JKM multi-rope friction hoist

Product uses and scope of application

Multi-rope friction hoists are classified, according to their installation configuration, into shaft‑tower type and ground‑mounted type. They are primarily used in vertical shafts of coal mines, metallic ore mines, and nonmetallic mineral mines for lifting coal and ores, transporting personnel, and lowering materials and equipment.

The electrical equipment supplied with this product is non‑explosion‑proof and therefore must not be used in environments containing flammable or explosive substances such as gas or coal dust.

Product Implementation Standard

The multi-rope friction hoist product series (JKMD and JKM models) complies with standards including A01036-2007 “Safety Inspection Specification for Multi-Rope Friction Hoists Used in Coal Mines,” GB/T 10599-2010 “Multi-Rope Friction Hoists,” and 0/HBSHM006-2010 “Enterprise Standard,” as well as the “Coal Mine Safety Regulations for Design and Manufacturing.”

System Upgrade Diagram

Overview of Multi-Rope Friction Hoists

Multi-rope friction hoists primarily consist of an electric motor, a reducer, a friction sheave, a braking system, a depth indicator, a speed‑measuring and speed‑limiting system, and a control system, and are driven by either AC or DC motors. When a low‑speed motor is used, a reducer may be omitted; the motor can be directly connected to the drum spindle, or its rotor can be mounted at the end of the drum spindle. For high transmission power, two or four motors may be employed in parallel. The total power of a single hoist has reached 11,600 kW. The braking system is a critical component ensuring safe hoist operation. In emergency situations, the braking system must generate two stages of braking via a hydraulically controlled system with adjustable braking torque, thereby enabling prompt stopping without excessive deceleration. For hoists driven by AC motors, the braking system must also provide finely adjustable braking torque to precisely regulate the hoist’s speed as it approaches the landing point.

Mine hoists can be controlled manually, semi‑automatically, or fully automatically.

With the increasing mining depth and the adoption of centralized hoisting systems, multi‑rope friction mine hoists hold significant potential for further development. To this end, research is being conducted on friction lining materials that exhibit excellent wear resistance and a high coefficient of friction. Meanwhile, newly designed multi‑rope friction‑wrap mine hoists have begun to be deployed in several countries, playing a crucial role in deep‑shaft mining operations with substantial hoisting heights.

Working principle

Multi-rope friction hoists operate on the principle of flexible-body friction transmission: steel wire ropes are draped over the friction sheave, and the lifting or lowering of containers, heavy loads, or personnel is achieved through the frictional force between the wire ropes and the friction lining.

A closed steel wire rope, with a container suspended from it, is wound around a drum. When the motor drives the drum to rotate, the friction between the rope and the drum enables the container to be raised or lowered. Speed regulation is achieved through electrical drive; disc brakes provide braking via hydraulic and electrical control; depth indication of the container is provided by various position‑indicating systems; and an integrated mechanical–electrical–hydraulic system, incorporating diverse sensors and control components, ensures comprehensive monitoring and protection of the entire unit. Furthermore, computer and network technologies facilitate internal and external information transmission within the hoisting machine.

Advantages of multi-rope friction hoists

(1) The hoisting container and its load are supported by multiple steel wire ropes. Compared with single-rope winding hoisting equipment, this system employs smaller-diameter hoisting wire ropes, resulting in a reduced sheave diameter and a more compact overall machine footprint. Consequently, the equipment is lighter in weight, making it well suited for deep shafts and large-scale operations, thereby meeting the growing demands of increasingly large mines and their continued deepening.

(2) Since the hoisting container is suspended from multiple wire ropes simultaneously, these ropes typically do not break at the same time (though slippage may occur under excessive tension); therefore, a fall arrester is not required.

(3) Multi-rope friction hoisting systems are typically balanced‑rope systems, featuring a relatively small sheave diameter, which results in lower system inertia and torque, as well as reduced motor power requirements and energy consumption.

(4) The number of strands in the hoisting wire rope is typically even, with half of the strands laid in a left-hand twist and the other half in a right-hand twist. This arrangement counteracts the untwisting torque generated during operation, reduces the running resistance of the hoisting container against the guide rails, and extends the service life of both the guide rails and the container ears.

(5) When a shaft‑type hoisting system is employed, the friction‑wheel hoist is mounted on the headframe, thereby reducing the hoist’s footprint.

Product Model Designation Method

Technical Specifications

Process flow