Key Benefits

  • Offering unparalleled safety
  • Built from proven technology
  • Custom designed to meet your needs

Getting your people there safely - Mine Shaft Cages from FLSmidth

No matter what your main product may be, the safety of your workers should always be your top priority. That’s why when it comes to transporting your people, materials or equipment into or out of vertical mine shafts, you should never settle for anything less than the best Mine Shaft Cage solutions.

At FLSmidth, we recognise the vital importance of personnel safety. That’s why we design, build and provide the highest quality Mine Shaft Cages, customised into a perfect fit for your installation.


All cage types are available, including Service Cages, Auxiliary and Trailer Cages, each with many options and alternatives, such as various designs of cage floors, doors, roofs, removable intermediate decks and removable counterweights. Each cage is made from the most durable-yet-lightweight materials, with a heavy emphasis on aluminum. Other materials may include mild steel, stainless steel and strategically placed combinations of these materials.


In the event of a hoist problem, our Mine Shaft Cages are designed with reliable safety measures, so that the conveyance can be controllably brought to a safe stop, ready for retrieval.


All cages are designed incorporating 85 years of documented industry experience. Our methods and standards are coupled with the latest technology engineering design methods and Quality Assurance Systems to produce a certified safe and long lasting cage.

Offering unparalleled safety
Our Mine Shaft Cages combine strength and lightweight design for durability meeting the highest safety standards. We offer numerous additional mechanisms that protect personnel and boost the safety of your works in unexpected situations and conditions including emergency overwind, such as Catch Gears, which catch and hold the conveyance in an extreme overwind situation.
Built from proven technology
Decades-long industry experience has been incorporated into the design and construction of our Mine Shaft Cages. Combined with the latest technology and safety standards, we are able to provide you with a state-of-the-art solution that offers high reliability combined with functionality and the certainty of having the safest solution available.
Custom designed to meet your needs
Our Mine Shaft Cages can be specifically tailored to your demands to fit your shaft requirements in the best way possible. Whether handling personnel, equipment, or materials, numerous configuration variants and additional optional features provide significant handling and transport possibilities within your hoist and rope capacity limitations.

Proven technology from experienced Mine Shaft Cage manufacturers

  • Our cages range from very small Two-Man Auxiliary Cages and Trailer Cages operating on two guides, to large Multi-Deck Four-Guide Cages handling 300 persons or more, or internal loads of trucks, equipment and material exceeding 50 tons.
  • Cage construction materials include aluminum, mild steel, stainless steel and combinations of each.

  • Designed for versatility, multiple cage floor, door, roof, removable intermediate deck and removable counterweight options are available. Cage chairing mechanisms also available. Integral cage configurations or bail/bridle-type designs with removable cage pods are available.

  • For double-drum or friction hoist applications, our counterweights are designed for optimal balancing of the cage in both loaded and empty conditions within the range of friction available on the hoist. Tailored to your specific demands, individual weights can be added or removed as necessary to adjust ballast configurations for heavier loads and expand the overall range of possible payloads. The ballast is positively positioned and secured into the counterweight bail. FLS counterweights also convince with their robust steel construction that ensures a durable and heavy-duty design, in which shaft inspection platforms can be integrated into as well.

  • We provide Inspection Canopies and Work Platforms custom tailored for each conveyance and maintenance requirement. This offers you maximum safety, ensuring overhead protection and creating a safe working area when performing shaft inspections and maintenance. Our Inspection Canopies and Work Platforms are typically of lightweight aluminum construction in separate sections. This allows for easy installation and removal and minimises tare weight during regular operation of the conveyance. Furthermore, roll-on and lift-on styles are available.

  • For cages operating with single rope drum hoists, we provide Safety Mechanisms for either wood or steel shaft guides; cages can also be designed to operate with a multi-rope Koepe hoist.

  • We offer additional rope attachments and safety equipment, such as Catch Gears to catch and hold the conveyance in an extreme overwind situation, and Arrestor Frames for the head frame and shaft sump, designed to create a predictable deceleration and bring the conveyance to a stop in the event of a hoist problem.

  • Several types of Guide Rollers and Suspension Systems are available to best suit the conveyance requirements and shaft conditions.



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