HOISTS AND WINDERS
Hoist and winder brakes – Altra joins Regal Rexnord
On March 27 , Regal Rexnord Corporation completed the acquisition of Altra Industrial Motion Corp , closing a deal that was signed on October 26 , 2022 . Altra Industrial Motion brands Twiflex and Svendborg Brakes manufacture a vast range of industrial disc brake calipers for industrial and mining applications , with hoists and winders being a core market . Twiflex as an example caters for all combinations of brake actuation . Direct
Regal Rexnord Corporation recently completed the acting brakes may be specified with acquisition of Altra Industrial Motion
pneumatic , hydraulic or mechanical application . Additionally , spring applied ( sometimes referred to as fail-safe ) calipers are available , released by pneumatic , hydraulic , mechanical or electric operation .
Commenting on the announcement , CEO Louis Pinkham said , " Altra ' s Power Transmission Technologies business significantly enhances our legacy power transmission portfolio , in particular our industrial powertrain offering , by adding complementary products in brakes , gears , and clutches . The combined power transmission , automation and powertrain capabilities of the new Regal Rexnord offer customers a significantly enhanced value proposition across a wider range of end markets – many with highly attractive secular growth tailwinds ."
stringent that it most often will result in a complete electrical and control system retrofit if it were to be supplied as an existing hoist upgrade .”
He adds that while there will always be a market for low-time used machines , it can almost certainly be assumed that these will require a new electrical and control system and possibly a full brake and hydraulic upgrade . “ Employing a used hoist does require the luxury of time as the machine must often be uplifted from its current location , fully inspected and inventoried , and then refurbished . The refurbishment should be carried out by the OEM or at least under their supervision to ensure original standards to be certain tolerances are maintained .”
Stantec generally recommends that new machines are used to remove the risk of unwanted failures on a newly installed hoist , but if required it assists in finding suitable used equipment . “ From my personal experience I have found the time it takes to locate and refurbish these , along with the cost to upgrade and replace items , often means it is more effective and quicker to go with new equipment . That said , there are several reputable suppliers who do supply good used machines and there are applications where these are used very effectively .”
Looking at safety , functional safety is the highest safety standard for hoisting , and Stantec says it supports the application of the highest possible safety standards . Naude : “ That does not mean that existing operating hoists are not safe . It should be noted that Functional Safety is not specifically legislated in the US . Stantec will still
support customers who do not require the application of Functional Safety , and we will always strive for the safest possible engineered solution for any application . As Functional Safety can be very expensive to implement , we find that many of our smaller operating customers do not require the application thereof . Because our designs are risk-based , we will always deliver designs to meet or exceed tolerable risk levels .”
As Functional Safety matures among the hoisting suppliers , Stantec is finding that some hoist suppliers are starting to offer SIL packages as standard equipment , and believes with time , these will become standard offerings for new equipment . “ It should be noted however , that just purchasing a specific SIL-rated component does not mean you have a SIL system . Each system must be assessed on its unique basis , evaluated for the associated risks , and these must be mitigated in accordance with IEC 61508 process for it to be fully compliant . Stantec specialises in these services and we have partnered with industry Functional Safety experts to support our clients through the rigorous process of SIL accreditation .”
As might be expected the main focus has been on permanent installations , and temporary and construction installations have less onerous requirements but still very high regard for safety systems . “ For new permanent applications , the technology is being applied across the board for production and service hoisting , with a focus on optimising production hoisting , of course , but equal consideration to safety . Reducing delays in the production cycle for loading and unloading skips remains the goal of Stantec hoist designers for all our customers . We have recently noticed that some of our larger customers are calling for much higher standards during sinking and construction , specifically for safety systems where we note the requirement for SIL systems .”
ABB and Smart Hoisting
The world of mining is going through a deep technological revolution . The need for miners to digitise their operations and the many new tools on the market are changing the way of mining operations . This applies to hoist systems as well . ABB says it is continuously helping its customers to move toward autonomous and digitised operations . The use of data analytics tools can predict potential safety risks and enhance overall safety . For instance , automated alerts can be sent to operators in real time if the system identifies any signs of abnormal activity . These predictive analytics can pre-emptively identify and mitigate risks , thereby preventing accidents and ensuring a safer mining environment .
With its solution suite ABB Ability™ Smart Hoisting , ABB says it is helping mining companies to improve uptime , availability , performance and productivity of their mine hoists by getting access to actionable information on Key Performance Indicators ( KPIs ). Data is automatically collected , monitored and analysed to generate actionable insights that can increase production performance , identify safety hazards , and provide optimised maintenance scheduling . During 2023 , ABB will launch an update to the existing Smart Hoisting solution which will enable even higher mine hoist reliability than before .
“ The new and improved Smart Hoisting solution offers a step change in the operational performance and reliability of mine hoists ,” says Charles Bennett , Global BL Service Manager , Hoisting at ABB . “ From improved uptime , reduced environmental footprint , and strengthened cyber protections , this solution brings enormous benefits to the industry at an important time .”
34 International Mining | AUGUST 2023