Gates Corp., Denver, Colo., will officially release its new iLok coupling for underground coal mines at the 2013 Longwall USA Exhibition & Conference in Pittsburgh, June 11-13. The company says the couplings will revolutionize the longwall mining industry because unlike staple-lock couplings, the high-pressure designs can be connected to longwall mining machinery in seconds and disconnected in less than two minutes.
On average, it takes 20 minutes to de-couple traditional staple-lock couplings. On a longwall miner with 500 connections, that means 10,000 minutes (nearly 7 days) just to disconnect the fittings. That’s nearly 167 man-hours of labor.
Gates threaded iLok couplings feature coarse, flattened threads that can be safely disconnected in 2 minutes or less, for a total of 17 man-hours of labor, a decrease of 90%. They can be hand-tightened in seconds.
Not only does the easy removal of the couplings save time, it also increases safety in mining operations. Workers disconnect the couplings by cutting and removing the cable lock and turning the swivel nut two-and-a-half times by hand. Normally, workers will often resort to dangerous methods to remove staple-lock couplings. They use crowbars to pry the staples loose. They use hammers to beat on the coupling ferrule or the hose itself. The result is often a cracked ferrule or damaged hose, leading to a leak or catastrophic burst when lines are re-pressurized.
Safety is also enhanced because iLok coupling nuts contact the entire surface, unlike staple-lock designs, which contact only 1/4 to 1/3 of the mating groove. This spreads the load evenly, preventing deformation of the fitting and providing greater resistance to de-coupling forces.
The couplings have been subjected to impulse tests to 133% of operating pressure at 250°F (+121°C) for 1 million impulse cycles with no leaks or failures. They easily withstand 5000-plus psi working pressures that are common in hydraulic lines on longwall equipment.
The couplings also have Gates TuffCoat Xtreme plating to prevent red rust.
Gates Corp.
www.gates.com/mining