At the occasion of a customers’ convention, SIEMAG TECBERG presented its latest product developments to mining experts at its Headquarters in Haiger, Germany.

At present, the clamping and lifting device as well as the mobile friction winch, both designed for the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia, are currently undergoing assembly and testing work in SIEMAG TECBERG’s workshops. These two components were designed on the basis of specific customer requirements. Their purpose is to ensure safe and efficient rope handling on two production shafts with two winders each. As a mining specialist with a medium-sized structure, SIEMAG TECBERG converts individual customer requests into technical solutions.

The large number of delegates of German and international mining companies as well as the representatives of mining authorities and expert bodies got a deeper insight, within the framework of workshops and the presented papers, into rope handling and the products which were specially designed by SIEMAG TECBERG for this purpose. Furthermore, during the conducted tour through our assembly works, the winders and brake installations for the potash mine Mosaic K3 in Canada were presented to the visitors with detailed explanations of the technical specifications. The visit also included further components scheduled for delivery.

The interaction between the friction winch and the clamping and lifting device is of essential importance for safe rope handling. With this knowledge in mind and under consideration of the customer’s requests, SIEMAG TECBERG designed, built, and realized not only the largest friction winch in the world, but the largest clamping and lifting device as well. The automotive six-axle friction winch with a total weight of 160mt, providing a speed of 0 to 12m/min and a drive power of 500kW, is designed for the simultaneous roping-up of up to six ropes with a traction force of 1,850kN in a shaft-hoisting installation. The challenges in the conception of the clamping and lifting device were to assure the safe rope handling for the two winders. This device is able to lift or lower six ropes simultaneously with a traction force of up to 2,500kN over any travel distance desired with a stroke of 1,600mm each. The hydraulically operated device has a total weight of 56mt and moves the ropes with a speed of 1m/min.

The application of the clamping and lifting device and the mobile friction winch does not only assure the safe first roping-up but also the later rope changes. The advantages of the applied technique are, on the one hand, the savings in time and, on the other hand, the safe application.

Moreover, the largest 6-rope-Koepe winder ever manufactured by SIEMAG TECBERG, with a payload of 55mt for the production plant, is currently being assembled in the assembly works, in addition to a Blair single-drum winder for the service plant with load-compensating rope sheaves for a Canadian mine of the American client The Mosaic Company. At the occasion of the Workshop "Roping-up and rope changing" these machines were viewed and commented as well.

The techniques and the innovations presented by SIEMAG TECBERG led to a lively exchange of experience between all participants and the SIEMAG TECBERG team. All visitors expressed their satisfaction with this successful event. It is intended to hold such a customers’ convention on various subjects in regular intervals in the future.