ENERPAC says its Strand Lift system is being used by the VDM Group to construct Australia’s largest magnetite mining and processing operation.
The Sino Iron Ore project in Western Australia will feature 12 of the biggest iron ore processing mills ever built. These are manufactured in China, then transported in sub-assembly form to be positioned onto their bearings 21m above ground.
VDM Group will be installing the initial six pairs of 800t ball mills and 1400t autogenous mills from January 2010 to January 2011, using Enerpac precision lifting technology. More mills may be added later.
The Sino Iron Ore Project is owned by the China Metallurgical Company. It will employ 10,000 workers for building, and 800 for day-to-day operations. Chinese and Australian design teams are developing the mills that will process the magnetite ore into fine concentrate.
According to Enerpac, its PLC-controlled synchronous Strand Lift heavy lifting systems hoist loads of thousands of tonnes where access is restricted, overhead space is limited or maximum stability is required.
The system’s jacks use large capacity, hollow core hydraulic cylinders, dual locking cylinders and especially designed clamping wedges. The clusters of cylinders are positioned directly above the load to draw them upwards on multiple wire rope strands governed by an integral locking system.
VDM Group specified a lift system involving four 444t, 37 strand Strand Jacks with recoiler and Palm Tree control systems. These were positioned on the prefabricated steel structures.
The ball mills are placed beneath lifting equipment, which then raise the units six metres clear of the transporters, then lower them for positioning onto the mobile transporters, which are driven laterally into position on rails.
The mobile transporter then transports the mills laterally to a position adjacent to the foundation towers on which the trunnion bearings are located, where the Strand Lift System operating from another prefabricated jacking towers lifts and lowers them into their final position.
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