant, which assists Implats carbon reduction

targets. Housekeeping and onsite pollution on

the mills has improved dramatically. We are very

impressed with the preliminary results achieved

thus far and would therefore recommend

PYROSHIELD 9011 on similar applications.”

Several years ago, chromite miner Hernic

Ferrochrome, which mines on the western limb of

Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa,

encountered a number of failures at the plant

owing to inadequate lubrication, incorrect

lubrication and dirty oil on critical components

DRIVES AND CONTROLS


The new SEW Eurodrive P-X series of industrialgear units combines the advantages of its Pplanetary gear units with those of its helical-bevel gear units in the X range


FLANDERS(ARDVARC)_Sept15_Layout 1 12/08/2015 11:03 Page 1

http://www.flandersinc.com

such as gearboxes and bearings. As a result of

these failures, Hernic Ferrochrome contracted

Filter Focus to run comprehensive oil analysis

and condition monitoring, whereby all critical

components within the plant were fitted with

sampling points. The oil analysis programme

enabled Filter Focus to identify problem areas

and recommend the correct solution before any

further costly failures occurred.

The company’s involvement with Hernic

Ferrochrome initially began through the

implementation of a basic lubrication programme

and evolved to include the supply of specialised

Filter Focus filtration units and automatic

lubricators for critical equipment. In May 2012,

Filter Focus installed automatic lubricators for the

majority of conveyor systems at the plant, which

currently provide frequent and exact quantities of

lubricant for critical bearings.

Hernic Ferrochrome Plant Manager Jannie

Moster stated that since these systems have

been installed, bearing failures have decreased

dramatically, which has resulted in reduced

unscheduled downtime. With regard to the

lubrication of the girth and pinion gears of

pelletising and sinter plants PS1 and PS2,

Mostert says that, since the introduction of

Lubrication Engineers’ Pyroshield Syn XHvy Open

Gear Lubricant (9011), overall lubrication

consumption has been reduced from 400 kg/mth

to 60 kg/mth, equating to an 85% reduction in

consumption. “In addition to a reduction in

lubricant consumption, there was also a

significant reduction in vibration, a 20%

reduction in temperature across the girth gear

face and a 22% reduction across the pinion gear

face,” he pointed out.

Since being lubricated with Lubrication

Engineers’ (LE) Almagard Vari-Purpose Grease

(3752), the pinion bearings used at PSI and PS2

have shown a 12% reduction in vibration and

temperature. “LE’s Almagard EP Grease has been

approved as the only lubricant with advanced-

friction coefficiency. It dramatically lengthens

grease intervals, eliminates bearing failures,

extends bearing life by up to threefold and does

not harden with age,” highlights FitzGerald.

Hernic Ferrochrome also had problems with its

smelter fans and introduced LE’s Monolec R&O

Compressor/Turbine Oil as a possible solution.

High speed load out with SR drivesA major potash mine in Canada underwent an

expansion on part of their underground and

surface processes to increase potash production in

2010. Part of the underground expansion was the

replacement of an existing load out conveyor (54

in wide by 130 ft long) that transported the mined

potash ore to the production hoist by a High

Speed Load Out conveyor 96 in wide by 200 ft long

located about 1,000 m below the surface level.

The new High Speed Load Out

conveyor transports the entire

underground production, in batches, to

the production hoist that brings the

material to the surface for further

processing. The drive system needed to

be capable of starting the conveyor 35

times per hour and of operating 20 hours

a day, 350 days a year. The system life

expectancy is 30 years. The drive system

needed to be capable of accelerating the

fully loaded conveyor from zero speed to

the maximum speed (825 ft/sec) in a

maximum of five seconds.

The reliability of the drive system is paramount

considering the financial impact associated with

the conveyor being out of commission. It is

calculated that the value of hourly mine production

transported by the High Speed Load Out conveyor

when working at its full duty cycle is C$100,000.

The motors are installed in a location where the

access to the motors is difficult therefore minimal

maintenance on the motors is desirable.

