Coal Age Magazine - For more than 100 years, Coal Age has been the magazine that readers can trust for guidance and insight on this important industry.
Issue link: https://coal.epubxp.com/i/56074
product news Man Doors Keep Mine Air Where It Belongs Chain Monitoring System The new Zero Man Door is a tight-sealing vetilation conrol man door that reduces personnel risk, mainte- nance work and energy costs. A safe, strong, tight-sealing ventilation-con- trol man door is reducing personnel risk, maintenance work and energy costs in a growing number of mines. Designed and built by mining-industry veterans, the patented Zero Man Door stands up to con- vergence and heaving that cause conven- tional mine doors to leak, warp and jam. "These things are solid as a rock," said Western Pennsylvania Mine Foreman Larry Cassidy. He has installed hundreds of Zero doors at CONSOL Energy's Bailey mine in Wind Ridge, Pa. "Ventilation leakage was costing us a lot," Cassidy said. "Now our air- flow is better than it's ever been, and we're saving money on maintenance. Zero doors seal tightly, stay tight and don't have to be replaced as often as other doors." According to Allan Bunner, vice presi- dent, Zero Man Door in Pittsburgh, the Zero design is a response to real-life chal- lenges. "We spent months talking to mine operators, ventilation people and individ- ual miners. They showed us mine doors that folded up under pressure, were diffi- cult and dangerous to operate, and wasted air and energy." "We engineered a whole new solu- tion, from the ground up." The result, he said, is the toughest man door, with 50 www.coalage.com heavy, galvanized, 10-gauge steel-tube frames and 16-gauge door panels. In the field, our customers are seeing much higher reliability and productivity, and much less downtime," said Bunner Standard Zero safety features include rolled door edges that won't snag skin, clothes or equipment; high-visibility warn- ing reflectors; and an exclusive auto-closing mechanism that eliminates slamming and keeps body parts out of harm's way. For safe travel between high- and low-pressure spaces, each door is equipped with a built- in equalizer port to minimize air-control disruption. The port doubles as a conve- nient rock-dusting access point. "Our simple, modular design makes installation a snap," said Bunner. "Using one simple tool, one or two men can assemble several doors in a single shift. For maximum flexibility, our standard sizes range from 30- x 30-inches to 48- x 60-inches—all with adjustable frames that fit 6-inch, 8-inch, and thicker stoppings. "Zero doors seal better," Bunner said. "With sure-tight latching handles and extra- durable fiberglass gaskets, they keep venti- lation air where it belongs, more reliably than conventional doors can." www.zeromandoor.com February 2012 Strainstall Marine, a UK-based load cell manufacturer, has launched a new sys- tem for monitoring the tension in chains used for longwall mining systems. It pro- vides operators with data on the tensions in the chains, and should the loads reach pre-set limits, the system has the facility to decrease/increase tension in the chain, generate alarms to warn operators to take corrective action before any breakdown occurs or stop the conveyor. "Operators no longer have to worry about chain overloading and potential sys- tem failure, which has the additional benefit of providing significant cost savings from both improved operation and increased chain life," said Adrian Coventry, engineer- ing director, Strainstall. "Also, as it uses our load cells and pins that have many years of proven use in harsh environments, they are can be assured our system will provide long term, hassle-free operation." The system uses Strainstall load pins or compressive load cells to measure the ten- sion in the armored face conveyor chain. Specifically designed to operate in extreme temperatures and resistant to high moisture levels, abrasive materials and vibration, both the load pins and load cells are idea for use in the harsh conditions found under- ground. The load pins are also resistant to the effects of metal fatigue, a condition caused by being subjected to repeated cyclic loads. www.strainstallmarine.com Intrinsically Safe Radios The Kenwood TK-2360/3360 portable radio will now has an Intrinsically Safe (IS)