Coal Age

JAN-FEB 2018

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42 www.coalage.com January/February 2018 suppliers news Gearless Technology for a Wider Range of Conveyors ABB is making its gearless conveyor drive available for use on a wider range of conveyor systems. Already proven on long, large overland systems, the newest drive is designed for medium-pow- er-range motors (1 MW to 3 MW per motor) to make this technol- ogy economically feasible for a broad range of conveyor systems. Fewer parts and new motor technology increase the reliabil- ity and efficiency of the overall conveyor system. A permanent magnet motor specifically designed for mining applications is a core element of this system that contributes to its reliability and ability to perform in the most challenging environments. The gearless conveyor drive system eliminates the gearbox from the drive. This reduces the number of main wear parts, so less maintenance is needed, and lengthens the lifespan of the equipment. The expected lifespan for the drive train increases by more than 10 years when compared to traditional geared systems, to a projected in-service life of 25 years. Other advantages include a considerable reduction in the drive system's footprint, so it can be installed in smaller spaces, less weight and a reduction in the instrumentation required to operate the system. The gearless drive design is also more energy efficient, requiring less power, and operates more quietly, thus re- ducing noise emissions, the company said. In July, a pilot project to test this new gearless solution was in- stalled in collaboration with Lausitz Energie Bergbau AG (LEAG) in an open-pit lignite mine, Jänschwalde, located near Cottbus, Germany. It was installed on a high-capacity (15,000 metric ton per hour) discharge conveyor of a bucket-chain excavator in paral- lel with the existing geared drive. Both drives connect to the same pulley shaft to allow for exact benchmarking. The gearless solution has performed better in regard to dynamic accuracy and overall ef- ficiency than the existing traditional solution, according to ABB. The operational data demonstrate the advantages of the gear- less solution with less components. A gearless solution is more reliable (with a 50% lower failure rate) and requires less mainten- ance. It is meeting eco-design and energy performance require- ments according to international standards to support mine site's environmental approvals or certification. The new drive also con- sumes 5% less energy than the other installed drive. "The interest of LEAG in this pilot project mainly lies in the expectations related to higher efficiency, lower wear and hence less expenses for repairs and maintenance," said Peter Scholze, head of service for open-pit mines, LEAG. "These results were ver- ified from measurements and analytics taken during operations in the past few weeks. At the same time, the project proves LEAG's interest in a future-oriented and innovative technical approach. Thanks to the close cooperation between LEAG and ABB, the proj- ect could be finalized within a short period of time. Since commis- sioning has taken place, the drive has been running smoothly." The on-site team was impressed with ABB's quick and flaw- less project commissioning. ABB said the operations and main- tenance team also found the new system to be easy to learn, un- derstand, and use, without any major difference in operation or handling when compared with the existing systems/technology. Trimble Announces 2 New Grade Control Systems Trimble debuted its Earthworks grade control system for dozers and the T10 Tablet at INTERMAT in Paris. Earthworks is Trimble's next-generation grade control platform for excavators and doz- ers. Reengineered from the ground up, the it features intuitive, easy-to-learn software that runs on an Android operating system. State-of-the-art software and hardware gives operators of all skill levels the ability to work faster and more officiently. The Earthworks for dozers grade control configuration mounts dual GNSS receivers on top of the cab to eliminate masts and cables traditionally located on the blade. The dual GNSS re- ceivers are ideal for steep slope work and complex designs with tight tolerances. The new configuration keeps valuable receivers safer and can also save time by reducing the time needed to re- move and reinstall them each day. Trimble's Earthworks grade control application is built on the Android operating system and runs on a 10-inch (25.7 centime- ter) Trimble TD520 touch-screen display. Colorful graphics, nat- ABB has a new gearless solution for medium-powered conveyor drives. The T10 Tablet (left) can be used for verifying ground levels. The 10-inch touch screen (right) for the Earthworks system displays grades for the dozer operator.

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