Background:
Working in support of the end user, an integrated steel producer and merchant of steel products, an engineering firm contacted Hindon for assistance with an emergency braking system for use on a conveyor at a Midwest steel mill. The conveyor transports material for mill operations and has downhill sections, meaning a fail-safe emergency brake is needed to stop the loaded conveyor from running away in the event of power loss.
The end user required a high-torque fail-safe disc braking system that was fit for use in a challenging steel mill environment prone to significant accumulation of dust and dirt. Furthermore, due to the presence of a removable floor plate in the area by the gearbox output shaft where the braking system would be mounted, space constraints factored heavily into the ideal solution for this application.
Before image of the conveyor drive used for mill operations with downhill sections in need of emergency brake.
Application Challenges:
- Dimensional constraints coupled with high braking torque requirement
- Environmental challenges associated with corrosive steel mill environment
Solution:
Working with the engineering firm in support of the end user, Hindon developed a robust and reliable emergency braking system for the end user’s conveyor.
Hindon designed and supplied a spring applied electrohydraulic thruster released braking system for use on a custom disc/hub assembly. All aspects of the thruster disc brake were prepared for use in a steel mill environment including special sintered linings, proximity limit switches for indication “brake released” and “lining wear,” automatic lining wear compensation, manual release lever, and an adjustable time delay in the electrohydraulic thruster to ensure a smooth braking action that wouldn’t cause unnecessary wear on any of the conveyor components.
Hindon’s custom brake disc/hub assembly was a critical component in this system as it allowed for the largest possible disc diameter without inferring with the removable floor plate in the area of the braking system, thus allowing for the maximum possible braking torque without requiring any modifications to the end user’s existing conveyor configuration.
Ultimately, the thoughtfully designed braking system was the ideal solution for the end user – the robust braking system was easy to install and commission and reliably stops the conveyor safely in the event of power loss.