DRIVES & CONTROLS
or tablet – it is as familiar as the many personal apps we use for monitoring our health , catching up with the news , or checking on the home or children .”
The world ’ s first gearless mill drive was delivered by ABB in 1969 and is still in operation . Since then , the company has sold more than 150 units in 23 countries and currently has over 50 % market share .
ABB Ability Predictive Maintenance for grinding provides easy access to GMD system parameters
trained site personnel . Most components of the Quadrex are built as removable cartridges . Maintenance procedures for any of these components can be performed on site using recommended spares . This design reduces downtime and increases equipment availability .
ABB ’ s cloud-based GMD maintenance
On the subject of GMDs , in early 2022 ABB released a new version of ABB Ability™ Predictive Maintenance for grinding which allows users to obtain real-time notifications on gearless mill drive ( GMD ) systems from a mobile app . The upgrade also means that ABB Ability
Predictive Maintenance for grinding is now cloudbased instead of sited on premises . The Grinding Connect mobile app , available for iOS and Android , allows mine operators to monitor performance at any time and from any place . “ ABB Ability Predictive Maintenance for grinding provides easy access to GMD system parameters and allows visualisation of performance considering past activity and realtime data and assesses future maintenance requirements ,” ABB said . “ It aims to extend the lifetime of grinding assets through better use of resources and to support non-stop operation and to avoid unforeseen downtime .”
The update facilitates greater data gathering , according to the company , with the data sample per mine increased and analytics and trends more reliably defined . The solution offers a new user experience with fully customisable dashboards , alarms and events all available on the mobile app .
ABB says GMDs are the preferred grinding solution at mines characterised by highercapacity production and low-grade ores . By eliminating bolt-on mechanical components such as ring-gears , pinions , couplings and gearboxes , GMDs offer ore producers unrivalled availability , efficiency and durability , while reducing operating costs , according to the company .
Angeles Fernandez , Global Product Manager for Grinding Service in mining at ABB , said : “ A gearless mill drive is a major investment and its availability is essential for the process . Unscheduled shutdowns and system failures can lead to significant losses in production .
“ ABB Ability Predictive Maintenance for grinding is a state-of-the-art service for analysing system data , assessing the current condition of the equipment and applying predictive methods . The new version is unique in the market and the new Grinding Connect app means you can check that your GMD is performing through your phone
Wabtec ’ s mining truck drives hit new heights
As surface mining goes through an electric transition , large mining trucks with electric drives continue to increase in relative importance versus mechanical drive . In April 2022 , Wabtec celebrated the 5,000th mining drive system wheel built at its plant in Fort Worth , Texas . The milestone highlighted the commercial success of the mining wheel for heavy-haul mining trucks , which set the standard for reliable and fuelefficient performance in the mining industry . The company subsequently told IM it had delivered over 5,300 by end Q3 2022 .
“ In a decade , this team helped start up Wabtec ’ s mining plant and build 5,000 highquality mining wheels for our customers ,” said Rogerio Mendonca , Wabtec ’ s President of Freight Equipment . “ Their efforts have positioned Wabtec ’ s electric drive system as the leader in the mining industry . That success is a tribute to our customers , employees , and suppliers . They are essential to the success and strong performance of these mining wheels .”
Wabtec started building mining components at the Fort Worth plant in 2012 . The achievement builds upon Wabtec ’ s long history of producing drive systems for the mining industry . Wabtec introduced the first commercially viable electric
In April 2022 , Wabtec celebrated its 5,000th mining truck electric drive system wheel built at its plant in Fort Worth
52 International Mining | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2022