180° shovel loader

Profile

• What was needed:  rotating energy supply Reverse Bend Radius,  chainflex® -cable
• Requirements: heavy strain on the energy supply solution due to +/- 180° movement of the bucket loader and the ambient conditions; a new, durable solution that was easy to maintain was required
• Industry: Mining
• Success for the customer: after many years of use, not a single failure; enormous weight savings; overall high reliability, durability, maintenance-free and significantly increased service life

Problem
For this bucket loader at National Mineral Development Corp. Ltd. in India, all system components must be stable, reliable and maintenance-free. However, the difficult environmental conditions resulting from outdoor use in particular place high demands on all machine components. This also quickly became apparent with the energy chains. After just two years, the steel chains used showed considerable defects, which manifested themselves in damage to the rollers, spacers and chain links. In addition, the entire cable carrier system began to slip.
In addition, any maintenance work required a considerable amount of time. The design of the chain made it difficult to replace the damaged components quickly.
Finally, tension in the energy chain meant that the cables running through it were also damaged over time.
The operating company therefore had no choice but to regularly check the system for new damage and carry out round-the-clock maintenance on all system components.

Solution
In 2010, the energy supply system was finally replaced by a Reverse Bend Radius rotary energy supply system from igus®, where Reverse Bend Radius stands for "Reverse Bend Radius". The 18.5 metre long energy chain must be able to follow the entire 180° movement of the bucket loader. The system, which has now been in use for several years, has so far run completely without interruption, and the operation of the plant has not had to be interrupted once. The reverse bend radius energy chain solution from igus® is generally completely maintenance-free. Another decisive factor for the reliable operation of the system is the significantly lower weight of 54 kilograms per metre, which is not only due to the chain itself, but also to the chainflex® -cable within the energy supply. In comparison: The previously used steel chain weighed around 120 kilograms per metre.
Due to the high reliability, durability, maintenance-free operation and increased service life that the system has demonstrated in use, the operator is planning to use it in two further plants. The operating company and the staff very much welcome the switch to the energy chain from igus®.