Alminco
Global demand for air/hydraulic underground drilling and bolting equipment has prompted Australian company Alminco to bring its Scorpion air over hydraulic, track-mounted drill rig to the US.
The rig, used for the installation of secondary roof and rib (wall) support in underground roadways, will be launched at MINExpo with the rig exhibited on the stand the company is sharing with US agents Royal Hydraulics and Manufacturing.
The compact and maneuverable Scorpion is capable of working in roof heights of 55in and above. Its narrow width allows it to work next to a belt or in limited space.
The Scorpion consists of an integral hydraulic tank and chassis based around a pair of fork pockets used for longer-distance transportation. The design provides for rigidity and strength for the mounting of the tracks and boom. Positioned at the end of the boom is a hydraulic drill mast that can be selected in various sizes depending on roof height.
“As a self-propelled machine, the Scorpion can carry all the consumables needed for underground drilling and bolting, so manual handling is kept to a minimum. The operator controls all functions from the rear of the machine and is kept clear of unsupported roof or rib during drilling and bolting, so safety is improved. Finally, there is plenty of power for the hydraulic drill and mast, so the job gets done fast,” Alminco product manager Steve Paradisis said.
Power to the hydraulic pump is provided by a radial piston air motor; capable of producing more than 18.8hp, it supplies hydraulic pressure of up to 3000psi. Boom motion is controlled by two hydraulic cylinders that allow it to slew left and right, as well as raise and lower. Controlling mast motion are two rotary actuators, turning the mast from roof to rib to floor – as well as toward and away from the face.
The machine incorporates large storage areas that can hold roof bolts, rib-bolts and drill steels as well as chemical anchors, plates and dollies.
“Alminco has been building the Scorpion for just over two years, and we have now sold 12 machines into the Australian and New Zealand coal markets,” Paradisis said, adding the price of the machine was favorable compared to the electric equivalent.
Alminco engineering manager Rick DiPietro said in Australia the Scorpion complied with Mining Design Guidelines MDG35.1 and MDG41, ensuring safety for the operator and compliance of all fluid power components. The company is currently in contact with MSHA to ensure the Scorpion also complies with its relevant safety requirements.
EMCO Flow Systems
Colorado supplier EMCO will show several of its flowmeters, the UniMag DeltaMass, the UniMag NFP and its Hydro-Flow meter series, at MINExpo.
The UniMag DeltaMass package is made up of a magnetic flowmeter with a low-level gamma ray density sensor that can measure mass liquid flow with both dissolved and undissolved solids in pipes measuring 4in up to 18in. It also features multi-parameter outputs, an optional flowtube sampling port and non-full pipe detection.
The company’s UniMag NFP unit is most ideal for non-full pipes measuring 6in to 80in. Both ultrasonic and hydrostatic level measurement methods using a hydrostatic level transducer can be performed on the partially filled magnetic flowmeter system, which also includes internal grounding electrodes. According to EMCO, flowtubes to any length and field-replaceable sensors can also be produced for it, and its enclosed sensor components keep vibration and shock from being registered.
Finally, the company will have on display its Hydro-Flow meter series, which includes in-line and insertion models that encompass a broad array of pipe sizes and installation needs. The unit, EMCO noted, can process vortex signals that are 25 times smaller than other technologies thanks to its microprocessor-based and piezo-resistive sensor.
The line is also available for retrofits of failed turbine meters, it said, and de-ionised and ultra-pure water and BTU systems.
HAWE Hydraulics
CONTROLS supplier HAWE Hydraulics is preparing to descend upon Las Vegas in September, and will be bringing with it the company’s PSL/PSV proportional directional spool valve with MSHA-approved coils.
Available in sizes 3 and 5, the units are steel-produced to reduce size and endure the harsh mining environment, according to HAWE officials.
Each PSL/PSV unit has a working pressure of up to 420 bar, a 210 litre per minute total consumer flow rate and a total pump flow rate of 350 litres/min.
“Designed as a load sense valve, these spool valves serve to control the direction of motion while delivering infinite speed control for hydraulic cylinders and motors, regardless of load,” said HAWE.
“With the option of a valve bank or manifold mounting design, and several available actuation types, including our new hazardous environment, MSHA-approved coil, the PSL/PSV proportional valve is well suited for a wide array of mobile hydraulic applications.”
The PSL/PSV spool valves allow for several functions to be performed at once and independent of one another.