The assembly of the motors, gear reducers and

pulley are located at the discharge end of the

conveyor which is an area with extremely high

levels of potash dust. The drive system

components need be minimally affected by the

arduous ambient conditions. Thermal

management of installed power components

requires special consideration. Four drive

technologies most often used in large material

handling applications were compared: DC, AC

polyphase induction squirrel cage motor and

Variable Speed Drive (VFD); hydraulic drive

system; and SR drive technology.

The expansion project engineering consulting

company recommended that the potash mining

company select the fourth option, Switched

Reluctance drive technology, supplied by Synergy

Engineering Ltd, as the drive system for the High

Speed Load Out Conveyor. The criteria driving the

consultant’s recommendation and mine’s

decision were:

n Ability to provide the rated torque throughout

the speed range

n Unlimited number of repeated starts

n Simple construction and robustness of the motor

n System efficiency.

Synergy Engineering was awarded the

contract to supply the complete drive system for

the High Speed Load Out Conveyor that was

comprised of two Switched Reluctance motors

and associated drive units; two gear reducers

and a cooling system for the drive enclosures.

Synergy Engineering Ltd cooperated in the drive

system design for the High Speed Load Out

Conveyor, with Nidec SRDL, a UK-based

engineering and manufacturing company of

Switched Reluctance motors and drives.

Based on the application requirements, a dual

drive system has been utilised. One 200 kW (268

hp) SRM449TN-180 motor is coupled through its

own 335 hp, 21.88:1 ratio gear reducer to each

end of the conveyor pulley for the combined

power of 400 kW (536 hp). Each motor is

operated by its own individual 225 kW power

converter SRC5 (drive).

The plant’s main control system (PLC)

communicates with the SR drives via hardwired

discrete and analogue connections or via

ModbusTCP bus. The motors (and their drives)

have been assigned master and follower

functions to evenly distribute the torque between

them. The motor functions can be swapped by

setting the proper drive parameters.

If hardwired control of the system is selected,

the plant’s main control system sends three

discrete (run enable, run, local/remote) and one

analogue (speed reference) signals to both

drives. Both drives provide their status

information back to the main control system:

running, fault, motor speed.

If ModbusTCP control is selected, the plant’s

control system sends Boolean and numerical

values to the assigned drive’s registers to control

the run/stop and the speed of the conveyor.

Only the drive that has been configured as the

master reacts to the commands from the plant’s

control system. It operates in the speed control

mode. The follower drive operates in the torque

control mode and receives the torque reference

from the master drive. The master monitors the

torques of both motors and dynamically adjusts

the torque reference to the follower drive so the

torque difference between the two motors is kept

below 3%. The communication between the

drives is via CAN communication bus.

As it is with any energy conversion system

there are losses associated with the operation of

the Switched Reluctance drive system. Despite it

having one of the highest efficiencies among

other drive technologies it still generates a

DRIVES AND CONTROLS


The drive system supplied by SynergyEngineering in conjunction with Nidec needed tobe capable of starting the conveyor 35 times perhour and of operating 20 hours a day, 350 days ayear in challenging conditions such as potashdust accumulation on the motor


certain amount of heat during its operation. The

heat is managed to avoid the malfunction of the

system due to overheating.

Arduous ambient conditions inside the potash

mine represented a considerable challenge in the

design of the most optimal cooling system. Due

to the high content of suspended potash dust

particles in the ambient air, ventilating the drive

enclosures with ambient air was not an

acceptable option.

Synergy opted to use a vortex cooling system.

Vortex cooling units use compressed air to

produce chilled air that is injected into the drive

enclosures. Warm air exhausts from the

enclosure through special openings. The cooling

air circulation provides slightly positive pressure

inside the enclosure in reference to the outside

pressure. This effect ensures the contaminated

outside air is kept out of the enclosure.

The temperature inside the enclosure is

maintained between desired minimum and

maximum limits by simple thermostat on-off

operation of the chillers.

The compressed air for the chillers is supplied

by a standalone compressor that is located in a

well-ventilated mine area with very low levels of

suspended dust. This location provides easy

access for periodical inspection and replacement

of the air intake filters.

