Underground Conveyor Lockout

Our client operates a 750ft underground conveyor which spans multiple levels of their mine. Lockout was only available at the head, and travel time from the tail is 2hrs each way.Accounting for travel time, simple maintenance procedures would take an entire 10hr shift to complete! Adding a 600V, 400A cable run to the tail and back to the motor, for a second lockout switch, would have cost far more than installing this SafeBox system!

SafeBox addressed the client’s needs by installing a Master at the head of the conveyor and a second Master at the tail. Both Masters are connected to a Low Voltage, 400A FID which isolates (or energizes) the conveyor motor. Instead of running expensive power cable to the tail of the conveyor, SafeBox uses inexpensive fiber-optic network cable between system components. With SafeBox, the conveyor can now be locked out at the head or tail of the conveyor (or both!) The SafeBox system is easier to use, safer, faster and less expensive to deploy than any other solution.

SAG MILL

Our client has a team of 100 workers to service their SAG mill. During maintenance, the SAG mill is locked out for cleaning by the service team. Periodically, the mill is evacuated, energized and rotated 17 degrees before being isolated and locked out again for maintenance to continue. The energize / rotate / isolate process used to take over an hour, while the team of 100 service personnel were waiting!

SafeBox decreased the lockout time to 40 seconds, drastically decreasing maintenance cost, increasing production and improving worker safety!

This complex SafeBox system made use of 3 Master units, 3 Medium Voltage (6,900v) FIDs, 2 Low Voltage (1,000v) FIDs, 1 Hydraulic and 1 Pneumatic FID. The SafeBox system performs the lockout in exactly the right order, with exactly the right timing, every time. And SafeBox constantly monitors the system for downstream energy during service, triggering an alarm if any energy or motion is detected, making the SAG mill
safer than it’s ever been!

Potash Compactor

Our client had a time-consuming lockout consisting of 12 electrical lockouts on different floors of a large facility. This lockout was extending maintenance shut-downs and reducing production capacity.

SafeBox improved safety and productivity by installing a system with a single Master and 12 electrical FIDs. All 12 disconnects are triggered by a single action at the SafeBox Master and the system is locked out in under 20 seconds! Even better, all 12 disconnects are zero-energy verified during isolation and zero-energy monitoring continues during isolation ensuring worker safety. When energizing, the SafeBox system staggers contact closure across its 12 FIDs to avoid an unmanageable inrush current.

This is another example of SafeBox making the workplace safer than ever while reducing maintenance costs and increasing production capacity!

SafeBox Benefits

  • Reduces Lockout Tagout time to seconds
  • Extends operational production time
  • Eliminates welded contact risk
  • Continuous Fault & Zero Energy Monitoring
  • Eliminates Arc Flash & Shock exposure to workers
  • Extremely simple to use
  • Maintains LOTO procedure common to industry
  • Rugged NEMA 4X design