Drive systems specialist Voith’s one- thousandth TPKL fluid coupling – installed in February at a 6.4 MW underground belt conveyor drive at a coal mine in China – is meeting all the client’s requirements, says Voith Europe, Middle East and Africa mining and metals division VP Grant Robinson.

He adds that the fluid coupling was shipped to China immediately after it was manufactured in September last year.

“The 3 160-m-long belt conveyor is designed for demanding workloads, and can transport coal uphill at a 14°·angle. It is driven by four 1 600 kW motors, with a planned capacity of 4 000 t/h.”

Voith began production of the TPKL range in 1997 for demanding belt conveyor applications in mining. The coupling provides good torque limitation for a smooth start-up of the belt conveyor, while allowing for active load-sharing with multi-motor drives, says Robinson.

He adds that the fluid coupling has many benefits that speak to the key business drivers of any major mining operation, such as safety, availability, reliability, production rates and reduced total cost of operation.

“Further, peace of mind comes from our having a qualified service team that can provide on-site support for our customers around the clock.”

Advantages for African Miners
Robinson tells Mining Weekly that the TPKL fluid coupling is suitable for use in the African mining environment. “Given its rugged design and proven performance, the TPKL fluid coupling is ideally suited to the harsh African mining sector, which continues to experience substantial growth year-on-year.”

He says that miners in Africa also benefit from using the TPKL fluid coupling range because it can handle the most difficult starts, multiple times in succession, owing to the standstill cooling feature of the couplings.

The fluid couplings are robust and not susceptible to environmental influences such as heat, dust and moisture, Robinson adds. The wear-free power transmission reduces maintenance and repair, and automatic load-sharing in multi- motor drives protects against motor overload.

The fluid coupling regulates drive acceleration gently, which protects the belt, prevents downtime and increases the service life of the system. “This is a major benefit in Africa, where projects are remotely located and workers are often under skilled.”

In addition to mining, Voith provides materials handling solutions for industries such as energy, oil and gas, paper, raw materials, transportation and automotive.

The company operates in more than 50 countries and employs more than 39 000 people.