MINEXPO PREVIEW II
Administrators configure Key Performance Indicators ( KPI ) for each type of vehicle , depending on specific plant requirements . The system monitors the KPIs and sends supervisors instant messages to their smartphone .
Logimine will display their cloud service and free TQM ( Total Quality Management ) Android and IOS App at MINExpo . It is a real-time alert messaging tool . It sends out messages when something goes wrong ( e . g . a vehicle fault or accident ), providing instant updates on current production data , actual weight extracted per material , overload or underload events and GPS status .
Bruno Laforgue , CEO , explains : “ Cloud hosting presents cost advantages as it is easy to deploy , to use and to maintain . It avoids investing in local servers and IT staff on site . It is less problematic and less costly than buying and maintaining servers on site . Logimine ’ s TQM alert system can have a significant impact on the reduction of fuel consumption and maintenance costs . It prevents costly issues such as overload , underload , speeding , abnormal queues and mechanical breakdown .”
Logimine has introduced Big Data in its fleet management solution to enable mines to keep all data collected over several years . Very large amounts of data can be collected by the monitoring system , for example , the supervision of 15 heavy vehicles can generate one million recorded data points per day .
The collected data can relate for example to GPS positions , status , speed changes , anomalies , tonnage , engine temperature or pressure of the tyres .
Keeping this valuable information is very useful , for example the history , condition and use of each vehicle can be tracked over a period of years thus enabling optimal maintenance scheduling .
Logimine says clients have statistically observed an increase of 7 to 10 % in loads being carried . Laforgue concludes : “ We expect the improvement to be several percent and this contributes to the overall 30 % increase in productivity we know our system has been delivering ”.
Condition monitoring systems enable companies to realign their maintenance strategies around fault detection and prevention and save money . CONiQ from Schenck Process , which will be on display at MINExpo as a demonstration piece , offers distinct advantages as a CM system specially designed for vibrating machines , with unique six-dimensional vibration measurement . CONiQ , Schenck Process says is consolidating “ its position as a provider of intelligent Industry 4.0 applications .”
“ In heavy industries such as mining , machines are confronted with unparalleled harsh conditions ,” says Jan Schäfer , Product Manager , Schenck Process R & D . “ Short maintenance intervals , unplanned machine breakdowns and the damage that can result are the attendant consequences . Companies that until now have relied on corrective maintenance need to change their thinking in a competitive environment , in which downtime has become more expensive than ever .”
Particularly in the mining industry , plants are often in remote locations where there are no service personnel within easy reach . Thus there is a growing demand for the strategic deployment of proactive condition monitoring and diagnostic systems .
The CONiQ condition monitoring system for vibrating machines is based on the principle of predictive maintenance . Damage and wear are detected and components can be repaired or replaced before they lead to more serious damage or stoppages . Significant cracks or defects of the screen body are also detected .
CONiQ continuously monitors the vibration of machines and components as well as oil temperature . These metrics are automatically analysed compared with preconfigured initial and limit values , and interpreted for possible root causes .
“ With the prevention of a single plant standstill , CONiQ will immediately recover the investment costs ,” the company states . The system can be bundled into new vibrating machinery or retrofitted to a machine that is already in operation .
As well as preventing breakdowns and optimising the machine ’ s energy efficiency , this approach offers other significant advantages compared with maintenance strategies that involve pre-planned interventions : the service life of components is maximised and the time demands on maintenance personnel are reduced . Unforeseen downtime for maintenance can be avoided , and maintenance work planned more effectively . Moreover , operators can gain machine-specific experience and know-how . “ CONiQ also offers a couple of unique advantages over other CM machines that are designed for vibrating equipment . It measures screen movement with a six-dimensional inertial sensor : three-dimensional linear acceleration , and 3D rotatory velocity . Six-dimensional measurement is essential . If you measure less than six dimensions , it is possible that you will fail to detect a fault .
“ Additionally , CONiQ measures mechanical vibration at both sides of the exciter with piezoelectric accelerometers . This detects any possible damage to bearings and gears that could emit vibrations causing further damage to the exciter .”
CONiQ offers the option of wireless or nonwireless data communication for these sensors to the Floor Unit , which carries out continuous analysis of the measurements . “ This combines
flexibility of deployment with security and synchronicity . A wireless-only approach is not always ideal in environments where there is a lot of external interference that can affect the signal ,” says Schäfer .
CONiQ comprises three elements : measurement , analysis and interpretation First , machine movement ( to monitor load , springs , intermediate shaft etc .) is measured with sixdimensional micro-electromechanical ( MEMS ) sensors . Second , mechanical vibration is measured with piezoelectric accelerometers to monitor bearings , gears etc . The separation of these two tasks ( mechanical vibration and machine movement ) enables more accurate condition monitoring for more effective detection of actual or potential faults . Third , CONiQ monitors oil temperature using Pt100 sensors .
Values are constantly analysed during operation on a floor unit with display by comparing them with initial and reference values . If a value is exceeded , this triggers an alarm . The raw measurements as well as the analysis results are stored to evaluate historical data .
The floor unit also supports automatic interpretation of the analysis , giving operators better insight into the possible root causes of any emerging problems , and prompts appropriate actions . Furthermore , the data can be transmitted via Ethernet , field bus , digital or analogue outputs to an existing process control system . Alternatively , Schenck Process provides a proprietary PC software program enabling central evaluation of data values . This program includes a comprehensive range of expert tools for the analysis and interpretation of metrics . In this way long-term prognoses can be extrapolated , making potential risks identifiable at the earliest opportunity .
With tough times persisting in the industry , manufacturers and OEMs need to bring effective changes in their work process in order to increase productivity and reduce unnecessary costs . To achieve this goal , Famic Technologies recommends the implementation of tools that will optimise all aspects of a product / project ’ s
64 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2016