Electrification specialist Equipmake says it has readied a range of high performance yet cost-effective advanced electric motors for mining equipment and vehicles, “bringing major benefits in terms of power density, low running costs and reduced emissions.” Based in Norfolk, UK, Equipmake primarily provides EV technology to automotive OEMs and specialist supercar manufacturers, producing everything from industry-leading electric motors to power electronic systems, all the way up to complete EV drivetrains, while also operating across marine, off-highway, agriculture and aerospace.
While the mining industry has traditionally been reliant on diesel power, the switch to electric is gathering pace, as mining companies realise the benefits of reduced emissions, as well as lower vehicle and machinery operating costs. Equipmake sees many advantages for its motors to be used by underground drills, excavators and trucks, with minimal maintenance compared to fuelled equipment. Furthermore, the lack of emissions arising from an electric powertrain presents a huge leap forward in safety for mining operatives working in confined spaces.
The company says its APM motors incorporate many industry-leading innovations plus it believes they are the most power dense in global series production. They use technology born out of Equipmake Managing Director Ian Foley’s career in top-level motorsport. A former Lotus and Benetton F1 engineer, Foley’s research into electric motors and flywheels in the mid-2000s led to him play a key role in the development of Williams F1’s hybrid system, used in the 2009 F1 season. The resulting hybrid flywheel arrangement went on to further success in endurance racing with Porsche and Audi.
The high-speed flywheel developed for the Williams programme was effectively a composite electric motor, Foley applying the expertise gained to a new design: Equipmake’s APM range of ‘spoke’ electric motors. These are permanent magnet motors that use a spoke architecture (so-called because the magnets are arranged like the spokes of a wheel) to bring a major cooling advantage. Because the motor can be kept cool, it can produce lots of power and torque, use less expensive magnet materials and conventional manufacturing methods, so can be made smaller, lighter and more cost-effective.
Foley said: “From electric buses to supercars, the APM range of motors has made a step change to the efficiency and performance of our automotive clients’ products. Those same benefits – high power density and light weight, combined with an extremely compact package that includes integrated components such as the inverter and gearbox – are just as relevant to the world of mining.”
Equipmake offers two compact, power dense motors for mining applications, which both use the company’s spoke architecture to maximise cooling capability.
The APM 120 has peak power of 125 kW at 12,000 rpm, continuous power of 75 kW and peak torque of 130 Nm. Weighing just 14 kg, it has a power density of just under 9 kW per kg. With an integrated gearbox, it measures just 200 mm in length and 170 mm in diameter.
The APM 200 has peak power of 220 kW at 10,000 rpm, continuous power of 110 kW and peak torque of 450 Nm. Weighing just 40 kg, it has a power density of over 5 kW per kg. With an integrated gearbox, it measures just 247 mm in length and 318 mm in diameter.
Both motors can be specified with or without an integrated gearbox and can be mounted horizontally or vertically. Equipmake also makes all supporting power control electronics – including its own high-performance inverter which incorporates the latest silicon carbide diode technology to improve power capability and enable the inverter to run at high switching frequencies.
Foley added: ““We are experiencing huge demand from the mining industry as manufacturers see the benefits that electrified vehicles can bring, from reduced emissions and noise to increased efficiency and lower running costs. Our electric motors are extremely compact, lightweight yet powerful, which can play a huge role in improving the payload of a vehicle too. Factor in the lack of maintenance required compared to traditional diesel machinery, and it is not hard to see why electrification makes so much sense. And, what’s more, Equipmake can work with almost any mining machinery manufacturer to create an entire, tailor-made electric powertrain.”
Late last year, Equipmake opened an all-new factory in Snetterton, Norfolk, where the company provides the complete electric mobility solution – whatever the sector – offering the capability to design, test and manufacture everything from motors to fully electrified platforms. It also sources and supplies the very latest lithium-ion batteries, creating entire electric drivetrains for an increasingly international customer base.
