that goal. We offer complete solutions, not just
equipment — everything a customer needs for
a given site or scenario. Our driver is to help our
customers achieve the highest production at the
lowest cost per tonne, with zero harm.”
Connecting the dots
individual machines showing machine status and
exactly what each machine is doing at any given
time, as well as various graphs and event logs.
Colour coding is one way that incoming data
is filtered for easier understanding at a glance,
with green text or arrows indicating smooth
operation, while yellow highlights specific actions
or warnings, like a low oil level, and red indicates
critical issues. Various display options also allow
the person monitoring to select exactly what
information they want to see.
“All the information we see here in the
monitoring centre is live, as it happens — we see
exactly what is happening on each site,” Wilsch
explains. “Even though we have the capability to
look at every machine individually, it is practically
impossible for us to look at 40 machines in
depth. So while each and every event for every
monitored machine is registered and saved in case
we need to go back and look at it after the fact,
that data is sent through to our advanced analytics
tools, which highlight any issues, and that is what
we focus on: outliers in the incoming data. There
are thousands of lines coming through the event
log at any given time and we have to look at the
ones that are problematic.”
In South Africa, Komatsu Mining is involved in
over 100 production sectors through its direct
customer service, and its customers include
some of the country’s largest mining companies.
Komatsu Mining’s smart, connected machines
have sensors that allow the company to collect a
large amount — and a wide variety — of data,
all of which is used to improve performance and
increase productivity. “The sensors allow us to
effectively see what the machine is seeing, and
through our analytics tools we can get data on
normal operations, which allows us to identify
trends and areas that need focus,” says Papenfus.
One of the ways in which data can be collected
from equipment in a room and pillar section is
by using JoyConnect, which can be fitted to both
Komatsu Mining and competitors’ equipment
to help gather data on voltages, currents,
temperatures, pressures, and flows, as well as
operational information. Experts then analyse
the data, turning it into useful information via the
company’s analytics tools.
The company’s eMalahleni monitoring centre
is very much what you would expect, given
its function: multiple computers and displays
showing what is happening at the monitored sites
in real time. What is a little unexpected is how few
people are involved in the monitoring process.
Hein Wilsch, JoySmart Services remote health
monitor coordinator, explains that each person
is in charge of monitoring multiple machines,
sometimes across multiple sites. Monitoring
capabilities initially started with continuous
miners, and through technology, advances have
expanded to cover all underground operations.
The range of information available is staggering
and, as with all big data applications, one of
the primary challenges is filtering the data to
display only what is relevant or what needs to be
addressed. The company’s efficient filtering of
data is what enables so few people to be involved
in active monitoring.
A variety of display choices is available,
depending on what exactly is being monitored.
This includes pictorial representations of
The constant data streams through the analytics tools allow the monitoring team to
identify trends and make assessments based on those trends.
JULY 2017
23