Case Study: 60-Ton Lifting Jacks for Cerrejon Mine

Overview

Year: 2021

Partner: Eymaq

Location: La Guajira, Colombia

Product: 3 sets of four 60-ton lifting jacks

– Key Challenges

Delivering and installing heavy-duty lifting equipment at Cerrejón posed several challenges. The mine’s remote location meant logistics had to be carefully planned to ensure timely delivery.

The requirement for 60-ton lifting jacks was unprecedented for the manufacturer, pushing engineering limits to develop a solution that met safety and performance standards.

The extreme dust conditions in the mine necessitated modifications to enhance durability and maintain operational efficiency.

– Solution

To modernize Cerrejón’s lifting capabilities, Railquip and Eymaq provided a tailored solution: three sets of four 60-ton lifting jacks designed to replace outdated equipment and enhance maintenance efficiency. Given the mine’s demanding environment, durability and precision were top priorities.

Neuero, the manufacturer, developed these jacks to withstand extreme dust exposure while ensuring smooth and synchronized lifting operations.

Safety and reliability:

These jacks feature load pad detection, ensuring all units lift in unison, preventing imbalances. The nut wear detection system continuously monitors thread integrity, reducing the risk of unexpected failures.

Additionally, a steel safety nut minimizes any potential load drop to just 20 cm, providing an extra layer of protection for workers.

Optimized design for harsh conditions:

These portable electric jacks are supplied as a set of four lifting columns, controlled by a Central Control Console for precise and synchronized operation.

Each jack is equipped with a fixed or horizontally movable lifting cantilever, providing flexibility to accommodate different lifting needs.

For mobility, the jacks can be moved manually, with a forklift, or via an overhead crane, ensuring adaptability in the field. The control unit is designed with an emergency stop and deadman push button for enhanced safety, and expandable options allow for additional control panels as needed.

Each jack also features a pendant controller, enabling individual operation until the lifting arm makes contact with the load.

This optimized design ensures that Cerrejón’s lifting equipment is not only capable of handling high loads but is also practical and easy to maneuver, even in challenging mining conditions.

Featured safety enhancements:

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Load pad detection:

Ensures synchronized lifting across all jacks.

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Nut wear detection:

Monitors thread wear and alerts to prevent failures.

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Steel safety nut:

Limits any potential load fall to just 20 cm in case of nut wear, ensuring worker safety.

General product information:

Portable electric jacks for the rail transit/railroad industries are normally supplied as a set of four (4)lifting columns (or multiples as required) controlled by a Central Control Console. Each jack is equipped with a fixed or horizontally movable lifting cantilever. The columns are movable by hand or may be designed to be moved electrically on an embedded auxiliary rail.

Practical & easy to move: This can be done by hand, with a forklift or even with a overhead crane.
Control unit: Equiped with emergency stop & deadman push button for operation. Expandable units to add extra control panels.
Pendant Controller: Provided on each jack for individual operation until lifting arm is in contact with load.

The Benefits of Lifting Equipment

Enhanced Safety: Provides a safe workspace for train maintenance.
Increased Efficiency: Streamlines regular maintenance tasks with precision lifting.
Custom-Engineered: The equipment was tailored to LIRR’s specific needs with minor adjustments to the standard product.
Long-term Reliability Built to last, ensuring smooth operations for years to come.

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