MINEXPO PREVIEW
New York Blower ’ s offering goes beyond the supply of industrial fans and blowers into condition monitoring
equipment , to help predict and prevent mechanical failures while optimising operational efficiency .
“ The difference in being proactive to potential maintenance problems can result in significant long-term cost savings ,” NYB says .
The initial cost of purchasing and installing fan sensors is quickly recovered with the multitude of benefits they provide . By presenting immediate insight into equipment performance , remote monitoring enables users to measure and improve overall equipment effectiveness , NYB said . Some benefits include trend tracking over time to improve and increase reliability , reduced maintenance costs for replacement parts , fewer costs associated with maintenance personnel , and less time spent cleaning and checking equipment .
“ One of the biggest benefits to consider is the amount of energy saved by operating motors at their most efficient levels , resulting in optimised power consumption ,” NYB said . “ Sensors can help to identify where in the system the inconsistencies are and to pinpoint a problem . This saves immediate time and money , but even more for the amount of energy required to be generated by the motor . Over time , these savings can be significant .”
With the growing ventilation on demand trend to regulate air flow only to what is needed , these sensors can become even more useful , maximising energy efficiency , increasing safety for mine workers and reducing operating costs .
NYB will be highlighting these benefits with recent case studies and solutions involving remote monitoring of ventilation systems at the show .
Still within the ventilation space , Horton will be talking up the use of its cooling fans and fan drive technology to allow diesel engines to operate at optimal temperature , even in the most demanding conditions .
Rigorously tested and field-proven in some of
the world ' s toughest mining conditions , the fully-variable fan drives of the Horton RCV Series are designed for precision cooling of large-bore diesel applications such as haul trucks , excavators , wheel loaders , graders , dozers and generator sets . The RCV2000 and RCV1000 variable speed fan drives come with innovations to improve fan speed reaction time and control modulation to yield fuel savings , improve productivity and the reliability required for use in tough off-highway equipment , it said .
The RCV2000 is already standard on Komatsu ’ s 830E-5 and 930E-5 haul trucks , and a major international engine OEM . Using viscous technology to optimise airflow , the fan drive ’ s control system communicates directly with the vehicle ’ s ECM to turn the engine fan only as fast as necessary , Horton explained .
Also available in a smaller , lower-torque RCV1000 model , Horton ’ s mining-focused fan drives are part of complete engine cooling systems . When paired with either HTEC fan blades – made from a proprietary compositive material resistant to wear and tear , and impervious to corrosion – or metal fans , these packages boost both fuel economy and uptime , the company claimed . Efficient fan blade design reduces fuel consumption compared with competitor ’ s fans on the market , and Horton ’ s decades-long tradition of producing reliable , durable products ensures longevity of the entire cooling system , it said .
Both models – the RCV2000 and the RCV1000 – will be shown on the company ’ s booth .
Celebrating its 10th anniversary with new solutions to deliver worker safety and productivity improvements underground , while reducing energy and greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions , Maestro Digital Mine will have a range of products on show at its MINExpo booth .
The company manufactures IIoT devices and last mile digital networks for underground mines tackling many of the industry ’ s ventilation , communications and maintenance challenges in the process .
Some of Maestro ’ s digital solutions to be featured on the booth include : n The Vigilante AQS™ : an air quality station that accurately measures airflow and direction , wet and dry bulb temperature , gas and air particulates ; reducing downtime and enabling miners to carry out a quicker and safe return to the working face while
providing higher productivity . The modular design provides extremely flexible integration to any SCADA , PLC , DCS , PLS or HMI system , according to the company ; n The Zephyr AQS™ air quality station , which is a compact and low-cost monitoring tool . This solution monitors real-time environmental conditions and reports back to surface via Ethernet or an analogue connection to the network . This monitoring allows safer and quicker re-entry times after blasting , delivering worker safety and productivity improvements while reducing energy and GHG footprints ; n The MaestroFlex™ automated regulators . These regulators automatically adjust airflow from surface , as required , enabling manual or ventilation on demand software control . Controlling and directing air to the areas that require it – and reducing it to the areas without miners or operating equipment – also reduces energy costs and GHG emissions ; n The ModuDrive™ IIoT Ethernet actuator provides full feedback , health conditions and real-time diagnostics to allow troubleshooting from surface for maximum uptime and safety . A live demonstration of air flow control with the MaestroFlex regulator working with a ModuDrive actuator will be shown on the booth ; n Maestro ’ s network-based software platform , MaestroLink™ Server , will also be on show . This monitors equipment underground , providing real-time measurements and trending functions . The software manages the IIoT devices in the field using advanced edge-based diagnostic data , thereby reducing on-going calibration and maintenance operating costs ; n The SuperBrite™ Marquee Station . The world ' s only “ fail-safe ” LED display , Maestro says , displays real-time data or messages , providing underground operations with the air quality , equipment or personnel data they need on each level of the mine ; and n The Plexus PowerNet™ gigabit communication network , which provides data and power over a single coaxial cable . The Plexus will be delivering a high speed , low latency digital communication network providing PoE + power to the IP Maestro devices found on the company ’ s booth . The company also plans to reveal some “ exciting news ” on its product offering at the event .
Master Builders Solutions , a leader in providing reliable , customer- and applicationoriented chemical solutions focused and tailored to mining customer needs , plans to showcase several of its application-oriented solutions at its MINExpo 2021 booth .
International Mining | AUGUST 2021