Tag Archives: Enerpac

Enerpac launches new hydraulic power pack options for portable machine tools

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , , ,

Enerpac has announced the new PP-Series electric- and diesel-powered power packs to supply hydraulic flow to Enerpac portable machine tools, including flange facing machines, clamshell cutters, hot tapping machines and decommissioning tools – tools of which are regularly used on mine sites.

The hydraulic power packs are also compatible with other brands of portable machine tools, Enerpac added.

The Enerpac PP-Series includes a total of four hydraulic power packs comprising two electric- and two diesel-powered models. Variable pumps within the power packs allow pressure and flow to be adjusted for specific applications, according to the company.

Portable machine tool operators with access to an electric power supply can choose between the electric-powered hydraulic power pack 11 kW or 15 kW models, each available with a choice of voltage options for use throughout the world.

To serve a variety of applications, customers buying an Enerpac Electric PP-Series Power Pack have a range of pendant options on offer to provide a match to suit the specific machine tool. In addition, for operator safety, emergency stop buttons are provided on the power pack and the control pendant.

For working in remote locations, customers have a choice of 19 kW and 44 kW units. These more powerful power packs, Enerpac says, are the optimum choice for larger machine tools used for operations such as hot tapping and decommissioning (a 19 kW pack for hot tapping, pictured).

Both the Enerpac Diesel PP-Series PP19 and PP44 units are diesel powered and meet the EU Stage V and EPA Tier 4 final regulations for emissions. Each includes a 50-litre diesel tank, which, in the case of the PP44, can provide up to 12 hours run time at maximum torque. Also included in the diesel power packs is a spark arrester for added safety in explosive environments.

Unlike the electric units which work with pendants to provide control, the PP19 and PP44 power packs require a separate hydraulic control panel and machine specific hose kits. The hydraulic control is connected to both the machine tool and the hydraulic power pack. The control panel houses all the controls needed for a specific machine’s requirement. In addition, the Diesel PP-Series power pack features a pressure-less switch to remove pressure and flow.

A 10-m hose kit is supplied as standard, with longer hose kits available as accessories for single-supply, dual-supply and triple-supply applications. Triple supply hose kits allow three hydraulic motors to be connected to the power pack simultaneously, along with spindle control the operator can also select the required axis (x or y) from the pendant.

Machine operators choosing an Enerpac Electric PP-Series Power Pack can also benefit from an optional cart for positioning and storage within a workshop environment. The electric- and diesel-powered power packs are also enclosed within a protective frame and come with forklift truck and vertical lift points.

Enerpac EVO solution gives WesTrac and Cat 994K wheel loader a needed lift

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , ,

Enerpac’s EVO synchronous lifting system has come to the rescue of WesTrac in Western Australia, with the Caterpillar dealer in need of an efficient, portable and safe solution to lift its Cat® 994K wheel loader.

The system needed to be operated independently without manual intervention and provide a locking function during the lift, according to Enerpac.

The 200 t Cat wheel loader had to be lifted to a height of 400-450 mm with an accuracy of +/- 2 mm across four lift points: a process carried out on uneven ground, which caused the lifting points to be at different heights. The lifting equipment needed to work independently to the pump and required forklift pockets so it could be manoeuvred into place easily, according to Enerpac.

Enerpac recommended its EVO synchronous lifting system, which, the company says, allows one device to control the entire lifting operation while providing status updates at every point of the process without the need for manual monitoring. By digitally monitoring and controlling lifting operations, users enhance safety and eliminate costly downtime, it says.

“Utilising proven synchronised lifting technology, combined with an expertise in high tonnage cylinder manufacturing, a customised Enerpac solution was developed to provide a high-precision lifting system to lift the Cat wheel loader on challenging ground conditions,” Enerpac explained.

Sanjesh Balgovind, Heavy Lifting Technology Special Projects Manager, Enerpac, said: “With an intuitive user interface, the custom EVO synchronous lifting system is easy to set up and control. It combines high pressure hydraulics and computer controls to monitor and control precise lifting and movement of heavy loads, such as WesTrac’s 200 t Cat wheel loader.”

