MINING HOISTS
Brunton Shaw & Usha Martin - 150 years of proven performance
Kolkata , India-headquarted Usha Martin Group is a global leader in wire ropes for industry . With over 150 years of industry experience , its subsidiary Brunton Shaw UK in Worksop , Nottinghamshire has established itself as a preferred supplier for a large assortment of products with mining one of its main markets . The company ’ s state-of-the art production facility is one of the most modern in Europe . We spoke to Dimitri Bracco Gartner , Chief Executive Officer of Usha Martin International who is based in the UK .
Q Is mining a focus market for Usha Martin and do you produce mining hoist ropes in any particular factories around the world ? A Yes , mining is one of the focus markets for Usha Martin , and mining hoist ropes are produced in two of our factories : Usha Martin ’ s Ranchi facility in India and Brunton Shaw UK .
Q Are there any particular mining regions where most of your mining hoist rope sales are concentrated eg Asia , Africa etc ? A Being a global oriented organisation with local service entities , our surface mining ropes are sold widely across the world , including in India , Australia , South Africa , USA , Canada , Mexico , Chile , Peru , Colombia , Brazil , Morocco , Senegal and others . Underground mining hoist ropes sales are mostly concentrated in India , Canada , Australia , Kazakhstan , Czech Republic , Finland and others .
Q Are you more focused on surface mining ropes eg for draglines and shovels rather than underground rope ? A The company focuses on both surface mining ropes used in draglines and shovels , as well as hoist , balance , and guide ropes used in underground mining .
Q Are there any particular types of mining hoist rope that you are known for supplying for underground applications ?
A For many years , various brands of our mining ropes from our India and UK factories have been widely used in different applications in underground shafts . For underground applications , one of the popular and widely used mining ropes of Brunton Shaw is our Minemax35 nonrotating , compacted wire rope . For Usha Martin India , our Mineslock , Minesform and Minesflex mining ropes have been successfully used and operating in many underground mining applications . In addition to the above-mentioned ropes , both UM India and Brunton Shaw have a vast array of solutions for hoists in friction winders ; hoists in drum winders ; balance / tail ropes ; half lock guide ropes ; and shaft sinking ropes . All of the above-mentioned brand names are popular products , as is our mentioned range of Minemax ropes , specifically produced within Brunton Shaw , UK . All of our ropes are considered premium products .
Q Can you give any specific examples of an underground mining application of your hoist ropes eg type of mine , location of mine , type of rope they used ? A Our underground mining ropes are used in various types of mines , including coal , iron ore , zinc , gold , copper , silver , lead , tin , manganese , and uranium . These ropes are supplied to various locations such as India , Australia , North America , South America , Kazakhstan , Mongolia etc . The types of ropes we offer include head rope , tail rope , half locked coil guide rope , and shaft sinking rope . Further , our Minemax product of the Brunton Shaw UK factory has been supplied and remains in operation at some prestigious critical mines in the UK , Canada and other parts of Europe .
Q What selection procedure do you go through with mining customers to ensure they get the right hoist rope for their underground mine ? A Rope selection is a joint activity between Usha Martin technical experts and the customer . Our team helps the customer to select the most suitable rope for their needs , based , for example , upon the type of application , performance indicators , environmental conditions , local regulations , the best rope geometry and the required breaking force to name but a few .
One of the popular and widely used mining ropes of Brunton Shaw UK is its Minemax35 non-rotating , compacted wire rope
Bridon ® hybrid ropes for underground mining
The new , commercially available Bridon ® hybrid ropes for underground mining hoist systems combine the best features of both steel and fibre rope , Henry Schultheis , Technical Lead Underground Mining for Bridon-Bekaert Ropes Group ( BBRG ) told IM . The new Bridon ® hybrid rope contains steel strands with a high strength fibre core , both sharing the axial tensile load . “ When we first developed the hybrid design for the underground hoisting application , the technical and commercial teams targeted a rope that would allow us to safely do the following : reduce weight ( and increase the strength to weight ratio ); add more pay load at same safety factor ; achieve a high safety factor under same lay load ; allow for longer service life ; consume less energy ; achieve a greater operational depth ; eradicate internal corrosion ; and extend fatigue life with the fibre core ’ s bending durability .”
Still , the greatest challenge facing the Bekaert team was gaining the acceptance of mining authorities to use high strength fibre contribution in the required Minumum Breaking Load ( MBL ). Schultheis : “ Worldwide , the further development of shaft hoisting systems is significantly limited
84 International Mining | AUGUST 2024