Electric rope shovels and drag lines are typically relied on for uninterrupted 24/7 service.
Given their complexities – packed with motors, multiple reduction gearboxes, and large rolling element bearings – along with the harshness of ore extraction, mechanical failures on these assets are imminent. Staff may be stretched to keep them running using routine inspections and periodic data collection on machines – while they’re operating – but the insight these approaches supply are fleeting at best.
Traditional predictive maintenance approaches may have even proven questionable for your team because the varying loads and operation of these machines are simply too dynamic for the capabilities of most detection systems. If a machine is lost in the pit, the costs and lost productivity can add up quickly.
