CASE STUDY

Mining Company Improves Safety and Efficiency With INSTA-REEL


Challenges

An underground mining company in the western United States had been pulling the MP-GC cable for their equipment the same way for decades. With the location being thousands of feet below ground, all the equipment had to be brought down using freight elevators and set up in limited space. Transporting the equipment underground and manually setting up jack stands within the tight confines of the mine made pulling cable into the mine time-consuming, inefficient, and dangerous.

Solutions

When discussing these challenges with the customer, Wesco recommended using INSTA-REELs to reduce the risk of injury, cut labor costs and streamline the cable pulls. An INSTA-REEL consists of a standard wooden reel that has oversized flanges attached to both sides. The inner reel spins independently of the outer flanges, creating a reel with a built-in payout system. It is shipped in its own cradle, so the pallet can easily be moved into position and pulled immediately with no other set up. For added flexibility in tight spaces, it can simply be removed from the cradle, rolled into place, and chocked so the cable is ready to pull.

Wesco provided the MP-GC mining cable cut to length and preloaded on INSTA-REELs. The customer could then simply secure the INSTA-REELs into their custom cradles and transport them by a tele-handler (special forklift) to the pull site where they are ready to go.

Results

Using INSTA-REELs instead of standard cable reels has greatly improved the customer's operations. Not only has it reduced labor costs by speeding up installation and requiring fewer people, but it has also improved safety because the workers don't need to move, lift and set up jack stands. The customer also has reduced waste and disposal costs by returning the INSTA-REELs to Wesco, making them an eco-friendly and cost-efficient solution. Overall, the customer is very pleased with their streamlined operations as a result of using INSTA-REELs.

Cables
  • Armored cables
  • Mining cables
  • Building wire
  • Solar PV
  • Diesel locomotive

  • Telecommunications
  • Fiber optics
  • Tray cables
  • Medium voltage
  • VFD cables

Enhancements
  • Joy winding
  • Layering

  • Paralleling
  • Pulling eyes attached


Summary

Customer
An underground mine in the western U.S.

Challenges
Difficulty transporting equipment down the freight elevator

Additional time and labor costs in setting up jack stands and setting reels

Limited work space in the mine shaft.

Solution
Wesco's INSTA-REEL

Results
Decreased reel setup time

Reduced cost of installation

Improved safety

Cut down on waste and disposal cost