Assembling and transporting over-dimension vehicles like the Cat wheel loader requires several steps, according to Balgovind.

“It often involves locating and positioning the lifting equipment at the appropriate lift points, removing the wheels, attaching wheel stands, and lowering the vehicle to the ground followed by removing the lifting equipment,” Balgovind says.

“Thereafter, a multi-wheel trailer would be placed under the vehicle and the wheel stands removed before it is ready for transportation. Using short stroke cylinders without synchronous lifting would be time-consuming, cumbersome and could introduce additional risk if the load is lifted at different heights.”

Through an integrated human machine interface, all movements are operated from a central control system displaying live operation and real time status updates of each lifting position. The Enerpac EVO system can deliver an accuracy of up to 1 mm across all lift points and provides stroke feedback and indicative load at each point, according to the company. In addition, there are built-in warning and stop alarms to ensure optimum safety.

The custom HCRL-Series 100-ton (91 t) 18 in stroke cylinders have servo motor-driven lock nuts that provide mechanical load holding across all lift points for a safe work environment, according to the company, while its hardened and robust surface is designed to resist side-loading and cyclic wear. The locknut drive controller is mounted on the cylinder and keeps the locking collar 3-6 mm from the cylinder body. The cylinders are then affixed in custom steel frames with lifting pockets.

The lifting frames are then placed at the respective lift points with forklifts and connected to a custom EVO-Series synchronous lifting system, ready for lifting. As the rear of the truck requires a higher lift point, the frames are further attached to stands for additional height. The cylinders are then placed at the respective lift points with forklifts and connected to the EVO system, ready for lifting. A flow of 3 litres per minute is used to ensure that the locking collar adjustment can keep up with cylinder extension and retraction.

“At a rate of 1 mm/s, the wheel loader is lifted with significant safety and productivity gains,” Balgovind says. “The auto-locking cylinders provide an improved safety application as the load is always mechanically locked during both lifting and lowering operations.

“It is a safe and effective solution for applications with potential safety risks of working with hydraulic-suspended loads. In addition, given the portability of the system, it was brought to site easily and could function in a convenient manner.”

Enerpac tackles conveyor belt maintenance with air-powered torque wrench pump

Equipment maintenance, Mining maintenance, Mining services, ,

Enerpac is introducing to Australia, New Zealand and PNG a new compact, portable and powerful air-powered torque wrench pump for high productivity in hard-to-access locations.

Weighing in at around 18 kg with oil, the Enerpac LAT Air Hydraulic Torque Wrench Pump is easy to lift, transport and manoeuvre, according to the company.

The pump comes with an integrated carry handle and can be carried by a single operator up stairs when a crane, hoist or elevator is not available. “It is easy to manoeuvre in narrow and constrained spaces such as scaffolding, catwalks, pipe racks and lifts,” the company said.

Enerpac Product and Channel Leader, Andrew Marsh, said: “The new LAT pumps are ideal for high repetition torque wrench applications that need air power, such as oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation and mining, but have limited access, so a larger pump would not be practical or efficient.”

The new Enerpac LAT-Series Air Hydraulic Torque Wrench Pump features an Enerpac piston design, reinforced Filter Regulator Lubricator (FRL) support and air supply connection, designed to provide years of reliable service with fastening and break out speeds to keep jobs on schedule and on budget, the company said.

“The LAT pump has best-in-class, flow-to-weight performance,” Marsh said. “Its industry-proven air motor and three-piston design enable operators to complete their hydraulic torque wrench applications faster, while always ensuring top levels of safety.”

The durable, reliable new pumps are designed and tested for use in tough environments, Enerpac says. The roll cage protects key components and provides increased support and protection of the FRL from vibration. The heavy-duty air supply connection and proven piston design enables long life, the company added. Key components are easy to access for service and a skid rail accessory prevents reservoir wear from rough surfaces.

Mining applications include conveyor system maintenance tasks associated with inspecting the electric motor and gear box, the company said.

