June 2016

Drives custom-engineered for aerator and liquid mixer applications

Advanced technology heavy drives are being custom-engineered by Bonfiglioli in Australasia to achieve optimum cost-efficiency and reliability with clean and robust service to aerate or mix liquids. Bonfiglioli’s HDP parallel shaft helical gear drives are an outstanding new generation of large industrial gearbox assembled in Australasia to produce exceptional reliability and torque densities to record values. The drives feature excellent torque distribution across their entire ratio range, with gear ratios laid out in close progression and the drives having a rugged capacity to cope with the shock and impact of intermittent loads. The full range of Bonfiglioli large parallel shaft gearboxes has been extended for the Australian marketplace, with output torque ranging from 4720Nm to 215480Nm. Bonfiglioli’s HDP range features a housing made from spheroidal cast iron; monobloc from HDP60 to HDP120 and horizontally split HDP130 to HDP160. Reliability in service is enhanced by the HDP drives’ Finite Element Analysis and Multi Body Simulations conducted extensively to identify the stress pattern on each of the main components and to optimize the design for: • System structural stiffness • Gear geometry • Shaft deflection • Extended gear and bearing lifetime An Australasian example of the drives locally engineered for a waste water application cost-effectively integrated 55kW six-pole motors with HDP helical parallel series drive featuring output shaft dry well and a mechanically driven OP2 lubrication pump. The drives – specified for 55kW power and 10 kNm output torque – incorporated an integral mechanically driven OP2 lubrication pump to ensure optimum bearing performance in vertical motor mounting arrangements. They were also epoxy coated for optimum corrosion protection, cleanliness and durability. The drives incorporated an output shaft dry well feature to safeguard against oil leaks into process liquids as seals age and wear.

Victorian Government puts local Cold Chain industry at risk

The Refrigerated Warehouse & Transport Association of Australia (RWTA) has called on the Victorian Government to explain why it encouraged a business with a history of serial insolvency in Europe to enter the local market. The Andrews Labor Government last week welcomed plans by Dutch-‐based cold storage and logistics company NewCold to establish its Asia Pacific Headquarters in Melbourne’s west. However, an investigation by international Forensic and Risk Services company PKF has revealed NewCold’s European Directors have a history of insolvency associated with failed companies in the same industry. RWTA Chairman David O’Brien called on the Victorian Government to disclose any subsidies or financial assistance offered to NewCold’s establishment in Victoria, and to explain what due diligence has taken place. “Our own investigation found both of NewCold’s foreign Directors have been directors of companies that have gone into liquidation in the UK. How have they proved financial viability when there is a history of serial insolvency in Europe?” Mr O’Brien asked. “This should have raised the alarm for any Australian business or Government considering entering a commercial relationship with this firm,” he said. Mr O’Brien said he was extremely concerned that if NewCold decided to buy market share by price gouging, this would lead to job losses by destroying local players. “The Premier needs to explain what data he relied upon to support his promise of the creation of 127 jobs in a business which is highly automated.” The Australian cold storage industry is estimated to be worth about $6-‐billion, and is forecast to continue growing at around 2.5% per annum.

Enerpac extends reach of Jack-Up system for Burkhalter

Enerpac has been awarded a contract by leading engineered heavy lifting, rigging, and transport company Burkhalter to extend the height of Enerpac’s 2000 metric ton (500 metric tons per tower) jack-up system from 20m to 36m for future projects. The near doubling in height will produce the world’s tallest jack-up system, allowing Burkhalter to handle more civil engineering and industrial multipoint lifts. The Enerpac technology used by Burkhalter – which specialises in transportation, engineered heavy lifting and rigging, heavy cargo logistics and plant maintenance and shutdowns – is available locally throughout Australasia. Enerpac’s jack-up system is a custom developed multipoint lifting system. A typical system setup includes four jack-up towers positioned under each corner of a load. The four tower setup has a lifting capacity of 2,000 metric tons. The lifting frame of each jack up tower contains four hydraulic cylinders in each corner which lift and stack steel boxes measuring 1m in height. A load is lifted in increments as boxes are inserted via an automated system, lifted, and stacked; forming ‘lifting towers’. “We had considered using strand jacks for a bridge demolition project, however, the barge-mounted Enerpac jack-up system will be a safer and more efficient synchronised lift of the bridge off its foundations,” said David James, project manager at Burkhalter. “Working with the Enerpac team, we developed the concept of a taller jack-up system that retained the lift capacity and versatility of multipoint synchronised lifting for loads up to 2,000 metric tons.” Increasing the height of the system will involve adding an additional 56 boxes and four strengthened corner bracing units to accommodate the extra 14 boxes per corner. The jack up system is controlled by a central computer control unit. Each tower’s lifting and lowering operations occur simultaneously; the computer control unit’s synchronous technology maintains the […]

Konecranes units and onsite maintenance scales new heights at Sino Iron

In the picture: One of the 125 Konecranes units assisting in the smooth running of CITIC Pacific Mining’s Sino Iron project One of Australia’s largest crane installations at CITIC Pacific Mining’s Sino Iron project is benefiting from the safety, efficiency and reliability of Konecranes CXT and SM cranes. Konecranes supplied a total of 125 units – a mixture of CXT wire rope hoists and SM winches from 1.5 tons -125 tons lifting capacity to the Sino Iron project, Australia’s largest magnetite mining and processing operation located at Cape Preston, 100 kilometres south west of Karratha in WA’s Pilbara region. The SM winches, in 75t and 125t options, are generally used for process related tasks in the ball mills, aggregate mills and magnetic separators, such as loading new balls into the mill. The CXT monorail hoists handle the comparatively lighter loads and are generally performing non-process related tasks such as service and maintenance. Konecranes’ world leading safety and efficiency technology is backed by local knowledge and support with over 31 sales and service locations across Australia and New Zealand. “The Konecranes units certainly benefit our operations, particularly where there’s no pedestrian access,” says Mr Alan Shepley, Senior Coordinator, Maintenance Services, CITIC Pacific Mining. Konecranes has just recently completed the assembly and installation of several new 75t and 125t SM cranes for the concentrator at Sino Iron. Konecranes Branch Manager for North West WA, Mr Steven Greenshields said the operation went very smoothly. “It has to date been a safe and highly successful build and install carried out by a professional and competent on-site install team.” To provide further support to the Sino Iron project, Konecranes has two technicians permanently stationed on site for 12 hours a day, every day of the year to perform service and maintenance on all the cranes, […]