Dec 21 2021

Alimak industrial elevators built to service the mining industry

For over 70 years, Alimak has pioneered the vertical access industry, delivering vertical access solutions to meet the needs of various industrial projects around the world.

Mining refers to the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth. Alimak’s specialist range of industrial elevators is built to operate at peak performance in aboveground and underground applications, an ideal vertical access solution for the industry. More specifically, applications may include pellet loading terminals, concentrating plants, crushers, headframes, processing facilities, chimneys, smelters, mine shafts and preparation plants. 

Designed and engineered to service the harsh mining environment effectively, today, mining locations across the globe utilise industrial elevators for efficient transportation of workers, tools and materials. Compared to dangerous stair or ladder climbing, industrial elevators minimise the risk of injury and are more efficient, particularly in an emergency.

An added benefit of utilising an Alimak industrial elevator is the ability to engage industry-leading remote monitoring. All elevators can be equipped with Alimak’s’ online remote monitoring system, which ensures the elevators can operate 24 hours a day, fully monitored with any faults being transmitted instantly for safe and quick correction to minimise downtime. 

A case study that exemplifies the effectiveness of employing an Alimak industrial elevator is at the Christmas Creek Mine located in Western Australia. A series of three Alimak SE 1200 industrial elevators are installed in the mine’s iron ore processing facilities, improving safety and efficiency on-site. More specifically, each 1.3m x 2.1m elevator features a 1200kg capacity and can reach speeds of 0.6 metres per second, suitable for carrying palletised loads daily and an emergency stretcher in the event of a crisis.

Similarly, the underground chromium mine of Voskhod-Oriel, located in Kazakhstan, utilises an Alimak SE 1000 elevator for daily service and inspection purposes and as an escape elevator in emergencies. This industrial elevator built on rack and pinion technology can safely transport nine passengers 204 metres below ground at a 0.6 metres per second speed. To minimise space in this application, the elevator features its drive unit placed on the roof of the elevator car. This unit climbs on guide rails, which are anchored to the rock wall with expansion bolts. 

Learn more about Alimak’s experience in the mining industry, or reach out to the expert Alimak team to find a local representative and discuss which industrial elevator could best suit your mining application.