MINE HOISTS
Hoist brakes and controls
Access shafts and hoisting systems are essential components for mining activities . To optimise transport , stopping and parking operations , these elevator machineries need high-quality redundant controls for speed , acceleration and deceleration . When a leading manufacturer of mine hoists , Coalfield Services , Inc , needed a custom braking solution for one of its setups , it chose Svendborg Brakes and Twiflex , two brands of Altra Industrial Motion Corp , for the production of a reliable system . The mining industry heavily depends on hoisting equipment for uninterrupted and efficient operations . This offers vertical transport of miners and materials as well as providing access to the network of openings used to recover underground resources . Fundamental in key operations , mine shaft elevators must be fully operational and accurate in their movements at all times .
In particular , they should not be affected by power failures that can occur at mining sites . More precisely , it is extremely important for these systems to be able to maintain smooth and precise control to avoid unexpected movements , such as abrupt stops and startups . By showcasing these features , mine hoists can deliver comfort in the transport of materials and workers as well as preventing the power train from suffering shock loads caused by abrupt movements , which can lead to substantial mechanical stress on multiple components . Only advanced systems that can modulate braking forces and support ‘ soft transitions ’ from movement to stillness and vice versa can guarantee this level of performance in any condition .
When developing a highly reliable setup with these characteristics , Coalfield Services , a major OEM of mine hoists , identified the most suitable braking system as SOBO ® ( Soft Braking Option ) iQ from Svendborg Brakes , a leading global expert in intelligent braking solutions . This solution is a closed-loop controller that can
Svendborg Brakes supplied 6 x BSFH 515 disc brakes for this US coal mine hoist . Each unit has a braking force of 120,000 N . Photo courtesy FKC-Lake Shore
automatically adjust the braking force , even in high-speed situations .
This ability is the result of three-state digital modulation , a dual-loop proportional integral ( PI ) algorithm to control pressure and speed and an internal pressure control loop . By combining these elements , SOBO iQ can apply only the torque needed for a fully controlled stop . More precisely , the system collects data on speed ,
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