DRIVES & CONTROLS
LKAB has just awarded ABB a contract to install two ABB Gearless Conveyor Drives ( GCDs ) on the existing TR020 conveyor belt system at its Malmberget underground mine
Power delivered
Whether it is a mill , a conveyor , an electric drive haul truck or even a surface miner , motor and drive delivered power underlies most heavy duty tasks in mining . Paul Moore looks at some of the latest innovations
While gearless drives have become the norm for very large SAG mills , their use in major mining conveyors continues to increase . ABB ’ s innovation in this area is its gearless conveyor drive ( GCD ) based on permanent magnet motor ( PMM ) technology . It removes the need for a gearbox , thereby lowering maintenance costs while improving overall reliability leading to greater uptime . The technology fulfils eco design requirements , saves energy and reduces failure rate and repair works . ABB says this pioneering GCD is advanced , lightweight and compact so that it can be shaft or foot-mounted and used with air- or liquid-cooling
ABB GCDs gearless conveyor drives remove the need for a gearbox , thereby lowering maintenance costs while improving overall reliability leading to greater uptime methods . Its heavy duty design is robust enough to deal with the shocks and vibrations associated with mining conveyor applications and its IP65 rating means it is totally protected from dust and water contamination .
LKAB has just awarded ABB a contract to install two ABB Gearless Conveyor Drives ( GCDs ) on the existing TR020 conveyor belt system at its Malmberget underground mine near Gällivare , Norrbotten County , Lapland , the most northern province in Sweden .
The existing setup already carries up to 15 Mt of iron ore every year , but uses a 2,800 kW wound rotor induction motor ( WRIM ) with gearbox to drive the conveyor . It will be replaced with ABB ’ s latest GCD technology , two 1,600 kW models with permanent magnet motors ( PMM ), to enable an increase in annual production while lowering energy use .
ABB ’ s installation engineers and project management team face the challenge of working in a tight space at around 1,250 m underground to remove the large equipment and replace it with the new units . Once the upgrade is complete in 2025 , LKAB will be able to achieve energy efficiency
savings of between 6 and 10 %, which will translate to considerable OPEX savings per year .
ABB GCDs have a motor power of between 0.2 MW and 8 MW , removing the need for a gearbox and thereby lowering maintenance costs while improving overall reliability and leading to greater uptime . A unique ABB innovation , it says they are known to be the most energy-efficient conveyor drive solution .
“ We are managing the largest iron ore mines in Europe where productivity must remain high while energy efficiency increases ,” said Pär Sundqvist , Engineer and Project Owner , LKAB . “ This important upgrade will improve the throughput on the conveyor and help us to meet our energy targets . ABB ’ s technology will also reduce both OPEX per ton and ongoing lifecycle costs .”
“ The new ABB equipment will allow for an improved working environment in the mine – cleaner and safer ,” said Ulf Richter , Product Manager Conveyor Solutions , ABB . “ Gearless Conveyor Drives are known to be the most energy-efficient solution for conveyors , enabling reliable transportation of ore . The upgrade also means reduced noise and heat in the conveyor drive area .”
The GCD ’ s permanent magnetic motors are directly coupled to the existing conveyor ’ s drive pulley and can also adapted to meet the particular demands of this underground installation . The main advantages are energy savings , health and safety improvements , reduced maintenance costs and steady , solid production due to higher reliability .
ABB was awarded the project contract in the third quarter of 2023 and the installation will take place during scheduled maintenance stops with the final commissioning due in August 2025 .
DB Santasalo GearWatch up and running in Australia
In July 2023 , DB Santasalo took a big step forward in mining through its Service Centre in Perth , Australia , which recently fitted its proprietary condition monitoring system , GearWatch , to an overland conveyor in Western Australia . The unit is the first of its GearWatch systems to be fitted in Australia .
After detecting signs of contaminants in their gearbox oil , the customer began to research solutions . “ Upon hearing about the capabilities of our GearWatch condition monitoring system , they felt it met their specific requirements and reached out to our team of specialists for further information . Following our guidance , the customer opted for the GearWatch Oil Analysis
34 International Mining | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023