HOISTS AND WINDERS
INNOMOTICS insights
INNOMOTICS was launched in Germany as a separately managed legal entity as of July 1 , 2023 . The global carveout is also to be largely completed by the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1 , 2023 . Under a single roof , the supplier of motors and large drives , which remains a Siemens-owned business , brings together business activities with low- to high-voltage motors , geared motors , medium-voltage converters and motor spindles as well as project and service offerings for this product portfolio . This includes major mining solutions such as mine hoist solutions . IM spoke to Bernd Erdtmann , Senior Sales Manager , INNOMOTICS with responsibility for hoisting and winder technologies
Much of Siemens ’ mining and large drives related businesses and technologies are moving forward into a new standalone company , INNOMOTICS – is hoisting part of that and what will it mean for existing and future customers ? BE : Hoisting is one important business of INNOMOTICS Mineral Solutions for existing and future customers . We will continue to serve the market and our customers with the same enthusiasm as we did in the past .
Will your collaboration and partnership with SIEMAG TECBERG continue under the new INNOMOTICS ? BE : INNOMOTICS has two different approaches for our mine winder business – the drive system business and the minerals solution business . The drive system business is focused on drive solutions for dedicated customers like SIEMAG TECBERG while the minerals solution business implements comprehensive electrical , drive & control solutions . INNOMOTICS is a well-trusted partner of SIEMAG TECBERG for our drive systems as part of the INNOMOTICS system business . Integrated MV- / LV-drive solutions have been used in new installations as well as modernisation projects worldwide . So SIEMAG TECBERG is one system integrator with INNOMATICS drive systems . Close cooperation was established with this partner to standardise the interface as well as communications between the drive system and the SIEMAG TECBERG automation system . As mentioned INNOMOTICS Minerals Solutions is a supplier of comprehensive electrical & control solutions which include , besides the drive systems , our proven winder controller , power distribution , communication , sensors & instruments , and others which are required for a full mine winder electrical solution . This solution for example has been implemented together with the German company OLKO Maschinentechnik GmbH for the successful delivery of complete mine winders for customers in Turkmenistan , Russia , Belarus , Great Britain , and Germany .
Siemens has been well known in the hoisting market for its commitment to safety and regular updates to the Winder Technological Controller ( WTC ); will this continue under INNOMOTICS and are there any recent developments you would like to highlight ? BE : INNOMOTICS Minerals Solutions will certainly continue to improve and update our Winder Technological Controller as we did under the Siemens umbrella . To respond to the increased SIL requirements in some markets in Europe and North America , we developed our SIL3 certified safety monitor / controller in 2018 . Together with our German mechanical partner OLKO Maschinentechnik we are currently developing a SIL3 certified winder brake . Thus , INNOMOTICS together with OLKO Maschinentechnik GmbH will be able to deliver full SIL3 mine winder solutions .
Similarly does the use of automation in mine hoisting continue and as such are many of your customers opting to use your cloud-based mine hoist monitoring and control solutions ? BE : One optional part of the INNOMOTICS Minerals Solution mine winder portfolio is our Asset Health Analytics which operates completely separately from our mine winder control system . It covers modules for maintenance concepts & maintenance management ; nanagement & documentation of mandatory tests to comply with public mining regulations ; and condition monitoring of critical components . Our Asset Health Analytics can be implemented as a cloud-based solution or onsite . If required , our service experts can connect to the customer operation via a safe remote access .
Does the modernisation and retrofit of existing winders and hoist represent an important part of the market and has it increased as customers look to extend the life of existing assets ? BE : A retrofit is one way of extending the life of existing assets . However , in general , the main components of our solutions , such as motors and the power sections of variable speed drives , are designed to have a life span of 20 years or longer . This is borne out by the experience of our customers . In most cases , our customers focus on replacing their existing control & SCADA to obtain the latest control developments together with state-of-the-art electronic components , to be prepared to connect to future digital solutions and to ensure that spare parts are available .
Hoists are significant power consumers – with mining so much now focused on sustainability , is the efficiency of your solutions a major part of any discussion either for retrofits or for greenfield hoist projects ? BE : The mining industry is currently working hard to reduce its CO 2 emissions in general and for raw material haulage specifically . Electrifying mining processes is a key element in ensuring that these efforts are successful . Using electrical mine winders to haul raw materials has been a zero-emission application since when it was first implemented in the early 20th century . If powered with renewable electricity , it would be a 100 % green solution . The provision of electrical equipment with the highest efficiency is certainly a must for suppliers like INNOMOTICS Mineral Solutions . there are a number of key variables that play into a mining operation ’ s overall decision : shaft diameter / number of conveyances ; hoisting speed ; hoisting ropes ; mine air ventilation ; upfront cost ; and operating costs .
He concludes : “ There are numerous factors involved with determining the right conveyance guide system for any operation . The factors above are a large part of the decision criteria but , most importantly , it is imperative that the operator work with a qualified person to guide them through the evaluation process to determine the right application to meet their needs .”
Stantec and shaft successes
Derek Naude is a Shafts and Hoisting Consultant
for Stantec in Phoenix , Arizona . He is a Mechanical Maintenance and Design Engineer
with 25 years of experience in all matters related to mine shafts and hoisting installations . IM went through some key issues with him . First off , the fact that the fundamentals of production hoists - such as the Koepe and Blair winder designs are pretty much unchanged - how has it been possible to continue to optimise new hoists and make them more efficient and how has Stantec been able to assist mining customers in this regard ?
Naude stated : “ The fundamentals of hoisting are simply raising a conveyance from depth by winding a rope onto a drum , so the basic concept of hoisting has not changed since hoisting was
32 International Mining | AUGUST 2023