PARTNERING TO SOLVE YOUR UNDERGROUND MINING CHALLENGES
MINING HOISTS
Winder Controls – from today’ s largest hoists to modernising legacy hoists
Also part of the SIEMAG TECBERG group, South Africa’ s Winder Controls has supplied some major hoist systems as well as upgrades to existing systems in recent years. In 2022 together with SIEMAG it supplied, installed and commissioned the mechanical portions of the world’ s two largest mechanically coupled Blair multi rope winders for Gold Fields’ South Deep gold mine.
Winder Controls’ largest current project is the supply of multiple hoist systems to Ivanhoe’ s Platreef operation expansion in South Africa. Platreef’ s current Shaft 1 uses a refurbished hoist but Shafts 2 and 3 will use all new hoist systems. Specifically, the Platreef integrated expansion will involve a phased development of Platreef, with an initial 770,000 t / y underground mine and equivalent throughout capacity concentrator, targeting high grade mining areas close to Shaft 1. First concentrate production for this is targeted in 2025, to be followed by commissioning of a 4 Mt / y production hoist in Shaft 3 in Q1 2026 and dual purpose personnel and materials hoist in Shaft 2 to be commissioned in Q3 2028. A second concentrator with a 3.3 Mt / y capacity enabling a combined process capacity of
4.07 Mtpa will be commissioned in Q4 2027.
Technology innovations as a result of work from Winder Controls and SIEMAG include the Koepe winder with integrated Innomotics motor. With this drive technology, the motor is integrated into the traction sheave instead of being mounted outside on the main shaft, as is the case with conventional Koepe winding machines. Stator and rotor elements are accessible through specially designed openings in the side plates, which are closed during operation. Cooling air and energy are supplied to the motor via flow rings mounted on the fixed axle.
A major part of Winder Controls’ business is also modernisation of older hoists in Africa. An example is using the TMEIC TMdrive-MVe2- a high-efficiency, mediumvoltage inverter to modernise legacy winder systems. It says with successful installations at multiple sites, these drives are delivering real, measurable results to its clients daily including energy savings of 40-46 %, reduced maintenance on legacy components, and improved safety through continuous & closed-loop control, plus single-motor mode operation with half payload capability. They are NRS 048-compliant with a power factor > 0.95 and are supported both locally and internationally.
Winder Controls:“ Many of Africa’ s winders were installed decades ago,
using slip-ring induction motors and liquid resistance control. The TMdrive- MVe2 offers a future-ready upgrade- enhancing performance while retaining the existing motor and infrastructure. With its multilevel topology, integrated transformer configuration, and proven MTBF, this drive is helping mines reduce operating costs, increase efficiency, and take a confident step into the future.”
In South Africa in particular, many hoists in operation today are between 20 to 100 years old, with a number of these featuring drums of cast construction. These machines, with their often undocumented histories, have become crucial components in mining operations. Winder Controls states that the advent of advanced and meticulous annual inspections has brought to light a range of issues with these hoists.“ Magnetic Particle Inspection( MPI) is frequently employed to identify potential concerns, including casting defects, fabrication issues, and fatiguerelated indications. These inspections often reveal conditions that prompt questions about the continued fitness of these hoists for service. With recorded data from these inspections, the challenge lies in determining the appropriate course of action. Some indications may require no intervention, while others may necessitate monitoring or urgent action.”
PARTNERING TO SOLVE YOUR UNDERGROUND MINING CHALLENGES
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