Hoists are essential in ensuring safety in underground mining and are required to perform under the most demanding conditions.

Mine hoist system supplier ABB notes that these complex, heavy-duty machines can remain productive for decades if they are correctly maintained. However, without consistent care, the consequences can be severe, from unexpected breakdowns to costly downtime and prolonged repairs.

The company has developed its ‘ABB Care for Hoisting’ service framework designed to help mining companies transition from reactive or preventative maintenance approaches to a predictive model, aimed at boosting hoist performance, extending asset life, and safeguarding operational continuity.

ABB hoisting service manager Henk Weideman explains: “We have developed ABB Care for Hoisting in close partnership with customers who understand that effective hoist maintenance is not a cost, it is an investment in safety, uptime, and long-term asset performance. This programme is about setting a new industry benchmark and helping our customers move from preventative to predictive maintenance strategies.”

The program offers a flexible, tiered approach, allowing mining companies to choose the level of support best suited to their specific requirements. The entry-level plan, Hoist Care SOLO, provides essential maintenance coverage and support services, such as 24/7 remote telephone assistance, annual OEM inspections, spare parts recommendations, and lifecycle reporting.

The Hoist Care PROTECT plan introduces structured preventative maintenance, which includes scheduled servicing of electrical powertrain components, mechanical parts, and control and brake systems. It also provides a dedicated contract manager as a single point of contact for the customer.

For operations aiming to take a more technologically advanced approach, the Hoist Care SMART plan adds condition monitoring capabilities to the preventative maintenance services already in place. This includes the integration of ABB Ability Smart Hoisting software, which collects and analyses data on key performance indicators aimed at providing actionable insights into hoist performance and health.

The most comprehensive package, Hoist Care TOTAL, delivers the full suite of predictive digital services, including diagnostic tools, technology integration, and strategic services such as availability-based contracts and obsolescence management. The optional TOTAL+ extension offers integrated rope availability and upgrade services, along with priority access to new rope technologies developed in collaboration with ABB.

ABB asserts that its Care for Hoisting programme provides a structured, strategic approach to hoist maintenance, designed not just to maintain performance, but to optimise it for the long term.