Felling Trailers recently manufactured two self-loading reel trailers and multiple power cord reels for an underground mining application.
The trailers, which were narrowed and shortened to fit into the mine’s elevator, allow the company to deploy and store the thousands of feet of power cord necessary to keep machinery running.
“Felling’s FT-6 R standard self-loading reel trailer was the ideal solution,” said Mark Rapp, Felling’s utility & telecom product manager. “With hundreds of 6Rs already in service, there was never any doubt they would hold up in such a harsh environment.”
All hydraulic functions of the unit, which boasts a gross vehicle weight rating of 5,980 pounds and a 4,060-pound capacity, were to be powered by a Tier 4, liquid-cooled, 2-cylinder diesel engine. But given the underground environment the FT-6 R will be operating in, the emissions level of the trailers’ power source had to meet stringent guidelines.
The KDW 702 Kohler/Lombardini engine provides the power to create 2,250 psi for continuous hydraulic pressure at 10 gallons per minute, which is more than enough to supply the hydraulic deployment/retrieval assembly, and the 2,100 pounds of line pull easily was achieved.
The engine’s advanced injection system uses fuel more efficiently, Felling said, while high-efficiency combustion significantly lowers emissions to meet necessary standards.
The FT-6 R was designed for the operator to have the ability to manually deploy the power cable, pulling it off by hand, which is achieved by disconnecting the retrieval system. The reel bar then rests on the SAE 660 bronze bushings, requiring for minimal effort in power cable deployment.
The operator re-engages the drive to retrieve the power cable. Safety features such as a spring-back-to-center hydraulic lever valve provide a failsafe so an operator can stop the unit in an emergency. In addition to the lever valve, a flow control allows for precise speed of the reels’ revolutions.
The FT-6 R also was equipped with four 12-volt 2,000-lumen work lights capable of 360 degrees of illumination. The lights are powered via the battery with a toggle switch easily accessible in the unit’s lockable enclosure.
The reels for this application were designed to hold 350 feet of power cable that is 2½ inches in diameter and weighs 5 pounds per foot. The reels can be removed from the trailer when the power cable is not in use, and their octagonal design and outer flange prevent them from rolling in storage.