Replacing the 400 foot long, 3” diameter wire ropes that lift and pull the bucket on a giant coal mining dragline is a task that must be accomplished safely and in a minimum amount of time.  To get a new section of wire rope into place, a 7/16” diameter “hay wire” is reverse “reeved” through the wire rope path on the boom to an auxiliary winch that pulls the larger wire rope into place.

The owner of several of these machines in North Dakota recognized their crews were spending a great deal of time when changing the wire ropes on the draglines they owned.  In addition, they were concerned about employees pushing and pulling the wire rope in an attempt to get it spool properly on the auxiliary winch.   To get assistance, they went to a local equipment dealer who, after contacting several possible suppliers, asked Allied Power Products, Inc. (APPI) to supply a hoist that would solve the problems the owner was experiencing. 

In response, APPI provided one of their Columbia Certo Series AC electric hoists equipped with their proprietary AutoAdvance Line Spooler.  This hoist provides up to 3,500 lbs of line pull at 17 feet per minute and the line spooler ensures the wire rope winds properly on the hoist drum without the involvement of the wire rope installation crew.   

Efficient planetary gear reduction, a totally enclosed gear train, an automatic load holding brake and a NEMA 4 control package are some of the major features that made this unit an ideal choice for the application.