HOISTS AND WINDERS
Derek Naude , Shafts and Hoisting Consultant for Stantec
first envisaged for mining . What does change is the need to go deeper and raise higher payloads , and of course doing this efficiently and safely . Advances have been in the design of the hoist ' s structural , mechanical , control , and instrumentation components to make them more cost-effective , energy efficient , and safer . Rope technology is another key factor and often a limiting factor of hoisting capability . There are currently studies and trial projects underway testing alternate rope material that could dramatically change hoisting .”
Stantec provides functional specifications for the equipment , and then collaborates with
industry technology leaders to design each hoist . Virtually all hoisting applications are unique , and Stantec seldom , if ever , has standard designs that can be used .
He continues : “ One of the ways we make new hoists more efficient is to optimise how they are used – here we can reduce operational delays by optimising the hoisting time to reduce downtime . This is done by automating as many of the processes as possible . This includes inspection activities and real-time monitoring . Through this the team can diagnose and solve problems in real-time and warn of impending issues so they can be inspected during routine maintenance . The result is less unplanned downtime . Coupled with these technologies are hoist technicians , located in dedicated monitoring centres , who monitor systems in real-time and report potential issues . There are also technologies now being developed and , in some cases , available for automated shaft examinations , rope intelligent photographic examination , and continuous ultrasonic testing .”
Then onto the topic of hoisting and sustainability . Energy efficiency and the goal of an energy-neutral design is a constant consideration for any hoist design . But Naude argues that with hoists being such large energy consumers , getting an energy neutral design is unlikely at this stage . “ However , there are technologies available that will reduce power consumption . For example , on a sizeable hoisting project that employs a number of large Blair Multi Rope ( BMR ) Hoists , Stantec will employ a hoist control strategy to sequence the acceleration cycle of one hoist with the deceleration ( regenerative ) cycle of another . This approach allows for absorbing the regenerated energy of another hoist . Stantec is currently working with hoisting technology leaders on other energy storage means , such as mechanical flywheel and battery storage . Since these solutions need to be large enough to supply these powerful machines , the economics remains a factor to be considered , but we continue to pursue these advances .” Finally , Stantec is also studying the plausibility of a ropeless hoisting concept . Steel wire hoisting ropes contribute to a significant portion of the hoist power demand , and if these can be removed from the equations , the systems would be more energy efficient .
What about the significant market for retrofitting newer electrics , automation systems and other upgrades to existing hoists ? “ The most noticeable change in the industry is the application of Functional Safety to hoist electronic control systems , resulting in the application of Safety Integrity Level ( SIL ) rated equipment . This has been prominent in Europe and Australia for some time but is fast becoming the gold standard for mining operations around the world . The specification and testing of these systems is so
AUGUST 2023 | International Mining 33