- 1 Preassembly, Lifting, Transport and Positioning Methods for Large Engineering and Mining Machinery Technical field [0001] The present invention relates to the positioning of large machinery items and components and specifically the placing and positioning method of large engineering and mining machinery items. Background Art [0002] The natural trend is for engineering and mining machinery components becoming larger and heavier. For example, the dimensions of Ball Mills and AG (autogenous) Mills used in the mining industry is generally several meters to even dozens of meters in length and or diameter and the weight frequently exceeds hundreds of tons and now in many cases in excess of a thousand tonnes. If such a machine is assembled and positioned on site, large storage areas for materials and assembly is required, which is not easily managed and in many cases where existing plants have very limited plot sizes, this option is ruled out. The main bodies of large machines are usually preassembled in the factory before being delivered to the site for installation and positioning. If the aforementioned large machines are positioned with cranes, it would be very difficult to lift due to the complex shape, heavy weight, location within the process plant and the lifting cost will also be very high, also the associated exposure to additional risks and hazards with the use of large cranes. [0003] It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative. Summary of the invention [0004] In one aspect, the present invention provides a transport and precise positioning method for the large engineering and mining machinery and components. The invention neatly and efficiently solves the problem of transporting and precisely positioning large machinery items, is safer, operates very stably and costs far less than cranes.
-2 [0005] In one aspect, the present invention provides a method for preassembly, lifting, transport and positioning of heavy engineering and mining machinery including an item/component/piece of machinery having a machinery body, the method including the steps of: (i) preassembling the item/component/piece of machinery and completing all preliminary works for its installation; (ii) transporting the preassembled item/component/piece of machinery to a construction site with an appropriate delivery transporter, wherein lifting, transport and positioning facilities are provided and assembled on site, the lifting, transport and positioning facilities including: a lifting structure having hydraulic lifting devices, wherein the hydraulic lifting devices include four strand jack hydraulic lifting devices including an independent hydraulic system, independent strand jack hydraulic jacks, independent cable recoil devices and a common PLC control box remotely operated; and a hydraulically powered bogie trolley transporter which can move on a rail system having four hydraulically powered bogie trolleys, the hydraulically powered bogie trolley transporter is equipped with precision positioning and precision lifting devices, the precision positioning and precision lifting devices including parallel multi-control hydraulic bi-directional ram precision adjusting devices and an additional mechanical winch and screw adjusting device (iii) lifting the machinery body with the hydraulic lifting devices and moving out the delivery transporter; (iv) driving the hydraulically powered bogie trolley transporter along the rail system and under the machinery body and fixing thereto; (v) transporting the machinery body with the hydraulically powered bogie trolley transporter to a predetermined location beside a machinery foundation area and lifting using the precision positioning and lifting devices, wherein when the lowest point of the machine body clears thefoundation, the hydraulically powered bogie trolley transporter enters the foundation area and the machinery body is accurately and precisely set in position by the precision positioning and and lifting devices and wherein, once nominal installation is complete, the position of the machinery body is adjusted to a precise location and fixed to bearing blocks; (vi) moving the hydraulically powered bogie trolley transporter out of the foundation area; and (vii) continuing construction of the foundation area under the machinery body while completing final assembly of the /component/piece of machinery at the same time.
-3 [0006] In one aspect of the present invention, a preassembly, lifting, transport and positioning method for large engineering and mining machinery involves the following steps: [0007] Step 1: Assemble the main body in the manufacturing factory of the machine and perform the shipping and transportation to site. [0008] Step 2: Once the assembled machine body in Step 1 is transported to the installation site with a suitable transporter, it can be positioned so that the lifting moving and positioning facilities (the invention) that includes the lifting frame with its lifting devices and the hydraulically powered bogie trolley set (including four hydraulic powered bogies) that move on the rail system and are equipped with the positioning and lifting devices can do its job. [0009] Step 3: The machine body is raised with the lifting devices. Afterwards, the transporter is moved out and the hydraulically powered bogie trolleys drive under the machine body along the rail system and the machine body is fixed to the frames of the hydraulically powered bogie trolleys. [0010] Step 4: The hydraulically powered bogie trolleys transport the machine body to a position beside the machine foundation and the machine body is lifted by the lifting devices. When the lowest point of the machine body clears the foundation, the hydraulically powered bogie trolleys position themselves precisely and the machine body is laid down by the lifting device. After the precision installation of the machine body completes its final adjustments, the machine body is fixed to the bearing blocks. [0011] Step 5: The dollies move out of the installation position within the foundation of the machine and continuation of the foundation construction under the machine body and the final assembly of the machine takes place at the same time. [0012] In the said preassembly, lifting, transport and positioning devices for large engineering and mining machinery, the lifting device is made up of four columns and four beams at the top of the columns. The aforesaid lifting devices are placed on the beams at both sides. [0013] In the said preassembly, lifting, transport and positioning devices for large engineering and mining machinery, the aforesaid lifting devices consist of four "strand jack" hydraulic lifting devices including an independent hydraulic pumping system, independent -4 "strand jack" hydraulic jacks, an independent strand coiling device and a common PLC remote control box. [0014] In the said preassembly, lifting, transport and positioning devices for large engineering and mining machinery, the primary installation frame is set up on the aforesaid four beams