As a Technical Specialist in Power Transmission for CBC, it’s Milan Sreckov’s responsibility to assess the performance of power transmission equipment in customer applications. If the equipment is underperforming, he will propose an alternative solution – which was the case with an “earth-moving customer.”
“We had been working with this particular earth moving customer for a while when an issue was raised regarding gearboxes on a head drum of their conveyor application – the conveyor was moving rocks and earth,” he explains. “It was breaking down every eight or nine months; that was the most they could get out of the gearbox.”
Milan went out to the customer site to perform an analysis.
“I completed some calculations on the motor and determined that the service factor on the existing gearbox was too low and not appropriate for the application,” he expounds. “This was the reason it kept breaking down. I recommended the customer change to an ABB gearbox solution.”
Specifically, the ABB Dodge Motorised Torque Arm II – better known as the MTA II – drive solution was suggested to the customer.
“We offered this solution to replace their existing gearbox, and it’s been almost two years now since the installation and they have not had any failures,” says Milan. “The customer is very pleased with this outcome.”
According to Milan, the ABB Dodge MTA II gearbox is well-suited to this type of application.
“These drives have been designed exclusively for belt conveyor applications. Which is why the solution is excellent for a quarry environment such as the one we worked on with this customer case,” he elaborates. “The Dodge MTA II has specific features that enable it to perform well in harsh conditions. For example, the lip sealing system prevents ambient contamination from dust and other elements that could shorten the life of the gearbox.”
Moreover, Milan points out that ABB has a reputation for manufacturing high quality products for the mining sector.
“ABB is heavily involved in the mining segment in Australia and manufactures a range of drive solutions that have been designed with this sector in mind,” he expands. “We have confidence that the ABB gearbox solutions we provide to our customers are best in class. And customers stand to benefit from our expertise as well as the product offering of ABB, and our access to ABB’s technical expertise too.”
In terms of the MTA II product
features, Milan says they are manifold.
“The sealing system is both advanced and unique – the actual seals on the MTA are doubly thick compared with standard gearboxes,” he states. “They can also work with a temperature range of -40 degrees to 150 degrees Celsius. This extends their service life by up to six times more than standard rubber seals.”
The MTA II is available in single drive assembly, dual drive assembly or screw conveyor drive assembly. Each one is built using heavy-duty tapered roller bearings and case carburised helical/bevel gearing.
The drives are available in seven sizes, ranging from 1.5 to 75kW, with a broad Torque range of up to 14,700 Nm. They also have the capacity to be mounted on any standard AC motors and the patented Dodge twin-tapering bushing system allows for easy mounting and dismounting.
Importantly, the MTA II has been rated to the American Gear Manufacturers Association design standards.
“This means the gearbox meets stricter measures for performance, which also translates to reduced maintenance costs,” says Milan. “This drive solution will give approximately two more times bearing design life compared with other designs.”
Nayan Bagal, MTA Product Manager for ABB, says the MTA II has been embraced by the mines and quarries sector since it was first released to the market.
“The MTA was first introduced in 2012 in Australia as the next generation of the reducers, improving on the internationally recognised Torque Arm II (TA II) belt drive reducer,” he explains. “As the new product was developed from industry feedback and advancement, the market embraced the product right from its launch due to its ease of installation, robust design and safe operation.”
Additionally, Nayan says ABB works closely with CBC to deliver solutions to customers in the sector, including any customisation that may be required.
“The application engineering teams from CBC and ABB work closely with the end-user sites to address requirements, by providing joint visits to sites, collecting technical information, and designing and supplying a total solution,” Nayan furthers. “ABB is actively involved in after-sales support, assisting with installation and ongoing critical spares supply.”
To circle back to his earlier comments, Milan says customers such as his earth-moving customer are the ultimate benefactors of this partnership.
“There’s a reason these units are in such high demand – it’s a reliable drive solution that comes in a complete package consisting of bearings, conveyor drum, reducer, motor, smart sensors and variable speed drive,” he adds. “When we can provide a rugged gearing unit that delivers, which is the case with the quarry customer, then that makes for a happy customer. It also means I can perform my job with confidence, knowing the customer will have a good outcome.”
ABB Dodge MTA II heavy duty gearbox features:
- American Gear Manufacturers Association rated
- Compact, flexible drive design
- Patented heavy-duty lip sealing solution for extended wear, designed to withstand temperature ranges of -40°C to +150°C
- Exclusively uses heavy-duty tapered roller bearings
- Straddle mount input pinion gives maximum torque throughput
- Available in 1.5kW-75kW based on output speeds
- Torque range up to 14,700 Nm
- Standard IEC B5 flange adapter or NEMA C-face motors
- Third party ATEX certified
- Case carburised helical/bevel gearing
- Drilled and tapped to accept safety end covers
- Reduced assembly time and guarding costs
- Reducer mounts in multiple positions
- Two motor speeds and multiple gear ratios
- Standard and short shaft twin tapered bushings
- Industry leading backstop design
