Redesign of the BWE SchRs 350 bucket wheel boom

Bucket wheel excavator SchRs 350/5x12 is one of the oldest mining machines still operating in open pit mines in Serbia. Bucket wheel drive gearbox of classical type had to be substituted with planetary one, in order to eliminate the original design drawbacks. Integration of new bucket wheel drive solution requires a subtle redesign of the bucket wheel boom. Calculation verification of bucket wheel boom structure is realized on basis of comparative stress analysis of the original and redesigned construction. Sixteen different load cases were analyzed. Results of finite element analysis are presented in this paper. Presented redesign solution makes the installation of new bucket wheel drive possible, maintenance process easier and prolongs the service life of the machine