Failure and repair of a mine hoist drumshaft

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 81, No. 912, 1988

JAMES E. RIDER*, H.G. Engineering Inc., Etobicoke, Ontario

Fractures in mine hoist drumshafts are rare. We know of no previously reported attempts to repair a fractured drumshaf t; any feasible method would involve welding and the associated problems of distortion, crack formation and strength. In June 1984, a fracture was discovered in the drumshaf t of the production hoist in the Teck Corporation, Lamaque Division Mine at Val d'Or, Quebec. Delivery time on a new shaft would have been at least six months. The shaft was repaired in ten days and the total out-of-service time was four weeks. This paper describes why the shaft failed, how it was repaired, and the special alignment procedures employed during re-installation to minimize stresses in the repaired area.

Mots Clés: Maintenance engineering, Drum hoists, Fractures, Mine hoists, Hoists, Fracture detection, Mine operation, Repairs.