UNDERGROUND RAIL
Ferrit ' s powerful electric PLP450F weights in at 38 t
the performance of the Railveyor system at Goldex mine and look forward to continued success in our partnership with AEM .”
Ferrit ’ s comprehensive rail line-up
Czech mining machinery manufacturer Ferrit offers one of the industry ’ s widest ranges of ground rail products includeing diesel , electric , and battery power locomotives , rack and pinion systems , tracks , and conveyor belt changing equipment .
Ferrit says it is experienced with designing complete transportation solutions for mines using a mix of suspended monorail , ground rail ,
and other wheeled vehicles . These are available as standard models , or versions that are compliant with EU directive ATEX 95 ( 94 / 9 / EC ), which covers the supply and use of equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres .
A major cited advantage of Ferrit mining transport equipment is the possibility to share containers among the different types of transport – eg ground rail locomotives can take over containers with load from a suspended monorail transport system and vice versa .
Starting with electric power , the 20 t TLP120F trolley locomotive has the flexibility of 2 x 75 kW motors , and can move material , equipment , or personnel in and around headings . It is designed for running on railway tracks with a maximum inclination of 35 %. It can be disassembled into two units to facilitate initial installation , and subsequent relocation if necessary . The driver ’ s cab is equipped with control , monitoring and safety features , and has good viewing angles of the track and tunnel and can be equipped with additional directional cameras . Other features are bi-directional operation to shift loads of up to 300 t , and the system is ready for fully autonomous operation . The related 14.5 t TLP90F has the same features as the TLP120F , but these units are designed to operate on tracks with a maximum inclination of 50 %.
The most powerful of Ferrit ’ s electric-powered units , 38 t PLP450F locomotives are designed to operate on 750-1,000 mm gauge tracks at gradients of up to 50 %, making them suitable for tunnelling projects . It can be disassembled into two main assembly units ( cabin and engine part of the locomotive ) to facilitate its transport to the workplace and moved around the mine if needed .
DLPA90F 19 t battery-powered locomotives are designed to operate on 1,067 mm ( 42 in ) gauge rail tracks at gradients of up to ± 50 %. They can be disassembled into three main sections in order to facilitate initial installation at the mine site , and subsequent repurposing if needed . Their cabin facilities are similar to the electric-powered units .
DLPA2x44F-K 18 t locomotives are designed to operate on 550-900 mm gauge rail tracks at gradients of up to ± 35 %. It has two sections which are interconnected by a rod , which enables the engine and trolleys to move around curves with a 10 m turning radius .
Finally , DLP140F 15.5 t locomotives operate on 550-900 mm gauge rail tracks with a gradient of up to 35 % and consist of three main sections for ease of transportation and assembly at the mine site and features two driver cabins .
SMT Scharf continues monorail leadership
Some 34 % of all underground monorails worldwide in tunnelling and mining are from Germany ’ s SMT Scharf . Its main product group is rail-bound monorail systems ; used primarily in underground coal and ore mines for transporting materials and personnel with payloads of up to 48 t and inclines of up to 35 degrees . The modular design of the latest SMT Scharf DZK3500 as an example allows easy reconfiguration of the train composition by the user at the mine without the mandatory use of new parts .
While Poland remains a very important market for SMT Scharf monorails , China represents the largest current market and also the largest growth opportunity . In its 2022 annual report , Chairman of the Management Board and CEO Hans Joachim Theiss states : “ Emerging economies such as China will continue to expand their coal mining in order to generate the energy they need for their targeted economic growth . SMT Scharf can benefit from this demand , as highly engineered mines , in
particular , are being created , which rely on modern mining technology . At the same time , this will give SMT Scharf time to advance the targeted diversification of its business into noncoal business segments .”
The company adds : “ Sustainability standards are becoming increasingly stringent in the mining markets around the world where SMT Scharf operates . We welcome this development and are prepared for , and com- mitted to , setting standards with our products . This approach enabled us to meet the stringent China III standards , which stipulate more exacting exhaust emission standards for machines in the mining industry . With the DZK3500 , we have created a completely revised machine generation for the Chinese market , featuring an optimised motor with an intelligent management system and a 15 % higher drive power .”
China continued to be the most important sales market for SMT Scharf AG in 2022 with revenue of 43.4 million , or a 46.3 % share of total revenue . In light of the China III emissions directive that is applicable to Chinese mining companies , they are investing in innovative mining technology with which they can meet the more exacting statutory requirements . SMT Scharf believes it can benefit from this accordingly with its established market position . Aside from China , SMT Scharf added : “ SMT Scharf is pursuing the goal of further expanding its activities in the business segments outside coal , including in the mineral mining segment , which is to grow to form a segment equivalent to that of the coal segment in the medium to long term . Deploying rail transportation and logistics systems in platinum , gold and copper mines will increase , and consequently exert a positive effect on the sales revenue contribution from this business . SMT Scharf is moving closer to its customers in this segment by expanding its sales in new global regions such as the Andes , by setting up new subsidiaries , or by expanding its sales network in the African market via local commercial agents .” IM
The DSK3500 is proving to be a game changer in China as it meets the country ’ s stricter III standards
JUNE 2023 | International Mining 55