Gates Corporation to Introduce New ILok™ Coupling for Underground Coal Mines at 2013 Longwall USA Exhibition & Conference

Online, May 29, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Gates Corporation, a global diversified manufacturer of industrial and automotive aftermarket parts, will introduce its patent-pending iLok™ coupling for underground coal mines at the 2013 Longwall USA Exhibition & Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., from June 11-13.

An alternative to staple-lock couplings, Gates high-pressure iLok coupling can be connected to longwall mining machinery in seconds and disconnected in under two minutes to save 90 percent of the labor hours required to move equipment from one coal seam to another. Workers disconnect the couplings by cutting and removing the cable lock and turning the swivel nut two and a half times by hand, instead of prying staples loose with crowbars or hammering equipment.

Longwall USA attendees are invited to try iLok couplings firsthand and compete in the iLok Time Savings Challenge at Gates booth #725. Prizes include wristwatches and one three-day, all-inclusive Marriott Resort vacation.

"Gates new iLok couplings are going to revolutionize the longwall mining industry," said Don Gilbreath, Product Development Engineer at Gates Corporation. "No other high-pressure coupling system offers the simplicity, speed, safety, and strength of iLok."

iLok couplings offer the following features:

• Simple to understand and use
• Easy to connect and disconnect by hand
• Withstand high impulse applications
• Use a secure, visible locking system
• Release residual pressure away from workers during disconnection
• Compact and smooth to prevent snagging and abrasion

The couplings also have Gates TuffCoat® Xtreme™ plating, which provides red rust protection that exceeds the 72-hour SAE standard by 1,000 percent.

To download an iLok coupling brochure and learn more about Gates mining solutions, please visit gates.com/mining. Stop by Gates booth #725 at Longwall USA to try the coupling and compete in the iLok Time Savings Challenge.

For more information about Gates Corporation, please contact Mark Lehnerz at 303-744-4256 or [email protected].