JSC "Krivorozhgormash"

A growing number of company's chief executives recognize the importance of technical reequipment of the existing technological equipment. Such reequipment allows enhancing labor efficiency, providing production costs reduction, minimizing equipment downtime, simplifying equipment control, increasing production standards. In addition, the noticeable effect is observed not only for a large-scale-production, but also for separate small sites.

Increased production volume of gypsum rock, applied in manufacturing of gypsum cardboard plates and concrete, forced mining enterprise to make additional purchase of drilling machine type UBSH, applied during exploitation of gypsum fields. The order was assigned to JSC "Krivorozhgormash". Customer required to produce the machine on the actual basis with maximum drilling process automation capabilities. PLUTON carried out production of electric equipment and automation tools for UBSH501-АК drilling machine under the contract with JSC "Krivorozhgormash".

The following tasks were solved during project implementation:

• drilling machine electric drives are frequency-controlled, in order to select an optimum drilling speed;
• providing of feeding force electronic control — drilling bit pressure force onto drilling surface;
• automation of drilling process through optimization of rotation frequency and drilling bit pressure force sets depending on drilling conditions;
• automation of accumulator battery charging process, providing of its rated modes;
• implementation of partial automation into the drilling rig positioning process;
• elimination of electrical equipment and configuration defects, detected in the previous model.

The final automation product was drilling machine UBSH501-AK electric drives control unit (UKUP).

Supply of UKUP was carried out within a short time frame — it took less than 4 months from signing of a contract to supply of developed and manufactured UKUP. Intensive work speed was compounded by substantial alterations and amendments in technical specification and technical requirements at the design stage.

In spite of indicated challenges, the goals of drilling machine UBSH501-AK automation were achieved. One operator instead of the two ones can successfully control two drilling machines at the non-automated device due to automation.

Herewith, total device output increased by more than 25 %, while operator's labor intensity, as well as drilling machine operating equipment wear, were significantly reduced.