on the primary lifting frame. The hydraulic lifting devices are installed at the four corners of the primary installation frame. [0015] In the said preassembly, lifting, transport and positioning devices for large engineering and mining machinery, the aforesaid bogie trolleys include the carrying columns at both sides and the beams carrying the bogie trolleys. The aforesaid lifting devices are set up on the carrying columns at both sides. [0016] In the aforesaid preassembly, lifting, transport and positioning devices for large engineering and mining machinery, the aforesaid bogie trolleys are four hydraulically powered bogie trolleys including a common hydraulic system, four independent hydraulic powered motors and eight balance-type axle supports. [0017] In the said preassembly, lifting, transport and positioning devices for large engineering and mining machinery, the aforesaid hydraulically powered bogie trolleys include precision adjusting devices, which incorporates an in parallel multi-control hydraulic cylinder precision adjusting device with a mechanical winch and screw adjusting device. [0018] The benefit of the present invention is that the machinery component/ item to be lifted is preassembled in the factory while the foundation construction and preparations for machine installation are performed and completed at the construction site. The whole assembled machinery/ component body and accessories are transported to the site and lifted and unloaded with the lifting frame. After the transportation vehicle leaves, the hydraulically powered bogie trolleys roll under the lifting frame to carry the machine. After the machine is lifted to the preset height, the dollies will be placed onto the machine foundation by the lifting devices. After precision adjustment, the lifting devices will set down the lifted machinery installed and positioned in its exact location. The present invention supplants the traditional installation methods for grinding mills of all sizes. Large machines such as grinding mills can be preassembled at the manufacturer's facility, which not only shortens the installation period but also reduces the field installation work and greatly reduces the installation costs and risks. The whole system is driven by the hydraulics. It can run stably, lift heavy loads to elevated positions and adjust the positions with a very high degree of precision, which cannot -5 be achieved with other more traditional installation methods. The operation of the machine has a low impact on the installation environment, which solves the problem of requiring a large plot area for placing of large machinery and components. The effect on the surrounding environment is short, which avoids the interface issues with the other special installations and construction programme. Brief description of the drawings [0019] NOTE: A further detailed description of the invention will be made hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed implementation mode. [0020] Figure 1 is the schematic view of the invention. [0021] Figure 2 is the schematic view of the aforesaid lifting frame. [0022] Figure 3 is the schematic view of the aforesaid lifting devices. [0023] Figure 4 is the schematic view of the aforesaid hydraulically powered bogie trolley transporter. Mode for carrying out the invention [0024] Figure 1 to 4 show all the parts relating to the invention - the preassembly, lifting, transport and positioning devices for large engineering and mining machinery, including the rail system for tracking the machinery to its foundation (3) and the lifting, transport and positioning devices on the track rails. The aforesaid lifting, transport and positioning devices include the lifting frame (1) with the lifting device (11) and the hydraulically powered bogie trolleys sets (2) consisting of four hydraulically powered bogie trolleys (24) which move along the track rails. The hydraulically powered bogie trolleys are equipped with "strand jack" lifting devices and precision bi-directional positioning rams (21). [0025] The said lifting device structure includes four columns (12) and four beams (13) at the top of the columns. The aforesaid "strand jack" lifting devices (11) are mounted atop the beams (13) at both sides. [0026] In the said preassembly, lifting, transport and positioning device for large engineering and mining machinery, the aforesaid lifting devices (11) includes four "strand hack" hydraulic lifting devices (15) including an independent hydraulic drive system (151), an -6 independent cable guide mechanism (152), an independent cable recoil device (153) and a common PLC remote control box (not shown in the figures). [0027] In the aforesaid preassembly, transport, moving and positioning device for large engineering and mining machinery, the mounting frame (16) is set up on the four beams (13) on the lifting frame, and hydraulic lifting devices (15) are installed at the four corners of the installation frame (16). [0028] In the said preassembly, lifting, transport and positioning devices for large engineering and mining machinery, said hydraulically powered bogie trolleys (2) include four structural support columns (23) at both sides and the beams (22) supported by the bogie trolleys. Said "strand jack" lifting units (21) are set up on the carrying columns (23) at both sides. [0029] In the said preassembly, lifting, moving and positioning devices for large engineering and mining machinery, the aforesaid bogies are four hydraulically powered bogie trolley units (24) including a common hydraulic system that drives four independent hydraulically powered motors and eight balance-type axle supports (not shown in the figures). [0030] To ensure precise positioning, the said hydraulically powered trolleys (2) include additional precision adjusting devices, incorporating a parallel multi-control precision hydraulically controlled adjusting device plus a mechanical winch and screw adjusting device (not shown in the figures). [0031] In operation, the machine body is lifted with the lifting device (11). After the transport car is moved out, the hydraulically powered bogie trolleys drive on rails to a location under the machine body (100) and the item to be lifted and precisely placed (100) is maneuvered and lowered onto the bogie trolley and strand jack lifting structure. [0032] The hydraulically powered bogie trolleys and strand jack lifting structure (2) transports the item to be lifted and precisely placed to a predetermined location beside the machine foundation (3), and the machine body is lifted by the lifting device (21). When the lowest point of the machine body gets across the foundation (3), the bogie trolleys (2) enter the foundation on rails, and the machine body - (Mill or other component) is precisely placed by the lifting device (21). After the precise adjustment of the machinery body is complete, the -7 machine body is fixed to the foundation (3). The hydraulically powered bogie trolleys / lifting device then moves out allowing the completion of the construction works.