Mining Equipment Manufacturer Saves Nearly a Third of Costs With PlanetGear™ Speed Reducer
CHALLENGE
A major manufacturer of mining equipment was using a dipper trip drum driven by two variable speed DC motors on its line of electric rope shovels. These shovels are used to remove overburden and ore during the surface mining process.
- The current shovel design was experiencing consistent field problems. The dipper door would jam, and
- one of the motor breakers would trip.
- The current design required a relatively large amount of space and corresponding fabrication on the shovel.
- The manufacturer wanted to upgrade their electric rope shovel design
SOLUTION
Regal Rexnord provided a solution using one Rexnord Planetgear Speed Reducer — a double- reduction planetary gear reducer with a 210TC frame and NEMA C-face motor adapter — instead of the two DC motors. The new Planetgear Speed Reducer solution:
- Reduces the space envelope required by employing one drive unit instead of two individual drive units.
- Increases the available torque for operating the dipper trip drum. Rather than being driven directly by motors, the Planetgear Speed Reducer provides torque density as it maintains at least six gear teeth in contact per stage reduction.
- Provides higher overhung load and thrust capacity through the use of tapered roller bearings on both input and output shafts.
- Effectively manages high impact loads on the dipper trip system. The Planetgear’s self-aligning gear train, with planet carriers that float radially and axially, ensures equal load distribution across the multiple gear contact point
Since installing this Regal Rexnord solution, the customer
- Experienced initial cost savings by moving from two drive units to a single drive unit.
- Was able to eliminate one of the two associated reels.
- Experienced manufacturing savings from reduced fabrication as a result of the smaller space envelope.
- Achieved a reduction in production and machining time of five hours, due to quicker and easier assembly.
- Realized annual cost savings of $124,080, a 32% cost reduction
