A PORTABLE VALVE ACTUATOR FOR THE MINING SECTOR

By definition, open pit mines are often located in remote areas, and can be large or even gigantic (some mines are much larger than large cities).

The process of operating a mine is complex and involves many industries. The infrastructure (electricity, clean water, wastewater, roads, etc.) is comparable to that of a large city, not to mention the industrial infrastructure itself.

Water is a resource that is used extensively in all areas and its supply is critical. It often comes from far away and is transported by large pipelines.

Whether in the water pumping stations at the ocean's edge, on the route of the pipelines or – above all – in the mine itself, the water networks are complex, with enormous flows and consequently large valves. Often, these valves are manual and, given their size and the torque required, require several thousand turns of the hand wheel to open or close them, which represents a very long operating time.

Modec portable valve actuators are used for preventive maintenance

♦ Drastic reduction in operating time

♦ Reduced fatigue, risk of accidents and occupational illness

♦ Protection of the valve itself with our power, speed and torque control systems

♦ Increased valve service life due to shorter, easier and therefore more regular maintenance operations

♦ The valves are of course located in remote and sometimes very isolated locations

This is where the Modec range is of particular interest due to the possibility of using portable battery-powered actuators (with a continuous autonomy of up to 90 minutes), or actuators with combustion engine (in this case the autonomy is limited only by the size of the petrol canister taken by the operator).

For the numerous valves located in pumping stations or water treatment complexes (most often equipped with a compressed air network), a particularly powerful and light pneumatic compressed portable actuator can also be used. It is also possible to use one of the battery-powered actuators directly connected to the mains for total autonomy.

♦ Simple installation: The portable actuator and flying adapter can be installed in seconds

♦ Ease of use: The device is intuitive, safe, lightweight and can be used safely by anyone

♦ Robustness: Portable actuators do not require any special maintenance and are particularly suitable for demanding environments

♦ Versatility: With only five models (two pneumatic, two battery, and one gas) and a few adapters, any valve can be handled in any environment. Whether the need is to save time by going faster or to gain strength for difficult valves, our devices are there for you

♦ Associated gains: It is not necessary to look far to see the gains brought by these portable actuators – saving time (and therefore money), reduction of accidents, sick leave and occupational illness which cost the company a lot of money, reduction of drudgery (operator satisfaction and improved productivity), drastic improvement of equipment maintenance and consequently its lifespan

Established in 1995, Field Machine Tools has thrived as a privately owned Australian company supplying portable maintenance machines and engineering solutions to clients across Australia. The business aims to flatten production downtime by providing operators with the most complete scope of products and accessories for industries across Australia and beyond.