THE PROJECT
overloading of the structure. Meanwhile, using finite element analysis (FEA) to find areas of lower stress in the structure enabled the overall weight of the system to be significantly lowered to stay within weight restrictions. “Intensive technical development was required to
ensure a safe, reliable and efficient control system,” CRS adds. The client was pleased with finished design. “With
their extensive experience and design expertise, especially in the mining industry, we knew it was the right choice to partner with CRS in custom designing a crane that would meet our unique, deep-underground needs,” it says. Dedicated test stands were designed and built
Fully integrated system as installed on the rotator.
The 17.6-ton crane solution uses dual extending run-out monorail beams that are attached to each other, with each beam having two 5.0-ton Kito ER2 electric-chain hoists with 150ft lift. Electric chain hoists were selected to ensure ‘true vertical lift’, and also due to their smaller physical size, compared to electric wire rope style hoists. Typical flat cable festoon systems were replaced with Igus energy track-style power supply systems to also minimise the overall crane footprint. Even though the four hoists provide 20-ton
lifting capacity in total, the load cell summation will limit the total capacity to 17.6 tons, the maximum considered lifting capacity, or 4.4 tons each. The company integrated a full logic and
control system so that the hoists can function in all configuations, including independently, up to a four- hoist synchronised unit. CRS coordinated with the client on the loading
requirements at full extension and putting limiting controls and load summations in place to prevent
at CRS to ensure operation and functionality of the units could be finalised and the units could be load tested in our facility prior to shipping to site. Further load testing of the unit at the site too was carried out prior to installation – due to the challenge of having the test weights at the bottom of the shaft, the tests had to be done on the surface, on an above-surface test stand. The job, meanwhile, was unlike any other CRS has
attempted before, although it hasn’t been its most difficult challenge to date.
“It is a big part of what we do – we build a lot of
standard cranes, but we also have the capabilities to design and build very customised solutions for our clients” says Roots. “We're always solving problems one way or another. It’s something that we're good at and what we do a lot of.” Work on a second, identical unit for the client to use at the same site, but a different mine shaft, is already well underway.
After all the testing this unit is now installed over the elevator shaft ready to begin its trips going hundreds of meters underground and back.
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