The Switched Reluctance drive system has

been in operation since it was commissioned in

November 2010. During this period of time there

has been no downtime in the operation of the

High Speed Load Out conveyor attributable to the

malfunction of the SR motor or the SR power

converter.

New major order for Hansen IndustrialSumitomo Drive Technologies’ SM-Cyclo Iberia

(SMIB) in Spain and Hansen Industrial

Transmissions (HIT) in Belgium recently jointly

landed an order for 43 gearboxes including

accessory drive components from PHB

Weserhütte in Spain. PHB Weserhütte (a

subsidiary of TSK) is an engineering company

specialising in the design and construction of

“turnkey” projects with its own technology in the

area of materials handling and mining, able to

carry out the execution of port terminals, yards

for the storage and blending of raw materials,

conveyor belt systems, as well as installations

and equipment for mining.

The Sumitomo Drive Technologies equipment

is to be installed at the voestalpine Go West

project, located at Portland, TX, USA. This Project

is voestalpine’s largest foreign direct investment

and a major step in achieving a low-carbon

economy. It is a natural gas-based direct

reduction plant with an annual capacity of 2 Mt of

Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI).

The order includes 30 Hansen P4 industrial

gearboxes varying from size “A” tol “N” and 13

Cyclo Bevel BuddyBox gear drives. Both these

types of industrial gear drives are renowned for

applications involving material handling such as

conveyor belts. In this case the gearboxes will

serve the project’s stacker, tripper, reclaimer and

bucketwheel reclaimer equipment.

Hansen states that PHB selected Sumitomo

Drive Technologies “because of the technical

knowhow and flexibility in the supply chain, and

joint production cooperation with the US-based

factory avoiding transportation, handling time

and cost.”

Hansen Industrial Transmissions (HIT) is part

of Sumitomo Drive Technologies and belongs to

the Power Transmission & Controls Group of

Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. The company

has a dedicated international sales and service

network. Its production facility is located in

Edegem, Belgium.

Managing torque in heavy applicationsThe Rexnord Autogard 820 Series Torque Limiter

is designed for high torque applications in heavy-

duty industries, including mining and metals, to

help protect equipment during shock loads,

overloads and jams. Providing full disengagement

on overload, torque limiting “modules” are

positioned at a large radius to accommodate

high-disengaging torques.

The popular Autogard 820 Series Torque

Limiter is now available with the option to

DRIVES AND CONTROLS

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For more information visit www.hydraulex.com or give us a call.

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Remote-Reset (RR),

a patent pending

option that is

perfect for

applications where

the control centre

and the equipment are a

considerable distance apart, or where the

Autogard Torque Limiter is positioned behind

complex guards and covers. From its disengaged

position, the Autogard 820 Series Remote-Reset

Torque Limiter can be reset in seconds using

pneumatic controls without the need to physically

approach the unit.

The RR feature is also available as a retrofit

upgrade to existing Autogard 820 Series Torque

Limiter installations. It allows users to reset their

Autogard Torque Limiter remotely, saving time on

removing covers/guards or attending a remote

location. It provides for an accurate and

consistent torque setting providing reliable and

repeatable torque overload protection; providing

instant and complete disengagement of the

driving and driven inertias.

Rexnord told IM: “Torque overloads can be

caused by a drive fault or a system jam. In such

an occurrence, the limiting device will then

disengage or “trip,” separating the inertias in the

drive, and preventing damage to both the driven

and driving components. Normal operation can

continue once the torque limiting device has

been reset. Manually resetting a torque limiting

device can be costly with downtime and

resources. The Remote-Reset function on our

Autogard 820 Series Torque Limiter allows plant

personnel to remotely reset their drive and get

back to work. This can be completed without the

necessity to be near the torque limiter, reducing

downtime and removing the need to have

personnel on site. This could be accomplished by

the flip of a switch, push of a button, or click of a

mouse, for example.”

