In open-pit mining, conveyor belt systems are the backbone of material handling. They transport tons upon tons of coal, rubble, and other materials, mostly under extremely harsh conditions. During this process, dust, moisture, temperature fluctuations and, above all, vibrations all attack their components. As a result, particularly robust encoder solutions are required to protect the encoder system of the drive motor against the high vibration load and to improve operating reliability.
Vibrations, shaft currents and environmental influences
Belt drive stations in open-pit mining operate at maximum load. Strong vibrations, aggressive environmental influences and shaft currents accelerate wear on their integrated sensors. Inaccurate speed signals can lead to uneven belt movement, overloads or even system downtimes. The result: complex maintenance work and expensive production losses. In large open-pit mines in particular, where conveyor belts transport loads weighing several tons over several kilometers, reliable speed control is therefore absolutely essential.
The vibration-resistant solution from Hübner Giessen
To master this challenge, we developed a durable heavy-duty encoder solution with hybrid bearings. Our hollow-shaft encoder with a torque bracket withstands shock loads and shaft currents, ensuring precise speed control. For detailed information on how this solution works and how it can be expanded if required, take a look at our latest case study, “Conveyor belts / Motors: an incremental heavy-duty encoder braves the harshest mining conditions and provides reliable speed control.”