The new Enerpac underground intensifier pump – which incorporates Enerpac ZA4 pump components – is designed to streamline one of the most common sub-surface construction and maintenance tasks encountered in coal and minerals extraction.
Based on the experience of mining contractors who establish roof structures and shafts, the new pump, operating at 6,000 psi (414 bar) oil pressure, tensions bolts to 20-30 tons in 30-60 seconds using as little as 60 psi (4 bar) pit air pressure.
The pump – which contains no exposed aluminium components and is designed for use in potentially explosive atmospheres – can tension up to 60x 8m mega bolts an hour to swiftly secure roof and rib structures.
Custom Mining Products director Rob Goldspink said: “Typical mines incorporate thousands of mega bolts and cable bolts that have to be securely fastened for structural integrity and safety reasons. Bolting-related tasks consume entire shifts, so a process that radically speeds up the job is a breakthrough.
“With excellent technical support from Enerpac, we have drawn on our own underground experience to develop our product for rapid and easy ergonomic use in confined spaces where safety and operator fatigue are major issues. The design is based on our own experience of more than 30 years in mining, backed by extensive in-service testing at major coal and minerals facilities.”
There are no exposed aluminium components in the new pump. Traditional foot pedal operation has been replaced with a simple directional control lever on the manual pumps and with a pendant control for the air solenoid pump. Pendant pump operation is controlled from the palm of the operator’s hand.
The Enerpac underground intensifier pump is multipurpose and is suitable for use with a wide variety of Enerpac attachments, subject to appropriate pressure adjustment. These include bolt and cable cutters, nut splitters, hydraulic cylinders and jacks and other tools from the global ranges of Enerpac, which is an international market leader in high-pressure hydraulics, with 28 offices in 22 different countries.
