 Strainstall UK have designed a special load measuring pin for installation into a conveyor system in an underground coal handling facility. They were commissioned by Joy Mining Machinery, a global manufacturer of underground mining equipment for coal extraction who needed load pin that could withstand the extremely harsh environment found in underground mines. The load measuring pins they had been using previously were manufactured by other suppliers, and were not robust enough to survive the arduous conditions, often failing within weeks.
The new pin has been specifically designed to operate in temperatures of up to 150ºC as well as being resistant to the high moisture, abrasive dust and vibration levels. Another inherent feature is its resistance to the effects of metal fatigue, a condition caused by being subjected to repeated cyclic loads, which it will be exposed to in this application.
The load pin measures the tension in the conveyor drive chain and the resulting data transmitted to an electronic display that has the facility to stop the conveyor when the loading is too high. This avoids the possibility of the machine breaking, which is crucial, as any such machine failure would hold up production and be extremely costly. It is therefore essential that the load pin works effectively in the harsh conditions for many months without the need for maintenance.
The first order is for 10 units, one of which is currently undergoing testing at a mine in Australia. If the pin operates as anticipated and meets the customers requirements in terms of both performance and suitability for use in hazardous areas (underground coal mines are classified as extremely hazardous areas due to the explosive gases and coal dust present), this will increase to around 50 per year. Potentially they will be installed in all Joy Mining Machinery's conveyor systems worldwide.
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