Cage Guardian Safety Brake

Key Benefits

Meets strict mining safety regulations
Uses engineered steel guides
Actuates automatically upon suspension failure
Incorporates multiple redundant mechanical systems
Usable under all personnel conditions

What we offer

Protection from suspension failures

Wooden guides are subject to higher wear rates, moisture, damage and defect issues and they must be immediately replaced after every safety catch event. Add that to the fact that high-quality, consistent timber guides are becoming ever more difficult to obtain, and you’re faced with some potentially dangerous and expensive problems.

FLSmidth has the answer: the Cage Guardian Safety Brake.

Free-fall tested and certified

Offering increased durability and matchless dependability, the patented Cage Guardian Safety Brake forgoes conventional safety catches and timber guides, and instead uses engineered steel guides. The safety brake is designed to deploy automatically in the event of a slack-rope or rope-break suspension failure. When such an event occurs, actuation and operation is performed by redundant mechanical systems, automatically arresting and holding the cage securely in place within the shaft. Suspension failure events generally cause no permanent damage to any of the Cage Guardian Safety Brake components, and the cage can then be retrieved and redeployed.

Built for control, longevity, reliability and low maintenance, the Cage Guardian™ Safety Brake is designed for use on conveyances running on tubular or top-hat-shaped steel guides, and uses a self contained brake path rather than relying on shaft guides for full braking performance. The Cage Guardian Safety Brake is an economic solution compared to multi-rope redundancy (Blair multi-rope hoists with compensating sheaves or multi-rope Koepe hoists), where multiple ropes are used to negate the requirement for a safety catch while operating on steel guides. Additionally, you can enjoy the security of proven equipment, because every brake is free-fall tested and certified before it is installed.

Suspension failures happen. When they do, you want a safety brake system you can depend on. Tested, certified and reliable under most conditions, the Cage Guardian Safety Brake is today’s trusted solution in underground mining.

Key benefits

Tested, compliant, reliable and automatic

Two configurations to equip your entire mine site

The Cage Guardian Safety Brake system can be designed to suit an entire range of cage sizes from smaller 2-guide auxiliary cages to larger 4-guide cages exceeding 60,000 lb (15,000 lb per guide).

Meets strict mining safety regulations
Safety regulations in underground mining operations are justifiably strict. The Cage Guardian Safety Brake is designed in accordance with some of the world’s most stringent mine hoist safety regulations, so you know that your equipment is compliant and your people are safe.
Uses engineered steel guides
Unlike with timber guides, steel guides offer increased durability and reusability in the event of conveyance suspension failure. Steel guide damage should be negligible. The cage can be retrieved to the surface for inspection and a brake reset.
Actuates automatically upon suspension failure
Mechanical design ensures that the Cage Guardian Safety Brake actuates automatically upon slack rope or other suspension failures.
Incorporates multiple redundant mechanical systems
To ensure a safe outcome for all involved personnel, the Cage Guardian Safety Brake relies on multiple redundant mechanical systems — free from hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical components relying on external energy sources.
Usable under all personnel conditions
Whether the conveyance is carrying a single occupant, a fully loaded cage or anything in between, the Cage Guardian Safety Brake will always perform optimally.

Product features

Proven technology from experienced mining equipment manufacturers

Wedge-type design prevents conveyance from falling down the shaft while allowing it to be brought safely back to surface to be recommissioned
2-guide safety brake capacity range: Max 13,600 kg (30,000 lbs)*
4-guide safety brake capacity range: Max 27,200 kg (63,000 lbs)*
Less prone to damage or component malfunctions often associated with hydraulic or pneumatic devices
Designed with corrosion-resistant components and protective measures to withstand the mine shaft environment
Offers progressively increasing brake force, so that cage occupants are less likely to experience the injuries that often accompany a sudden stop; Average deceleration rates are 9 to 20 m/s/s (29.5 to 65.6 ft/s/s)
Designed to be fully redundant, including end stop bumpers, shear bolts and multiple springs
Uses rugged materials and components for extended equipment life
Proven effectiveness on bare steel guides and guides with protective coatings such as HDG protection within the mine shaft environment

*Free fall testing at an equivalent hoist speed of 7.7 m/s (1500 fpm)

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