mobile rope handling system

A Tech Edge Project for Wesizwe Platinum Mines’ Bakubung Mine

TECH EDGE’s South African team successfully designed, manufactured and installed a mobile rope handling system for Bakubung Mine.

The equipment was specifically designed to install head- and tail ropes onto a four-rope, surface-mounted, Koepe friction winder having a capacity to handle 100t of rope weight in the 1,000m vertical shaft.

It is also used for roping-up of typical single and double drum man winders. Interchangeable friction liners allow different rope diameters for different winders.

The equipment included:

• Four Reeler Winches
• One four-rope Friction Winch (trailer mounted / relocatable)
  
• Four Bank Horizontal Deflection Sheaves (trailer mounted)
  
• Four Messenger Rope Deflection Sheaves
  
• Four Messenger Rope Winches
  
• One Crosshead for tail rope handling at shaft bottom
  
• Clamping and Lifting Device
  
• Full electrical control system, containerised, trailer mounted.
  
• High speed Brakes
  
• Main Brakes complete with Svendborg Disc Brake calipers
  
• Hydraulic Power Pack
  

The system is operated from a relocatable, air conditioned, insulated driver’s control cabin. The driver’s desk is fitted with HMI and failsafe Driver’s control and brake levers.

The Control System has different modes of operation:

• Tension Mode
  
• Maintenance Mode
  
• Forward/Reverse Mode