SUCCESS STORY 01 The high-performance KTR-“Stop” brake systems were developed particularly for harsh environmental conditions 01 02 The “KTR Competence Center for Brake Systems” is located in Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock in East Westphalia 03 The intelligent brake regulation enables controlled and coordinated braking operations that can be accurately adjusted to the requested parameters 04 The new EMB-“Stop” brake systems are a flexible and clean solution for an extremely long service life with low operating costs and maximum safety of the system 03 04 For more than a decade, the wind mills all over the globe have been relying on KTR’s “Stop” brake systems for high performance braking and locking. From its experience in the wind industry, KTR has gained competence and expert understanding of the braking applications that it effectively transfers into other core markets. No matter whether it’s marine or mining technology, on-shore or offshore applications, or crane manufacturing. Every braking situation is different and brake systems must be matched and adjusted to the individual conditions of each application. These systems should be designed in a way that allows maximum adaptability to varying applications and flexibility across a wide range of performance demands. KTR, the Rheine based expert in “braking” realizes this fact . KTR brakes, used in Sierra Leone, Africa Sierra Leone is rich in mineral resources, like chromium, diamonds, gold and platinum and Iron ore. In particular, the major iron ore deposit of Africa – is located in Sierra Leone with an estimated total volume of up to 12.8 billion tons. The Tonkolili district, in the heart of the Sierra Leone, is the central extraction area in the country and the mineral resources located here could make West Africa a critical supplier of raw material for the worldwide steel production. The brake systems provided by KTR currently contribute to the mining of this mineral resource. Strong drive – smooth brakes The conveyor system in the ore mining of Tonkolili consists of an overland conveyor system, 2.6 km in length that is operated by four high-performance drives. The belt transports around 3,500 tons of ore - containing tailings, each hour - a load that needs to be moved powerfully but also controlled and braked in a reliable and responsible fashion. Each conveyor belt operates with 12 KTR- “Stop”-disk brakes (Figure 1) with a clamping force of 150 kN each (total clamping force 1,800 kN). However, this power needs to be appropriately applied otherwise the belts could be overloaded, leading to damages with high financial impacts. Accordingly, KTR-“Stop” brake systems transmit power, sensitively via an electronic control system “IntelliRamp” (Figure 3). This system constantly compares the nominal and the actual values of the system: if the belt speed is below the nominal value, the brake force is reduced; if it exceeds the nominal value, the brake force is increased. Typically 3 braking scenarios are available: n Typical frequency converter braking: monitored by the “Intelli- Ramp” control system, the belt gradually and safely comes to a halt within 20 seconds. n If the frequency converter is overloaded or fails due to a potential power outage, the emergency stop function makes the system come to a stop within 10 seconds. 54 MDATechnologies 4/2015
02 About Company name: KTR Kupplungstechnik GmbH Headquarters: Rheine, Germany Turnover: € 202 million Employees: more than 900 worldwide Products: mechanical couplings, brakes systems, hydraulic componets, cooling systems Competence Center for brakes All activities of the KTR Group relating to brakes, brake systems and components are concentrated at KTR Brake Systems GmbH (formerly EMB Brake Systems AG). The “KTR Competence Center for Brake Systems” is located in the East Westphalia Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock (Figure 2). In addition to the development and construction of the brake components, extensive function tests of the KTR-“Stop” and EMB-“Stop” lines take place here, for example: in a special low temperature climate chamber enabling tests with temperatures of up to -40 ° C. n In outright emergencies there is an immediate and unregulated emergency stop. Ultimately, the combination use of KTR-“Stop” and “IntelliRamp” works like an intelligent ABS car brake system – just larger, stronger and more flexible. A good braking system is not only about controlling large forces, but also about its ability to encounter adverse environmental conditions. The Brakes have to be tough just like the conditions in Sierra Leone. With intense heat, wind, sand, dust and more than 4,000 litres of rain per year scratch the surfaces and crawl in to every pore. Therefore, all vital components of the KTR-“Stop” brakes are completely encapsulated and thus they are optimally equipped for use under tough environmental conditions. In order to withstand these challenges, the engineers at KTR have optimized the material composition of the brake, improved the corrosion protection and extended the brake selection process. Continuous development The design and development team at KTR’s Rheine facility recently undertook the task to re-design various ranges of KTR”s brake systems, starting with hydraulic brakes. This dedicated effort has yielded decisive improvements in performance on many levels. For example, the installation space of the KTR-“Stop” line has been optimized, now enabling a higher force with lower weight – from 1 to 1,400 kN, in either an active or spring-actuated design. The compact dimensions have extended the application range while reducing the transport, storage and assembly costs at the same time. Electromechanics + hydraulics Taking over the East Westphalian EM Brake Systems AG (EMB), KTR has extended its portfolio of high-performance brake components with the addition of electromechanical brake systems. The brake systems of the EMB-“Stop” (Figure 4) series are suitable for systems conceptualized without hydraulics. The maintenance work usually required for hydraulic units is not necessary here as the clamping force of up to 400 kN is electromechanically generated. The special feature of these brakes is the setup of the braking force: it can be softly applied by the touch of a button, continuously increasing until achieving the maximum braking performance. Photographs: KTR Kupplungstechnik GmbH www.ktr.com Author: Thomas Wienkotte, Sales Manager - Brakes Industry, KTR Kupplungstechnik GmbH, Rheine, Germany MDATechnologies 4/2015 55
