The Pfaff-Silberblau jacking system operates by lifting 500-750t ovens containing molten zinc alloys into the steel sheet process line. Four worm gear screw jacks, size SHE200.1, are used to lift the ovens. The jacks are powered by a motor with drive shafts and transfer boxes.
The improved jacking system has a cooling circuit circulating cooled oil lubricant, feeding into the lifting system to operate without cooling times limiting the duty cycle. A pump ensures that cooled oil is evenly spread throughout the gear and covering each time it is deployed and a sensor monitors temperature.
Some systems require a cooling period of six hours to allow the worm gear to cool.
A spokesperson said that the system can compete with hydraulic lifting equipment, while offering greater accuracy and redundancy. “The use of an active cooling circuit for the worm gear and spindle makes the system as limitlessly operable as a hydraulic solution. At the same time, Pfaff-silberblau’s mechanical jacking system continues to offer all its tried-and-trusted advantages: high reliability and complete system security even when a screw nut breaks.”
