SEW-EURODRIVE has supplied a comprehensive drive package to a major greenfield copper-mining project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The package comprised nine drives in total, of which the five main 500 kW drives weighed 12 t each. The remaining four consisted of two 90 kW drives on the decline sacrificial conveyor, and two 30 kW drives on the tip-truck sacrificial conveyor.
SEW-EURODRIVE received the initial inquiry in August 2018. The final units were delivered to site in September 2019, followed by installation and commissioning, Project Sales Representative Thato MR Sookane explains.
Due to the hot and humid conditions near Kolwezi, the drives had to be installed with:
- thermal sensors to monitor the input and output bearing temperature, and the oil sump temperature
- positioning sensors in addition to cooling units due to the size of the drives, and
- sun covers to protect the surface of the drives from the worst of the harsh sunlight.
“The fact that this is a new mine means there is significant scope for our further involvement down the line,” Sookane comments.
