Shock absorbing castors smooth the ascent from the Chilean Mine

Shock absorbing castors smooth the ascent from the Chilean Mine

You cannot fail to have noticed and been amazed by the recent events in Chile where miners have been trapped underground for sixty nine days. This engaging story came to a climax on 13th October as the rescue pod named the Phoenix made its first journey to rescue the trapped miners. After nearly twenty four hours and over seventy journeys later, the phoenix capsule, with integral shock absorbing castors made its final rescue. Three rescue pods were designed by NASA and the Chilean Naval engineers and incorporated retractable castors at the top and bottom of the capsule to aid its journey through six hundred and twenty five meters of solid rock. However the final chosen pod, named Phoenix 2, was painted in Chilean colours and now symbolises human endeavour and cooperation that overcomes adversity and spans Nations.

This Phoenix pod was chosen for the rescue as it matched critical rescue criteria. It was narrow, with an internal diameter of 21 inches, light at only four hundred and twenty kilogram's and small enough to maneuver through the narrowest part of the rescue shaft. The integral shock absorbing castors positioned at the top and bottom of the pod also ensured a smoother ride for the traumatised miners. The castors had the ability to absorb minor kinks in the shafts rock surface, ensuring the rubber wheels of the castors maintained contact with the rock at all times. Shock absorbing castors have the added advantage of being hinged on an integral spring. This spring allows the castors wheels to absorb variations of running surface and protect against vibrations. Shock absorbing castors also have the added benefit of reducing rolling noise. Even with the shock absorbing castors attached to the escape capsule, the escape must have been a frightening ride for the Miners.

Using castors on escape pods is not a recent invention, and the Chilean Phoenix escape pod was based upon an earlier German design. Back in 1955 three miners were trapped in Dahlbusch colliery in Germany and a similar torpedo shaped rescue pod, with integral castors was used to rescue them from 855 meters below the ground. This type of rescue pod was further developed and deployed on numerous occasions, in particular in 1963 when 11 miners were trapped, again in Germany. The ingenious design and successful pedigree meant the Phoenix pod with shock absorbing castors was the most suited for the Chilean rescue. The retractable castors aided the journey for the miners, which took on average fifteen minutes to ascend.

Shock absorbing castors are not only used in extreme rescue missions, but also have every day functionality. These castors absorb fluctuations on running surfaces, but they also protect against castors vibrations. Any supermarket shopper may have experienced castors vibrations when pushing trolleys around the supermarket. So when manoeuvring sensitive equipment this anti vibration functionality is imperative. Shock absorbing castors are utilised for example when moving sensitive aircraft engines as they protect the engines from vibrations, but also can carry extremely heavy loads. However after such a successful Chilean rescue mission the humble shock absorbing castors will never be viewed in the same light again!

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