SHAFT HOISTING AND ROPE- HANDLING TECHNOLOGY

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
SHAFT HOISTING AND ROPE-
HANDLING TECHNOLOGY
(IMPALA PLATINUM LIMITED, ILLOVO, SOUTH AFRICA)
WWW.SIEMAG-TECBERG.COM

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
SHAFT HOISTING AND ROPE-
HANDLING TECHNOLOGY
As mining in the platinum belt at Rustenburg in South Africa
progresses, the workings have to push forward to everincreasing
depths. Impala Platinum Limited is no exception
and in 2007 the company decided to construct shaft number
17 to extract ore from a depth of around 2,000 metres.
The sinking of the main shaft had to be started as quickly as
possible, but there was no winder of the required capacity
available at the time. The construction and delivery of a
new winder would have taken too long and wrecked the
customer‘s tight schedule.
At this time, the customer was discussing with SIEMAG
TECBERG the possibility of finding a suitable winder for the
new shaft among the machinery decommissioned following
the phasing-out of coal mining in Germany. The Koepe
winder installed at the Goettelborn mine seemed to meet
the requirements for mining ore at Shaft 17. Since a second
hoisting system with a second Koepe winder was planned
for transporting material and personnel, the solution was
adopted of using the two winders for the final mine in order
to sink the main shaft.
SKIP TRANSPORT DURING SINKING OPERATIONS
The twin-drum machines normally used for shaft sinking have
a resetting (clutch) device to allow two skips to be hoisted
and lowered alternately and to load and unload them at the
same time as the distance to the foot of the shaft steadily
increases. Koepe winders are unsuitable for operations of
this kind, but when suitably converted, can work with one
skip. It was therefore decided to dismantle the machine at
the Goettelborn shaft and transport it to South Africa. It
was also decided to replace the electrical control system
at the same time and construct a new drum locally to cope
with both the shaft-sinking operations and the subsequent
mining operations. The high constricting pressures from the
five-layer coiling of the loaded rope made drums with extrathick
sheet casing necessary for both machines.
In the case of Impala 17, single-kibble operation was
sufficient in the initial shaft-sinking phase and the converted
Goettelborn winder proved suitable for the purpose. This
allowed work on the shaft to be started early and the second
kibble went into operation when the service winder was
completed to allow enough material to be hoisted as the
travel distance increased. As opposed to conventional shaftsinking
winders, this solution allows kibbles to be hoisted
6-Rope Koepe production winder (formerly at Goettelborn shaft, Germany), currently modified as sinking winder

singly and independently of one another. On conclusion of
the sinking operations, the two machines will be cleaned, the
ropes removed, and then converted for Koepe-type hoisting
by bolting metal blocks in a ring around the drum to create
trapezoid grooves, and to fit the usual two-part friction-pulley
liner blocks for six-rope hoisting. This conversion work has
already been rehearsed in our workshop so that the actual
work on-site can be completed as quickly as possible.
SIEMAG TECBERG was able to offer this solution as tried
and tested technology because several conversions of this
type have already been carried out in similar cases and the
concept approved as sound and effective. In addition to
the two winding machines, SIEMAG TECBERG will also be
supplying the rope sheaves for the mining operations. The
great depth makes the stress on the ropes very high, which
means that the machines and the rope sheaves had to be
specially dimensioned.
These two factors – the depth and the high rope weights –
are also the reason why Impala has purchased a large
SIEMAG TECBERG friction winch. This pulley makes it
possible to raise or lower all six ropes, each measuring
2000 metres, at the same time in less than three hours.
The tractive forces occurring can be as high as 180 tonnes.
Like most others, the friction winch is mounted on a chassis
and can therefore be moved to different positions. For this
reason, it is suitable not only for installing and changing the
ropes in the two hoisting systems at Shaft 17, but also for
those two at Shaft 16. (For more details on friction winches,
see our separate technical information).
Clamping and lifting devices are also being installed
at both shafts. These are a fast and reliable means of
relieving the weight in order to carry out frequently
recurring work on the ropes. The two clamping and lifting
devices for shaft 16 were designed for an operating load
of 170 tonnes and are therefore suitable for hoisting a
full conveyance from the very deepest position. A third
clamping and lifting device is intended for handling one
tail rope in each case. Together with the necessary
rope reelers, messenger winches, deflection sheaves
and other aids, SIEMAG TECBERG has developed and
supplied complete solutions for rope-handling and
changing specifically for the customer‘s needs. (For
more details on clamping and lifting devices, see our
separate technical information).
The rope-handling systems selected have made it possible
to avoid processes which are normally time-consuming
and dangerous, as well as the over-dimensioning of the
drive engines for the hoisting machinery which would
otherwise have been necessary to hold the abovementioned
loads.
With its machinery and rope sheaves as well as its
handling devices and other equipment, SIEMAG TECBERG
has again proven its outstanding expertise in the field
of shaft hoisting by again extending the limitations of
previously realised plant and machinery.
6-Rope Koepe service winder, currently modified as sinking winder

1 to 6-Rope friction winch, max. traction force 1,800 kN
2 x 4-Rope clamping and lifting device, double-sided, max. rope load 1,700 kN

TECHNICAL DATA
KOEPE ROCK HOISTING DUTY
Winding data
Type of winding
Type of conveyance
Type of shaft
Monthly winding capacity
Winding capacity
production
skip/skip
vertical
260,000mt/m
700mt/h
Winding distance 1,922m
Payload
Maximum unbalanced load
Maximum suspended load
(T1+T2)
Number of ropes & Diameter
Winding speed
33mt
330kN
3,525kN
6 x 50mm
18m/s
KOEPE MAN HOISTING DUTY
Winding data
Type of winding
Type of conveyance
Type of shaft
Winding distance
Payload
Weight of cage, with rope
attachments
Maximum unbalanced load 135 kN
Maximum suspended load 3,560kN
Number of ropes 6
Diameter
50 mm
Winding speed
15 m/s
service
cage/counterweight
vertical
1 872 m
27 t
28.8 t
Friction pulley & drive
Friction pulley & drive
Nominal Diameter
7m
Nominal Diameter
6 m
Pulley / Motor speed
49.1rpm
Pulley / Motor speed
47.8 rpm
Type of motors
overhung AC
Type of motors
overhung AC
Motor power RMS, approx.
1 x 7,500kW
Motor power RMS, approx.
1 x 4,000 kW
SINGLE DRUM SINKING DUTY (BOTH MACHINES)
Winding data
Type of winding
sinking
Type of conveyance
single kibble
Winding distance 1,900m
Payload
16mt
Weight of kibble
7.8mt
Maximum unbalanced load 463kN
Maximum suspended load 463kN
Number of ropes 1
Diameter
51mm
Winding speed
15m/s
Drum & drive
Diameter, centreline of rope,
approx.
Coiling width, approx.
Drum / Motor speed
Type of motors
6.7 / 5.85m
1.85 / 2m
40.9 / 47.8rpm
overhung AC
Rope reelers, drum diameter max. 3.0 m
Installed motor power RMS
7,500 / 4,000kW