HÄGGLUNDS hydraulic drives have played an important role in the expansion of the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (DBCT) in Queensland.
The DBCT currently has the capacity to hold 60m tonnes of coal and exports around 42m every year. Due to increasing demand, the terminal is being enlarged to hold 85m tonnes by December 2008.
Authorities claim the expansion is possible because the hydraulic drives have improved the efficiency of their reclaimer apparatuses. The owners decided to review their entire drive strategy after one of the machines collapsed in 2004.
The DBCT’s Site and Technical Manager, Peter Wotherspoon, says the drives have several advantages over conventional electromechanical units. The reclaimers now have improved torque control and safeguards against overload.
He says the previous reclaimer had regular unscheduled stops. This has been eliminated with the hydraulic units. Now each machine can work more efficiently towards its peak capacity of 6000t per hour.
Wotherspoon says the weight at the bucketwheel end of the reclaimer’s boom has also been significantly reduced as a result of the new drives. A lighter machine cuts running costs.
Currently the facility has four stacker/reclaimer drives and three belt feeder drives in operation. Another nine will commence operation by the end of 2008.
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