Parker Hannifin extends AC drive outputParker Hannifin, the global motion and control

technologies company, has extended its AC30

series of variable speed AC drives up to a 250 kW

output rating. The move comes following a

recent update to introduce a pulse encoder

feedback option, bringing closed-loop

capabilities to the portfolio and underlines

Parker’s commitment to offer its customers

even more functionality across the AC30 series.

“Flexibility, reliability and simplicity are the core

design attributes of the AC30 series, which is

available in several different frame sizes to suit

the application. Exceptional levels of control are

assured, from simple open-loop pumps and fans

through to closed-loop process line applications.

Indeed, wherever reliable and accurate motor

speed control are the major demands, of either

AC induction or permanent magnet (PMAC) servo

motors, industry needs look no further than the

AC30 for a comprehensive and cost effective solution.”

Offering integral energy monitoring capability,

the company says that the AC30 series allows

customers to match motor speed to fluctuating

application demands, therefore supporting

reduced electricity usage. “As well as saving

money, the mechanical life of motors, pumps,

fans and ancillary equipment such as ducting or

pipework, is extended. Although simple in

design, there is no compromise on functionality

with the extended AC30 series. For example,

users can enjoy the benefits of integrated macros

for a host of different

applications, while

the Codesys-based

Parker Drive

Developer (PDD)

software tool enables

the creation of

sophisticated PLC functionality within the drive

that would previously have necessitated a separate

PLC. What’s more, flexibility and high modularity

ensure that a wide range of communications,

such as Profinet, Profibus and EtherCAT can be

added easily, along with I/O modules.”

Driving substation coolingAt the Kolomela iron ore mine in South Africa,

three Danfoss Drives 710 kW VLT® drives were

installed on a mine dewatering system that

distributes water to the plant operations as well

as the local town water supply. The traditional

solution in the South African mining industry is to

install drives in an enclosed MCC substation for

protection from mining contaminants. Iron ore

mines are known to be particularly dusty

environments, with particles down to a few

microns in size. This dust is not compatible with

electronics, and so the closed, controlled air

environment in the substation ensures the drives

are kept cool and clean. However, to maintain the

correct indoor temperature, the heat generated

by the drives’ needs to be removed from the

substation by an air conditioner.

Andrew Cooper, Global Director, Mining &

Minerals at Danfoss Drives told IM: “The

Kolomela mine in South Africa not only used

drives to efficiently control equipment on their

iron ore mine processing facility to minimise

operating costs but also, through the use of the

back channel cooling feature of Danfoss Drives’

VLT drives, they significantly minimised the

design heat loads in the substations, enabling

them to use smaller, lower cost air conditioning

systems and thereby minimise operating costs

even further. The mining company had a high

focus on the lowest operating costs when

designing this mine and processing

plant. Through this focus they evaluated that

using Danfoss Drives’ VLT drives with back

channel cooling they could save more energy

and reduce operating costs more than making

the obvious decision to use high efficiency

motors throughout the plant.” Cooper states

that other mining companies and contractors

have also taken advantage of this design feature

DRIVES AND CONTROLS


The Rexnord Autogard® 820 Series TorqueLimiter is designed for high torque applicationsin heavy-duty industries

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at other mining projects elsewhere in the world

such as in Poland and Australia.

In a mine substation, use of VLT drives with

back channel cooling typically provides annual

energy operating cost savings that are equivalent

to approximately 8-10% of the total purchase cost

of all VLT drives, compared to using alternative

drives. Taking advantage of back channel cooling

requires installation of extra ducting (and

sometimes filters), but this is achievable at a

lower cost than not using back channel cooling.

Siemens develops GMD training simulatorSiemens Senior Sales Manager Stefano Scagliola

spoke to IM about the development and benefits

of its training simulator for gearless mill drives.

