André Nunes, Sales Manager for the Andean region and the Vulkan Colombia branch, shared the brakes portfolio for different applications in mining operations.

At Heading to PERUMIN, he mentioned that brakes are safety equipment that has the responsibility to control the speed or make a complete stop, and guarantee correct positioning.

He explained that brakes are made up of small rotating parts called discs or drums, whose function is to transfer kinetic force to the equipment so that it stops at the right moment.

Equally important within the braking system is the brake pad, which comes into contact with the disc to create friction and stop it.

"If the brakes are used incorrectly or if they are poorly maintained by unqualified people, they can cause serious material and personal damage," he warned.

Range of Brakes

Vulkan’s portfolio includes service brakes, which are adapted for the control and detection of worn pads and allow a large number of braking opeations per hour.

Another solution is the emergency brakes, which guarantee a safe deceleration and stop of the equipment, regardless of any failure. They are 100% automatable and applicable to situations of equipment overspeed, power outage or component breakage (shafts, screws, couplings, gears and teeth).

Similarly, André Nunes highlighted the parking brakes, whose purpose is to ensure the the equipment is stopped for possible maintenance activities and thus avoid the action of external forces, such as winds and storms.

Furthermore, he mentioned that electro-hydraulic brakes offer smooth response times, are paired with a safety command for electrical components and are very safe during operation in the absence or failure of electrical power.

Regarding electromagnetic brakes, he said that they have fast response times, a safety command for electrical components and a safety operation in the event of power failure or interruption.

Digitized brakes

Finally, he presented as a novelty the Vulkan Connect mobile application, with which information on electromagnetic brakes can be collected and evaluated remotely.

"This APP has a configuration to adapt to any brake model, allowing real time parameter monitoring, with numbers, text or graphics available. It also facilitates the detection of failures through alarm signals for immediate solution," he said.