Hydraulic systems that operate underground equipment can be vulnerable to improper adjustments that make them less efficient, more prone to component failure, and in the drill feed and rotation circuits, downright hazardous, resulting in broken, bent or whipping steel. Air quality issues can also arise when drill steels become clogged, hampering dust collection. J. H. Fletcher & Co is doing something to prevent those problems.Issues often arise when individuals attempt to adjust pressure for the entire system by changing settings at a single valve, said Ben Hardman, sales manager for Fletcher coal mining equipment. “Different systems have different pressure demands. And adjustments, when necessary, may need to be balanced over more than one valve.”
Fletcher’s new lockout system requires a key, so only authorised persons can gain access to adjust the system properly. Optional measures include a dowel system, that makes access more difficult than normal and preset cartridges that are non-adjustable. It is available on critical hydraulic systems with all new Fletcher equipment, and can be retrofitted onto existing machines.