“We got the idea to develop what is now the

training simulator for gearless mill drives (GMDs)

some years ago. Customers approached us with

the request for an efficient way to train their

personnel on the automation and drive control of

their particular system. Their requests were

especially focused on ensuring long-term,

sustainable development and retention of

knowledge within their teams. So that’s how the

R&D project to design and develop the training

simulator was initiated. We tested the first

prototype in the middle of 2014. The main goal of

the training simulator is to replicate the actual

GMD system as closely as possible, including all

of the hardware and software. All of the main

components of the electrical system, such as

automation, drive control, power system

protection and power distribution are installed in

the training simulator. Even the GMD speed

sensor with a small tachometer disk is

integrated. The installed software is also the

same version as that installed on the GMDs

operating in the field. We have integrated some

functions running in the background to simulate

missing field signals, such as temperature

sensors in the motor.”

With this system, customers can fully simulate

all of the GMD operations. They can start and

stop the mill and run it in various operating

modes. It is also possible to reprogram the

software and change parameters. This applies to

any of the components installed in the simulator.

“It is a remarkably flexible system. A large part

of the training simulator is dedicated to

troubleshooting. The device allows trainers to

generate specific errors, both in the hardware

and software, and simulate the most common

problems that occur in a mill. This means that

trainees have the opportunity to familiarise

themselves with all components and to practice

their troubleshooting skills.”

A dedicated training plan covers all operating

and maintenance activities and leads participants

through all the training areas with specific

exercises. The simulator offers highly customised

training that is efficient and flexible, no-risk

learning and even contains spare parts that can

be used in an emergency in the real GMD.

“The simulator lets trainees become familiar

with the hardware components and software

structure. The components and the software are

identical to the ones used on an operational

GMD. Trainees are not learning generic facts

about some standard components and software,

they are learning about their particular system.

Second, personnel can do their hands-on training

when and where they need to. We can deliver the

simulator to wherever it is required. Trainers can

vary the content and depth of the training. And, if

needs be, training can be repeated an unlimited

number of times to help build up skill and

confidence levels. In times of increasing staff

fluctuations, it’s a huge advantage for customers

to be able to maintain core knowledge within the

team, and get new personnel up to speed quickly

without involving any additional investment.

Third, trainees can learn offline in a relaxed

environment. Simply put, our simulator provides

an enriched training experience with all the

benefits and none of the risks attached to

conducting exercises on live equipment or

waiting for the first real failure in practice.”

The installed components on the simulator –

such as the PLC CPU, drive controllers, the PCS 7

server, the engineering notebook – also function

as additional emergency spare parts stock that

can be directly installed in the actual system.

On the long term benefits, Scagliola stated:

“The GMD is one of the major potential

bottlenecks in the entire mining process. Every

hour of downtime causes huge losses in revenue.

It’s important that all personnel in the mine, from

operations to maintenance, become very familiar

with this equipment. They should know how to

respond to problems confidently, effectively and

as quickly as possible. This reduces shutdowns

to a minimum, which in turn increases the

already best-in-class availability of our GMDs.”

Siemens currently offers mining customers two

different training models based on the simulator.

In the first model, customers can send their

personnel to its minerals training facilities –

either at the Minerals Headquarters in Erlangen,

Germany, or at the Minerals Service Centre in

Santiago de Chile. Here, they are trained by

Siemens experts on a standard training

simulator. Alternatively, customers can purchase

the training simulator explicitly for their installed

GMDs and train personnel directly on site. “We

are seeing a huge increase in interest for this

second model. The training simulator is perfectly

suitable for newly installed GMDs as well as for

those with control systems that have been

modernised.” An added benefit of this is that

customers don’t have to lose key staff during

training, because they can conduct the training

as needed during normal operations. Also for

some customers, especially those from smaller

mines, it is difficult to send four to five people

abroad at the same time for classroom training,

as it involves a lot of effort regarding planning

resources and shifts. Here too, a training

simulator on site allows a far higher degree of

flexibility. IM

DRIVES AND CONTROLS

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Thom Seal and Naci Umut Duru, in the

paper Understanding the leaching

efficiency of the Hydro-Jex® technology

presented at the 3rd International Conference

on Heap Leach Solutions, September 12-16,

2015, Reno, Nevada, note that “nearly 30% of

the world’s gold production is from heap

leaching operations” – some 240 t/y of gold.

