Interest in the burgeoning African mining industry continues to increase, with this year marking the eighteenth annual Investing in African Min- ing Indaba, and numerous contracts being awarded to mining suppliers.

One such contract involves the supply of a 1 640 kW 20-285 rpm AEG constant torque direct current motor to a copper mine in Zambia, this year, by electric motors supplier Red Metal Mining.

The company secured the order in September 2011, while the motor will take nine to ten months to manufacture.

The motor, which is currently installed, was manufactured in 1964 and is experiencing breakdowns and deterioration of its electrical windings. As a result, the client has opted for a modern design unit with spares available at a short lead time.

As all equipment retrofitting requires design changes to the existing installation, Red Metal Mining has flown mechanical and electrical design engineers from Germany-based electrical machinery and drive systems developer LDW to investigate and design a motor with minimal impact on the existing layout.

LDW manufactures AEG’s large electrical motors and has extensive archives of catalogues as well as the original drawings of all previously manufactured AEG large machines.

For the commissioning of the motors, staff from Red Metal Mining’s South African and Zambian office, as well as personnel from LDW’s factory, will be working closely together.

The scope of work comprises the supply of a specially designed stator housing to suit the existing motor, with sole plates, a fully laminated stator and armature core, a field frame and VIP, Class H armature windings and separately connected forced cooling fans with pressure switches for air flow control.

Red Metal Mining also secured an order in January 2012 to supply a copper mine in Zambia with AEG winder motors – the GLC 3 range.

The order includes a Rock Winder AEG 2650 kW 91 rpm 840 V S5 duty split design direct-current motor and a Man Winder AEG 1500 kW, 37 rpm 840 V S5 duty split design direct-current motor.

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