The ATEX-certified Enerpac LAT Air Hydraulic Torque Wrench Pump is optimised for use with the newly introduced Enerpac DSX aluminium torque wrenches, a 4 in (101.6 mm) calibrated gauge, a two button pendant with 4.5 m cable and two oil fill sight glass indicators.

Enerpac and Cooper Fluid Systems aid dragline maintenance at coal mine

Coal technology, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Enerpac and Copper Fluid Systems (CFS) have come to the rescue of a Queensland coal miner looking for a way to safely and efficiently carry out maintenance on its dragline.

The hydraulics leader, in tandem with Queensland distributor CFS, devised a solution that incorporated its RACH306 lightweight aluminium cylinders. This allowed operators to get out on the boom to provide essential maintenance.

Such a system requires special tools offering a combination of high power, light weight, compact size and reliability, Enerpac said. This is where the RACH306 cylinders provided a lightweight solution for tensioning the intermediate boom suspension on the dragline, ensuring it continued to operate without causing excess wear on the main frame.

With a total weight of around 11 kg each, the aluminium cylinders are roughly half the weight of their steel counterparts and provide the same power, with a capacity of 30 t, the company said.

CFS Queensland Regional Manager, Mark Lorber, said: “The lighter weight makes a significant difference to the safety and comfort of maintenance personnel, as the only way to get the tools up on the dragline is to individually transport them out on the boom and spend time precisely positioning them there.

“The Enerpac gear is used to tension the intermediate boom suspension ropes by sliding over threaded rods with 30 mm studs at each of the adjustment points. Hollow cylinders are used because they can slide over the top of the stud. The Enerpac RACH cylinders provide a 6 in (150 mm) stroke with smooth, reliable performance.”

Tensioning these suspension ropes on draglines is an essential maintenance task for mining operations, according to Lorber. A slack or loose rope can cause additional stress, or even cracking on the main frame – especially when digging, he said.

Lorber added: “With draglines typically costing in excess of A$100 million ($64 million), regular preventative maintenance is a vital part of minimising downtime and avoiding unexpected costs. The major advantages of using Enerpac tools in this application are the quality of a market-leading brand, coupled with service support on-site.”

CFS custom designs dragline tensioning system boxes, with each box containing four Enerpac P80 hand pumps, four Enerpac RACH306 aluminium hollow plunger cylinders and MDG41-compliant hydraulic pressure hoses. Four boxes are used in total for each dragline machine, where they are mounted on each boom.

The tensioning system boxes are designed to be weatherproof and protect the hydraulics against dust, which is highly prevalent on open-pit coal mining operations. Additionally, the boxes have a separate shelf for the pump so that it is further protected from dirt, grease and other contaminants, the company said.

Enerpac’s RACH-Series cylinders, with strokes from 50-250 mm, weigh from just 5.2-9 kg for the 20 t models through to a maximum of 48.9-77.2 kg for the range-topping 150 t models. The cylinders are comprised of composite bearings on all moving surfaces to prevent metal-to-metal contact, resist side loads and extend cylinder life.

Complementing the RACH-Series cylinders are Enerpac’s lightweight hand pumps, models P-392 or P-802, which are constructed of composite materials including aluminium to comprise the optimum lightweight pump and cylinder set, according to the company. The cylinders can also be powered by fast-acting Enerpac electric, air and petrol pumps.

Features of the full RAC range include:

  • Hollow plunger design allows for both pull and push forces;
  • Composite bearings increase cylinder life and sideload resistance;
  • Hard-Coat finish on all surfaces resists damage and extends cylinder life;
  • Floating centre tube increases seal and product life;
  • Handles standard on all models;
  • Steel base plate and saddle for protection against load-induced damage;
  • Integral stop ring prevents plunger over-travel and is capable of withstanding the full cylinder capacity;
  • High strength return spring for rapid cylinder retraction;
  • CR-400 coupler and dustcap included on all models; and
  • All cylinders meet ASME B-30.1 and ISO 10100 standards.