HIGH PROFILE
A Siemens winder at Huize lead-zinc mine in China. In 2016, Siemens delivered a combined production and service winder for Huize
functions and supervision tasks, combined with the flexibility and well-proven reliability of a redundant Simatic PLC. The basic function of the WTC is to control and monitor the movement of the cage in the shaft. The WTC consists of an ultramodern data registration and visualisation system, together with a mathematical model to calculate the operational characteristics of the hoist cycle. With the WTC, smoother cage movements can be ensured. The result is a more comfortable, safer and time-optimised hoisting cycle. Additionally, rope oscillations can be avoided, thereby contributing to a reduction in mechanical stress and preventing damage to the rope and other machine components. These WTC features guarantee longevity, operational efficiency and safety of the mine hoist.
A boost in productivity
The WTC also makes a contribution to increased hoist utilisation and productivity. It provides data about the operation of the mine hoist system, such as the number of conveyance cage movements or the transported weight during any given time period. A correction model is implemented in the WTC that facilitates smooth cage motion. If the correction factor exceeds a defined threshold value, a message is displayed on the control system requesting maintenance work to be carried out at the hoist system. All operational data can be extracted from the WTC in the CSV format, which allows the information to be used by other applications to analyse operational conditions.
“ For ten years now, the revised hoist system has been performing its services with a high degree of reliability and dependability – both of which were crucial for Premogovnik Velenje,” Gebhard reports. With Siemens’ help, Premogovnik Velenje has made a further step to making coal into a high-tech industry.
Safety and reliability at the forefront
IM also spoke to Christian Dirscherl, Vice President for Mining, Excavation & Transport at Siemens, about recent developments in mine winders.
Q What are some of the current trends driving the mine winder business? A Declining ore grades are forcing operators of copper and gold mines to go deeper and deeper. For underground mines that means expansion into areas that were previously untapped. In the case of open-pit mines, operators are increasingly shifting their operations underground. Furthermore, the demand for potash is increasing too. In terms of what operators are looking for, safety and reliability are the two most important aspects. Q How can safety be assured? And what about reliability? A With more and more people working in underground mines, safety becomes more crucial than ever. There’ s an understandable trend of mining companies double-checking their safety strategies – for their new mine winders and existing installations alike. In countries where the authorities haven’ t issued clear guidelines, many mine operators are turning to so-called safety integrity level( SIL) standards. In reliability terms, the goal is to
Christian Dirscherl, Vice President for Mining, Excavation & Transport at Siemens
minimise and, ultimately, to completely eliminate unexpected shutdowns caused by system failures. Here continuous recording systems – or data logging systems – enter the picture. The system is connected to all components of the winder, including mechanical and electrical parts. In some cases nearly 1,000 single signals are recorded. The mass of produced data is then integrated with data from other sources, such as field service reports. Through advanced analytics, experts can predict impending failures and take action in time. An added advantage is that they can also uncover opportunities for performance improvements, as well as energy and cost savings. Q What developments do you see on the horizon for mine winders? A Ever more mining customers are asking for remote asset health management services. The hoist supplier can go online from a competence centre and provide instruction to help mine personnel fix a problem. Should a service engineer have to be sent to the site, he or she is very well prepared and knows exactly what spares to bring along. In either case, coming up with a viable solution is simply faster. Q Does Siemens offer a mine winder that can fulfil all of these requirements? A We do – it’ s the newly developed Winder Technology Controller( WTC). It comes with a continuous measurement system with remote access capability. It is able to get certifications in accordance with German and Chinese standards, and it can even be supplied with an SIL 3 certification. The WTC has a doublechannel safety system and a technological controller. Plus, it works with a mathematical winder model to minimise hoisting cycle time and mechanical stress on the system. IM
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AUGUST 2017 | International Mining 79