Add to that all the copper, uranium and other

metal production from heap leaching and one

can see what an important hydrometallurgical

process for the mining industry it is.

John Marsden, President of Metallurgium,

notes a number of current key issues in this

sector:

1) Design for dry environments – low water

consumption

2) Design and operation for cold environments

3) Use of wick drains to assist with drainage of

old heaps or heaps with permeability issues

4) Modular design for SX/EW (semi-portable,

lower capex)

5) New reagent developments (more selectivity,

less degradation, etc.)

6) New precious metal-coated titanium EW

anodes introduced by Republic Anodes

(developed in conjunction with Freeport

McMoran)

7) Acid mist control for EW

8) Sumps versus ponds

9) Pond cover technology

The use of surface miners to extract ore for

heap leach operations is becoming more

common, such as A-Cap Resources’ proposal to

use such units for the Letlhakane uranium

project in Botswana. In the correct application,

surface mining can be more economical and

environmentally friendly than conventional

open-pit mining methods. Surface miners will

cut, crush and load ore in a single working pass.

They can therefore save a considerable amount

of comminution energy because some stages of

comminution can be ignored because of the

small product size produced by the mining

machines. Furthermore, they provide a low-dust,

low-noise method that causes no damaging

vibrations.

High Pressure Grinding Roll (HPGR) crushers

are also finding favour in heap leach

applications. Recently, Goldrock Mines received

the timely delivery into Argentina of its HPGR,

the longest single lead time item for the Lindero

project which significantly de-risks the

remaining construction and development

schedule. The total capital cost of this delivered

equipment was C$9.35 million.

The company purchased the Weir Enduron

HPGR crusher from Weir Minerals. Weir Minerals

is the exclusive minerals market license holder

of KHD Humboldt HPGR technology and

supplies some 40% of the HPGRs used

worldwide, Goldrock reports. The purchase

included all tooling to install and maintain this

equipment. The company also requested the

unit's grinding rolls be equipped with longer 55

mm studs as a result of specific test work

studies on typical Lindero rock types. The

company is expecting high equipment

availability with a rolls life of between 11,000

and 13,000 hours before a change out is

required.

Goldrock further says “the HPGR's specially

designed, energy efficient crushing technology

has been well established in the cement

industry for decades. The application has

successfully expanded to harder and more

abrasive rock types including copper, gold,

platinum and iron ore processing. In October

2009, the first commercial HPGR was

commissioned for a heap leach gold operation

at Gold Fields’ Tarkwa mine, Ghana. Currently,

Golden Queen is installing a HPGR at its

Soledad Mountain heap leach project in

California. The machines are compact and

generate low levels of noise and vibration. The

advantages of HPGRs include the following:

n Higher throughput capacity per unit than

other types of crushing units to achieve same

size reduction ratio

n Better particle size fraction curves for same

power input

n Potential energy efficiency achieved through

lowered energy losses and more stable

energy use

n Smaller processing plant layout and

structural footprint with respect to belts and

classifiers required

n Higher equipment availabilities due to stud

and liner technology

n Potential for greater gold leaching efficiency

due to the production of micro-fractures in

the crushed particles.

Paul Matysek, President and CEO of the

company, commented “With the HPGR unit

HEAP LEACHING & SX/EW


John Chadwick, with inputfrom many experts looks at

maximising metal recoveriesfrom these well-established

technologies

Fecund solutions

TNT designed, supplied and installed theworld’s largest mobile multiple-lift heap leachstacking system (7,200 t/h) in 2005-07 for anew copper mine in southeast Arizona, USA,and since then has supported its stackingoperations with two expansion projects in 2011-12 and 2013-14. This mobile stacking systemwas surpassed as the world’s largest in 2010 byTNT’s system at a copper mine in Chile.

Flow diagram for A-Cap Resources’ proposedLetlhakane uranium project in Botswana

that expects to use surface miners (Wirtgen or Vermeer) to produce crushed ore

for heap leaching

HEAP LEACHING & SX-EW_proof 20/10/2015 15:36 Page 1

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