In July 2024, TAKRAF India was awarded four orders in total for the revamping and maintenance of various Bucket-Wheel Excavators (BWEs). The orders included two major refurbishments of both mechanical and electrical portions of one 1,400 liter bucket-wheel excavator (BWE 1422).
The BWE 1422, a Specialized Mining Equipment (SME), was originally commissioned at NLCIL in 1992 for overburden removal. TAKRAF India successfully recommissioned it on 18 July, 2025. Before that, a major revamping was carried out at NLCIL Mine II’s overhaul yard.
NLCIL, incorporated in 1956, is a public sector company of the Government of India and one of the country’s largest lignite and power producers. As a Navratna entity, NLCIL has also been bestowed a prestigious status given to only a few select Indian Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), and as such has enhanced financial autonomy.
NLCIL operates three open pit mines with a total installed capacity of 28.5 MTPA at Neyveli, Tamilnadu, India.
This unique bridge-type BWE has a 1,400 liter bucket capacity and has completed over 150,000 working hours during its 33-year working life cycle. To extend its operational life, NLCIL decided to undergo a major refurbishment, replacing all critical structural and mechanical components. TAKRAF India was entrusted with the work, which was scheduled to take 12 months from engineering to commissioning.
The upgrade incorporated advanced technologies, such as structural stability checks, the introduction of a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), VVVF drives (Variable Voltage Variable Frequency drives), an HMI (Human-Machine Interface), an AFDS (Automatic Fire Detection System) and wireless systems. These upgrades are in compliance with DMS safety norms (Design & Manufacturing Safety norms) and increase the machine’s life by about 15 years.
Shri Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Chairman and Managing Director of NLCIL, recommissioned the revamped BWE 1422 in the presence of Dr. Suresh Chandra Suman, Director of Mines; Samir Swarup, Director of HR; M. Venkatachalam, Director of Power; and R. Rajagopalan, Managing Director of TAKRAF India, alongside NLCIL and TAKRAF employees.
“This revamp project for NLCIL is the third consecutive order from NLCIL for TAKRAF India, reflecting our strength, supported by TAKRAF Germany. It’s a testament to the value we place on cross-functional teamwork and delivering solutions tailored to specific project requirements. We sincerely thank NLCIL for the continued trust and successful collaboration.”, says Rajagopalan Ramanathan, Managing Director of TAKRAF India.
For any further questions regarding the project, please contact us directly at: info@takraf.com. Alternatively, further information regarding TAKRAF’s service and maintenance capabilities can be found here.
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