January 2016
|
World Coal
|
45
Setting a platform
Frank Wickert, Flanders, USA,
explains how the Freedom Platform for
shovels can enhance DC rope shovel performance, while minimising the
structural stresses inherent in mine environments.
U
sing the rope shovel and its dedicated
truck fleet can be the most versatile
method to remove overburden and
low-grade material in order to expose the
mines valued resource, whether it be coal, copper,
gold or petrochemicals. Shovels are continually
designed with larger dippers and associated
infrastructure to minimise the cost of this non
value-added process. Unfortunately, the shovel
mechanical structure and material handling capacity
may have exceeded the associated OEM control
system and DC motor ability to support the full
potential of the shovel.
Flanders addressed this mismatch by developing
the Freedom™ Platform.
Problem
When the shovel boom and mechanical structure are at
its weakest point, i.e. while at fully extended crowd,
high in the bank with the hoist motors at or near stall
condition, the shovel operator instinctively manipulates
the crowd to compensate for the potential lack of crowd
