Press Release

Siemens’ gearless drive technology powers high-capacity overland conveyor in Quellaveco

  • Conveyor system will move 127,500 tons of primary crushed ore per day
  • New Siemens’ gearless drive technology to increase reliability and efficiency additionally by up to 4 percent
  • Maintenance requirements of the drive system significantly reduced

Powered by Siemens’ new gearless drive technology, thyssenkrupp’s high-capacity overland conveyor will access one of the world’s largest copper reserves in Quellaveco. The Quellaveco mine in Peru contains approximately 7.5 million tons of copper in ore reserves – enough to wire 80 million homes or equip 90 million electric vehicles.

With the rugged landscape in Quellaveco, transporting the primary crushed ore requires durable and efficient technology systems. By employing Siemens’ technology on this project, thyssenkrupp’s new conveyor system will transport 127,500 tons of primary crushed ore per day from the pit to the stockpile adjacent to the copper concentrator. Vast sections of the overland conveyor must traverse from one valley to another through a 3.2 km long tunnel. After exiting the tunnel, the conveyor will pass over hilly terrain before feeding the stockpile.

Compared with the combination of high-speed motor and gearboxes otherwise used in belt conveyor systems, the gearless drive solution offers a range of benefits. The size of the motor is not limited anymore by the size of gearbox, thus eliminating the necessity to install multi-motor drives. The required belt driving power can be provided with one drive per drive pulley. This means that the number of switchgear enclosure could also be scaled down, saving space and weight within the e-house. The elimination of a whole series of mechanical and electrical components increases the reliability and efficiency of the overall system by between 3-4%.

Another important factor is that the maintenance requirements of the drive system have been significantly reduced. This is important as gear maintenance work alone can account for up to 5% per year of the original investment volume for the gears.

thyssenkrupp’s overland conveyor is 4,700 m long, 1,830 mm wide featuring Siemens’ dual 5.5 MW gearless drives operating at a design tonnage of nearly 11,000 tons per hour. Siemens also provides the e-house with MV and LV power distribution and the cooling system for motors and e-house. The automation of the conveyor system as well as for the complete mine will be realized with the process control system Simatic PCS-7.

“This order again shows how gearless conveyor systems meet today’s demand for ever more efficient mining solutions and increased safety requirements,” Torsten Gerlach, CEO of thyssenkrupp’s Mining Technologies business unit explains. “It is the seventh overland conveyor project of this magnitude utilizing gearless drives that have been awarded to us since 2010. Together with our partner Siemens, we have managed to become one of the world leaders in bringing this technology to the market.”

For further information on Mining Solutions, please see www.siemens.com/mining-digitalization

Siemens-gearless-drive-overland-conveyor
Powered by Siemens’ new gearless drive technology, thyssenkrupp’s high-capacity overland conveyor will access one of the world’s largest copper reserves in Quellaveco.

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Through the separately managed company Siemens Mobility, a leading supplier of smart mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is shaping the world market for passenger and freight services. Due to its majority stakes in the publicly listed companies Siemens Healthineers AG and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital healthcare services as well as environmentally friendly solutions for onshore and offshore wind power generation. In fiscal 2018, which ended on September 30, 2018, Siemens generated revenue of €83.0 billion and net income of €6.1 billion. At the end of September 2018, the company had around 379,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.