Revolutionizing Stacker-Reclaimer Hydraulic Drives: Elecon MHE & Poclain Lead the Way
Fueled by infrastructure development, coal and ore logistics, cement production, and fertilizer processing, India's bulk material handling sector is expanding rapidly. Moving these massive volumes of raw materials requires robust equipment powered by reliable hydraulic drive systems. This is where Elecon Material Handling Equipment (MHE), together with its group company EHPL and long-standing partner Poclain, brings value to the industry. Elecon MHE manufactures and retrofits stacker reclaimers, integrating Elecon drive technology and Poclain hydraulic motors for bucket wheel and slew drive applications.
A Breakthrough in Stacker Reclaimer Hydraulics
Elecon has made a breakthrough in stacker reclaimer hydraulics by streamlining the hydraulic architecture. While conventional installations typically use two independent hydraulic units, one for the bucket wheel and slew drive and another for boom luffing, Elecon MHE, in collaboration with its group company EHPL, has designed a single centralized hydraulic power pack (HPU).
By consolidating the architecture into one unit, Elecon achieved a significant reduction in physical footprint and oil volume requirements, while simplifying maintenance and enhancing system reliability. The centralized HPU also provides redundancy for stacking operations. In the event of either a slew or luffing pump failure, the available pump can be reassigned to perform either function, enabling continued stacking operation and improving machine availability during critical operating conditions.
From a maintenance and logistics perspective, the design reduces the number of components, lowers inventory costs, and simplifies servicing. The common spare philosophy adopted for the slew and luffing functions further reduces spare inventory requirements and shortens lead times for replacement parts.
Poclain a Strategic Supplier
An Elecon strategic supplier since 2011, Poclain played a critical role in the successful execution of the project. Poclain provided the hydraulic motor expertise and engineering support required to overcome the challenge of integrating an open-loop pump with a closed-loop motor architecture. The team also met the demanding lead times required for timely project execution.
The slew function is driven by two single-speed MS125 motors to ensure smooth rotation and optimal torque under heavy-duty operating cycles, while the bucket wheel is powered by a single-speed MS50 motor coupled with an Elecon planetary gearbox.
The first stacker reclaimer equipped with Elecon's streamlined centralized HPU has been operating successfully for more than one year and has completed over 1,500 operating hours without any major operational issues. The successful performance of the system validates the effectiveness of the centralized hydraulic architecture in enhancing system reliability, maintainability, and equipment availability. This installation serves as a reference for future modernization and retrofit projects in bulk material handling applications.
Driven by 75 Years of Legacy and Core Values
With over 75 years of engineering legacy, Elecon continues to advance bulk material handling technology worldwide. Guided by its core Drive values, Elecon MHE delivers maintenance-friendly, redundant, and future-ready solutions to the industry.
"By integrating our Elecon planetary gearing, EHPL's centralized hydraulic power unit, and Poclain motors, we delivered a compact, highly efficient, and redundant solution for our customer. The solution improves reliability, simplifies maintenance, ensures higher machine availability for critical bulk material handling operations, and reflects our commitment to engineering excellence..." says Sanket Patel, Hydraulic Application Engineer, Elecon MHE Division.
"By integrating our Elecon planetary gearing, EHPL's centralized hydraulic power unit, and Poclain motors, we delivered a compact, highly efficient, and redundant solution for our customer. The solution improves reliability, simplifies maintenance, ensures higher machine availability for critical bulk material handling operations, and reflects our commitment to engineering excellence. This successful project reinforces our vision to become the leading bulk material handling supplier across the globe," says Sanket Patel, Hydraulic Application Engineer, Elecon MHE Division.