SIMULATORS & TRAINING
Normet trainer conducting BEV technical training
Reality bites
As mining equipment gets ever more digital , and as powertrains evolve , simulators and other training tools are becoming vital in keeping not only operators but also technicians and others abreast of best practice and safety , reports Paul Moore
Simulation , Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions says , are just as important for technical training as they are for operator training . And the global mining equipment major is certainly seeing a demand uptick for its advanced underground load and haul simulators . Sales are ramping up rapidly – it has now sold 34 of them and counting , almost four times the number from just a year ago . Plus , this figure does not include drill sims or simulator training for autonomy using AutoMine which is handled by a special team within Sandvik .
So where is this demand coming from on a region by region basis ? IM spoke to Training Manager - Load & Haul Division at Sandvik , Shiv Kumar : “ Actually it is global – but Australia is leading , reflecting the level of demand coming from there . That said , there is no continent or sales area today that has significant Sandvik LHD and truck fleets where we are not also present with our simulators .”
Kumar added that some of the new demand also relates to sims for BEV equipment , which going forward will account for an ever greater proportion of sim sales . “ We have introduced some new battery electric models in recent years like the LH518B and TH550B and given the new technology , customers have no experience in training operators to use them . Plus , these are higher initial cost machines , so there is a reluctance to put inexperienced operators into them without the proper training .”
Kumar said that hese BEV model sims are advanced prototypes but that Sandvik will be launching them commercially quite soon . He added that the overall platform is broadly similar to diesel equipment but with important differences in the controls and the display . And there are major changes in terms of scenarios and skills . “ The most important changes we have had to make for BEV sims is including the battery AutoSwap , some controls changes and changing the operator visibility due to the battery location . For AutoSwap for example , we have had to add more camera views for the operator . Another challenge we addressed was with simulating the driveline – in the diesel equipment we have incorporated engine simulations but for BEVs we are dealing with motors and inverters which deliver power differently – we have to reengineer and redesign how much torque and accleration we need to simulate based on that .”
Kumar said that in the case of trucks , every wheel has its own motor , but with the LHD , three motors are driving four wheels which are connected via a driveshaft – in the truck where is no driveshaft . Therefore the simulator has to allow for these differences .
BEVs aside , Sandvik also has its diesel-electric trucks , which are being rolled out in close collaboration with major contract mining customers . “ We don ’ t have a simulator yet for these machines but it is firmly in our process and pipeline – we will align with the final machine designs when these are completed .”
Sandvik has also had a number of customers visit the load and haul factory in Finland , to see the latest simulator technology in action which helps them understand better the capabilities . Kumar : “ A common misconception is that simulators are only for operator training . No – the sims we are building are equally for operators and for technical training as well . And that is often a real eye opener .”
What does the capability to train technicians with the sims involve ? “ Looking at the BEVs , for example , most of the components as you would expect are electrical . So 90 % of the control is
through the control system and the software . This makes the sim an even more powerful tool – using the sim you can go through the display , go through the software , and ensure the correct configurations are in place . So the technician using the sim is able to do a lot of the digital based troubleshooting , programming and fault finding that they would have to do on the real machine anyway . Plus in the training we are able to create some situations and scenarios which they can resolve within the display menu by checking what is working and what is not working . We teach them where they should be looking and what they should be looking for .”
Even for the diesel machines , the control system is used to control a lot of the transmission and engine functions based on feedback from numerous sensors . So there is still a lot the technician can do and learn to do with the sim .
Kumar : “ If I am a technician working on a Sandvik machine , and someone reports a problem , the first thing I would do is go to the cabin , open the display and check for any warnings or alarms followed by checking values and parameters for the specific area with an issue . This will help rule out any electrical problems and therefore will allow them to really understand if a component has really failed or broken – and if this is the case they will often be able to see and hear it . So using the sim , we can cut some outputs or inputs or create faulty sensors as part of the training .”
All the Sandvik sims out there at customer sites have the ability to be calibrated or controlled remotely . This helps a lot with remote support and means Sandvik staff do not always have to travel to the site . It also means Sandvik
Sandvik will soon launch commercial simulators for its BEV machines like the LH518iB loader
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2024 | International Mining 43