Pokrovsk Mining will overhaul the walking excavator

Pokrovsky Mining and Processing Plant (Pokrovsk GOK) is overhauling a walking excavator at the Northern quarry. It is expected that the repair will last 100 days – until the end of September. It is reported on the company’s website.

The unit was stopped for a 100-day repair on June 20, 2023. The repair should achieve the main task of restoring the operation of the rotation mechanism.

«The last overhaul of EC №173 was carried out in 2018. Then new rail and roller wheels, as well as a toothed crown, were installed. In addition, all gear assemblies and bearing units were replaced. Thanks to such a significant update, the machine was able to work without interruption for 5 years,» the company reports.

In addition to updating the three main nodes that are responsible for the function of the excavator’s smooth rotation, experts are conducting an overhaul of its electrical equipment. For this purpose, 20 electric machines were taken to the electrical repair shop.

According to the manager of the Northern quarry Serhii Orlichenko, the machine is scheduled to return to production at the end of September. By the end of 2023, it is entrusted with the following volumes: 475,000 m3 of overburden mining and 69,000 tons of manganese ore extraction.

As GMK Center reported earlier, from July 6, Pokrovsk Mining after a 4-month layoff, re-commissioned the Chkalovsk Mining and Processing Plant (ChGOK). But the division’s work schedule after the shutdown is still unstable due to low demand for manganese concentrate.

Pokrovsk GOK was forced to stop power from December 1, 2022, due to a shortage of electricity in the country’s power system. Previously, since October 1, 2022, the Chkalovska and Oleksandrivska processing plants, as well as the Bohdanivska sinter plant, were forced to stop. The reason for the decision to stop production was not only the shortage of electricity. During the months of downtime and up to Apri 2023, the volume of concentrate sales decreased 6 times, primarily due to a significant decrease in demand for ferroalloys.

Pokrovsk GOK is the largest producer of manganese ore in Ukraine. The main consumers of products are enterprises of the steelmaking and ferroalloy branches of the steel industry.