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User report Robust plastic energy chain for 550 metres of travel in bulk handling

Alternative to festooning: plastic energy chain travels reliably at -35°C, snow and ice

A low-maintenance plastic energy chain was installed on a 550 metre long travel path on a conveyor system for transporting taconite in the North Shore Mine in Minnesota: This is one of the longest travel paths realised with a plastic energy chain worldwide. In addition to the roller track, the temperatures, which can drop below -30°C in winter, as well as ice and snow, also played a decisive role in the choice of cable routing.

Profile

Takonite mine

The North Shore Mine is located on the north shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. Takonite is mined there and pressed into taconite pellets.

Problem

Takonite is an iron-bearing, flint-like rock that was named after the Taconic Mountains in the United States. It is a Precambrian sedimentary rock that belongs to the banded ores due to the typical alternation between iron-bearing layers and layers of clay shale or chert. The very finely distributed iron content in the form of magnetite is between 25 and 30%. The largest deposits in the world are located in the Mesabi Range in Minnesota. Once taconite has been mined, it is transported on long conveyor belts for storage.
This was also the case at the North Shore Mine in Minnesota, for which a reliable energy supply system had to be found for several hundred metres of travel. In addition to the travel distance, the ambient conditions on site posed a second major challenge when realising the cable routing. In sub-zero temperatures below -30°C as well as ice and snow, the routing and internal cables had to function without any problems.

Solution

The operator of the North Shore Mine relies on an E4/4 energy chain system for long travels of the 5050 series for the cable guidance on the conveyor belt. The roller chain links in particular make the E4/4 a true specialist for the 550m long roller track. In addition, special chainflex cables are used for moving applications in the energy chain, such as the chainflex CF35.UL motor cable and seven other customised cables. However, the energy chain and cables not only prove themselves on the travel, but also under the sometimes aggressive environmental conditions. Since installation, over a metre of snow has already fallen and temperatures have dropped to -35°C. Despite the sub-zero temperatures, the solution runs absolutely faultlessly. This is partly due to the extensive laboratory tests that are regularly carried out on e-chains and chainflex cables in the company's own laboratory in Cologne. Extreme temperature tests in the climate chamber simulate temperatures of up to -40°C and check the function.
The operator of the North Shore Mine had already had very good experiences with plastic energy chains in the plant in the past. The advantages of the system compared to the previously installed festooning systems are not only the price but also the absolute corrosion resistance, durability, safety and the small space requirement. We also offer comprehensive technical support and free project planning.

Energy chain

igus e-chain system 5050HD series and igus chainflex motor cable CF35 and seven other customised cables

Takonite mine

The e-chain was installed "from the reel". The pre-assembled system readychain is simply unwound from a cable drum and installed directly. This saves enormous downtimes and costs.

Mining and processing of taconite

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the available iron ore was of such high quality that taconite was considered an unprofitable waste product. After the Second World War, however, much of the high-quality ore had already been mined in the United States, so that taconite became economically viable as a new source of iron. To process taconite, the ore is ground into a fine powder and the iron is then separated from the rest of the rock using powerful magnets.

The powdered iron concentrate is then rolled together with bentonite and lime as a flux to form pellets about one centimetre in diameter, which consist of approximately 65% iron. The pellets are then heated to high temperatures for further processing in order to oxidise the magnetite (Fe3O4) to hematite (Fe2O3). The concentrated taconite is transported from the production facilities by rail to Silver Bay, Two Harbors and the twin ports of Duluth and Superior on Lake Superior and then shipped by bulk carriers to other locations along the Great Lakes. Many steel-producing operations are located near Lake Erie.

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