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Cheers! After 20 Years the DODGE® CST Remains Ulan Coal’s Top Choice

Early Australian pioneers left Sydney and crossed the Blue Mountains to discover good grazing land for livestock in what is now called the Upper Hunter Valley. Today the area 265 km northwest of Sydney is a weekend getaway spot for those who enjoy relaxing in the Australian wine country.

But while the area might be best known for its boutique vineyards, the land is also identified as the western coalfields of New South Wales, covering approximately 240 km. Here, surrounded by hills of green and blue, is where you’ll find Ulan Coal, one of the oldest and most established coal mining operations in the region.

1986: A Good Vintage for CST in Australia
The history of Ulan spans many decades, beginning when coal deposits were first worked at the site in the mid-1920s. In 1986, Ulan began their underground longwall mining operation and became the first coal mine in Australia to install DODGE Controlled Start Transmission (CST) units. Twenty years later you’ll find those original units still in operation at the mine, in addition to many more CSTs Ulan added during periods of expansion in 1996 and 2005.

Not only did Ulan Coal make the CST its choice to drive underground conveyors, but today the DODGE product is also used in five of the top six coal-producing mines in Australia. Ulan conveyor engineer Gary Wilton has been with Ulan Coal for 22 years and says that he’s the first bloke in Australia to ever work on a CST unit.

“Based on my years of experience with CSTs, the reasons why the product is so popular are clear: reliability, ease-of-use, and performance,” Wilton asserts.

Reliable Equipment Yields a Bountiful (Coal) Harvest
Ulan currently produces about 6.4 million tons per annum, 5 million tons of which are exported, with the remainder used to supply domestic power utilities. Like most mining operations, Ulan works hard to keep production costs in check. With an average down-time cost of about AU $50,000 per hour, Ulan officials have had the foresight to look past the net present value of their equipment purchases, focusing instead on the long-term savings that reliable equipment brings.

For Wilton, the total cost of ownership approach and a focus on reliability have made – and continue to make – the CST the obvious choice. “The CSTs are some of the most reliable products that we use in the mine,” he says. “All we do is regular monthly maintenance, which includes vibration and oil analysis. We track the history of each of the 18 units, and I can tell you that these units are very reliable. That’s important, because we can’t afford to be down.”

Refreshingly Simple
Because the mine is located in a remote area of the mountains several hours away from a major service center, Ulan employees take on the additional responsibility of taking care of their equipment on their own. Wilton himself is responsible for keeping the conveyors running, and he says that’s another reason why he appreciates the CSTs. “I like the simplicity of operation,” says Wilton. “We’re isolated up here, which means that we need to be self-sufficient. But these CSTs are easy to work on, and they are easy to trouble shoot. Being able to work on this equipment ourselves is a big plus for us.”

Wilton also appreciates that the ease of set-up makes the CST units portable. “It’s been nice to have the flexibility to be able to pull these units from one area and move them into other areas as we’ve expanded the mine.”

Smooth from Start to Finish
But reliability and ease-of use aren’t the only considerations. In order for Ulan to maintain its production levels, the CSTs also need to perform up to expectations to ensure the conveyors run optimally. In assessing the product’s performance, Wilton believes the benefits of using CSTs are clearly demonstrated by its load-sharing capabilities on the long conveyors that employ multiple drive systems.

For example, in a two-kilometer section, Ulan has installed two CSTs to provide the power required for the load. One CST is used as the “slave” to the second unit, so that each equally shares the load. Wilton says using the CSTs in this way allows the operator to control the speed as needed depending on the load being carried. “In this application, plus many others,” says Wilton, “the CST can control the conveyors better than anything else.”

But perhaps most important to Wilton is how the soft-start capabilities of the CST can accelerate high-inertia loads at a controlled, smooth rate, no matter what the load. This feature is especially important underground because Ulan uses fabric belts, which are more elastic than steel belts.

“When these belts get wet, they can stretch,” explains Wilton. “If we couldn’t start the conveyor slowly and smoothly, we could get a sling shot affect that would really damage the belts, plus put a strain on the other components. The bottom line is that the CST provides a smooth start, no matter the conditions or the load.”

A Perfect Blending of Ingredients
Twenty years ago, Ulan Coal was the first mine in Australia to install a DODGE CST. Over the years, as the mine expanded and its needs grew, Ulan officials continued to make the DODGE conveyor drive their top choice. Why? For Wilton the answer is simple: the CST is a proven performer, delivering the reliability required in an easy-to-use product with a low total cost of ownership. And that’s a recipe for success anywhere in the world.