Published in Australian Longwall Magazine
Waratah offers a unique product to the underground coal sector in its flameproof electrical enclosures suitable for underground mobile electrical machines.
The enclosures are custom-designed and built to contain all electrical components on the machine, including the main isolator, in one unit, reducing the number of enclosures. Including the components in one unit means there is more room to layout the hydraulics and other parts, allowing easy access for maintenance.
The enclosure is tested to meet the requirements of IEC 60079, ensuring global acceptance for use in explosive atmospheres.
According to Waratah managing director Mark Kingshott, the enclosure also reduces the number of cables and glands by more than 30% and facilitates less and simpler maintenance and easier fault finding and repair.
Packed into the one enclosure are the Pempek radio and control system, solid state traction system, vacuum contactors, current transformers for measuring the power to each motor, power supplies, isolators, IS barriers, earth leakage protection, and the option for an integral 10.4” (800 x 600 pixel) colour graphic display. The optional display is actually a Pentium computer that allows storage of documentation such as drawings and procedures.
The latest model in the enclosure family is the CK2003 Flameproof Electrical Enclosure, specifically designed and built for BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance’s Crinum 12CM32 continuous miner. Crinum originally approached Waratah at the 2002 Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition (QME) where they were displaying the original BK2002 model.
From there the first unit was fitted to a CM016 and is currently being commissioned at the mine. The order for the second unit, displayed at QME 2004, was placed in March.
Development originally started on the enclosure three years ago, with the first unit operational in July 2002.
Waratah boast an impressive list of longwall and bord and pillar operations which have installed the units on continuous miners during the overhaul stage. Nine New South Wales mines including Angus Place, Clarence, Allied, Glennies Creek, Nardell, Tahmoor, Mandalong, Berrima and Awaba have installed the unit onto one or more continuous miners. Tasmanian mine Cornwall and a Solid Energy operation in New Zealand have also installed the enclosure. Twenty-one enclosure AK2003's have also been installed onto Waratah’s shuttlecars.
The enclosure is targeted at mines that wish to upgrade existing machines during the next major overhaul. Waratah are also selling some of the new enclosures on its new shuttlecars – the ‘Waracar’
