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Systems In Action
Pressure Dynamics’ Systems Department were presented with a unique challenge when asked to design an ore car restraint system for a major mining machinery manufacturer. The most challenging part of the project was to design a hydraulic control system that would fully clamp the ore car in the loaded position and allow controlled reassertion of the “locked in” car spring forces during the dumping operation.
On the surface this problem seems relatively easy to solve. However the rate at which the load is released had the PD engineers developing a innovative approach to the problem by designing custom made clamping cylinders.
This design involved developing a computer profiled internal relieving piston. This piston forms an integral part of the clamping function by allowing the cylinder to extend an additional 55mm when the ore car springs reassert during the dumping operation . This innovative solution minimises damage caused to the ore car walls from intensified forces created when the clamps reassert during the dumping operation.
The hydraulic power unit (HPU) is specially designed for ease of maintenance and to ensure contents of the reservoir do not spill when the car dumper, on which the HPU is mounted, rotates. Also from the above photograph you can see that most of the HPU components are manifold mounted to minimise oil leakage and pipe work.
The photograph opposite illustrated the compact design of the clamping cylinders. Each cylinder also incorporates an integral hydraulic valve manifold which ensures a compact and ease of maintenance clamp cylinder assembly with the minimum of pipe work.
Following extensive workshop testing, Pressure Dynamics Engineers are highly confident the integrated ore car restraint will exceed performance expectations when finally commissioned on site in early 2008.
For the Systems Department it’s another project successfully completed. Now, on to the next challenge.
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