News & Events

Sheffield heavy engineering company, DavyMarkham, has secured an important $5.4 million contract for the supply of two heavy duty mining hoists to Volcan Compañia Minera of Peru, the fourth largest producer of zinc and silver worldwide.

The order is for production and service hoists to be used at Volcan’s latest Pique Andaychagua mining project in the Yuauli province, some 150km northeast of the Peruvian capital Lima, and which will be designed for an estimated production rate of 4,000 tonnes per day from depths down to 970m. This is DavyMarkham’s first contract gain in Peru, which occupies a leading position in the global production of silver, gold, lead, copper and zinc.

Designed and produced in Sheffield, the equipment for the Volcan project includes a 12ft (3.66m) double drum production hoist, capable of hauling twin ore skips, and slightly smaller single drum service hoist, equipped with a personnel carrying cage, with the latter also designed to undertake shaft sinking duties prior to operating in final production mode. The service hoist will have a payload capacity of 2,400kg, will operate to a shaft depth of 940m and is scheduled for delivery this autumn. The larger production winch has a maximum payload of 9,000kg, will operate to depths of 970m, and is due for commissioning next spring.

The new DavyMarkham hoists will contribute toward Volcan’s ambitious production targets, at the same time cementing Davy’s status as a world leader in mine winder technology. The mechanical equipment will be based on a proven design supplied extensively by the company to the global mining industry over the last 15 years and the principal components like drums, shafts and bearings will be subject to rigorous metallurgical analysis, based on the required modes of operation and calculated rope loads.

The electrical drives and controls for the new Volcan hoists will be subcontracted to ABB Sweden, a long-time commercial partner of the Sheffield company in the mining sector, and ABB is also supplying the hydraulic brake control system. DavyMarkham is providing the disk brake assemblies for both hoists, which are spring applied, hydraulically released failsafe units, with infrared temperature transmitters providing thermal monitoring of braking surfaces.

The scope of supply will also include hydraulic power packs, guards and handrails for the hoist house, supervision of on-site installation and commissioning services by DavyMarkham technicians, and training for local operators.
 

Back to News