Posted to News on 9th Jan 2014, 10:56
Altra continues development of products for the mining industry
Within the global mining industry Altra Industrial Motion is known for delivering robust and reliable power transmission and motion control products that are capable of operating reliably in some of the world's most arduous conditions. Its commitment to develop new products capable of performing in such a wide range of applications is demonstrated by the innovations produced across many of its 20 well-known brands.
Altra is a provider of clutches and brakes for many mining applications, including longwall miners, conveyors, mine hoists and stacker/reclaimers. With many years' experience in designing and manufacturing reliable products with low cost of ownership, the engineers at Wichita Clutch and Twiflex Limited have the expertise required to deliver critical safety products to the market.
As the scale of applications within the mining industry increases, so the demands on the plant and equipment increase in order to reduce operating costs and improve productivity. An important link in the production chain is the drive coupling, which transmits the power between motor and gearbox as well as gearbox and the process equipment. Such demands require high-performance couplings, such as those from Bibby Turboflex and TB Wood's.
Similarly, as productivity levels rise, so the demands on the mineral transportation system increase as well. Conveyors form a very efficient method of moving the mined material away from the mine to the processing areas. However, they often have to cope with inclines, which introduce additional problems for the design engineers. In order to prevent damage to the drive train, over-running clutches are required to enable a progressive start-up of a fully laden conveyor.
In addition, high-speed back stops and calliper brake units are required to protect against roll back under load and to prevent belt run away in the event of a power failure. Again companies such as Boston Gear, Marland Clutch and Twiflex Limited have the ability and expertise to deliver these crucial products, which can be specified to suit every application within the mining sector.
Further information on these and many other applications can be found on the Altra mining website, www.AltraMining.com or by downloading the latest PDF brochures, which include a product and application matrix as well as a detailed brochure showing specific product applications throughout the mining process, both underground and surface mining as well as processing applications.
