Your mine thrives on efficiency. Our control and drive technology supercharges your equipment by maximizing key factors that improve your production rates and lower your cost per ton.
Your surface mining operations benefit from our Centurion shovel control system, LINCS II control and monitoring system, and SR hybrid drive.
Your room and pillar operations gain value from our Faceboss control system and Optidrive integrated drive transmission technologies.
And finally, your longwall systems see productivity gains from our Optidrive integrated drive transmission and Optidrive for AFC systems.
The above results are based on comparative data when converting an analogue Electrotorque series shovel to a Centurion electrical control system. Actual results may vary based on application-based variables.
Your mine operation thrives on efficiency. Therefore, the performance of your electric shovel is especially critical.
The Centurion electrical control system upgrade can supercharge your analogue shovel, taking several seconds off each dig cycle and increasing your units moved per hour. The design maximizes performance, but not at the expense of the structural design life, assuring the lowest cost-per-ton when compared to competitive drive systems.
Centurion improves performance with extended speed ranges in the hoist and crowd motions. While motions still have low-speed torque, they now have higher speeds in each direction. Hoist speeds are dramatically increased, while still maintaining high levels of bail pull through the bank. Crowd speeds are increased as well and are matched to the hoist during the dig cycle; the operator no longer has to wait for the crowd to catch up to the hoist, allowing the operator to get through the bank, position over the truck, and return to the tuck position faster than before.
Propel transfer times are reduced to approximately three seconds, increasing shovel mobility. The brake set-and-release verification and drive system verification help reduce damage to the equipment.
Performance gains do not impact reliability. In fact, Centurion offers greater reliability than other drive and control systems since the additional speeds are designed to fit well within the structural limits of the equipment.
If there are problems, Centurion offers a wealth of diagnostic information. Maintenance crews and technicians can use the on-board touch screen computer to access multiple levels of diagnostic information in the drives and controller.
The Centurion system includes the following standard features:
The Centurion system also has numerous options available:
Centurion electrical control system
Competitive and market pressures mean that you have to produce product at an ever-increasing rate, while always striving to decrease your cost per ton. These goals are only made more difficult by the worsening attributes of available reserves and deteriorating operating conditions.
The Faceboss control system enables your operators to operate equipment at an optimal balance of production rate and cost per ton using a powerful tool set that includes operator assistance tools, automated sequences, advanced diagnostics, machine performance monitoring, and analysis tools.
Faceboss is the standard control system platform on all Joy underground mining equipment, which ensures that you receive the same level of optimization on all your equipment. Faceboss maximizes your underground mining productivity in a variety of ways:
In addition, longwall systems benefits include:
The Faceboss interface also features the following:
In addition, the Faceboss control system enables outby communications. When your equipment is connected to a surface computer, Faceboss allows real-time monitoring of the machine from remote locations (Remote Machine Monitoring, or RMM). In addition, the control system continuously streams operating data to the surface computer.
Using the Joy surface reporting software (JSRP), the data is interpreted and value-added production reports are generated after each shift and emailed to pre-defined staff. This feedback allows managers to intervene, where required, to make necessary changes. Monthly production and engineering reports are also generated and communicated.
Faceboss control system
The LINCS II network control system is designed to help operators meet the challenges of even the most demanding surface mining applications. The dash-mounted interactive touch screen displays:
In addition, LINCS II increases safety by preventing the operator from executing inappropriate commands. For example, LINCS II will prohibit lifting loads that are beyond the safe loading weight. LINCS II then explains, via the interactive screen, which allows the operator to take immediate corrective action without confusion or wasted effort.
Alarms and warnings are color-coded to reinforce urgency levels:
The system is fully contained in a low-voltage control cabinet, which acts as a centralized location for all I/O between the system and the equipment.
The operator keypad allows immediate access to key functionality:
In addition, the integrated support software offers the following tools:
The LINCS II control system also interacts with the PreVail remote health management (RHM) system, using the powerful communication, command, and control capabilities to transform data and information into more refined knowledge of great value to your operations and maintenance management teams. This knowledge can be shown through:
LINCS II control and monitoring system
Komatsu pioneered SR (Switched Reluctance) technology into earthmoving vehicles.
We introduced SR into our surface wheel loader products more than two decades ago and have taken the technology to the next level with our KESS (Kinetic Energy Storage System) deep energy storage. The SR Hybrid Drive system captures and utilizes regenerated energy, reducing a machine’s overall fuel consumption by up to 45 percent. The KESS unit provides a larger storage capacity for regenerated energy, supplementing engine power to enhance machine acceleration, which reduces the effects of engine turbo lag, dramatically improves cycle times and results in fewer diesel emissions.
The process to capture the regenerated energy begins when diesel energy is converted to electrical energy through a SR generator, which provides power to the motors to make the wheels rotate. When the operator eases off the accelerator, the demand for diesel stops but machine momentum keeps the motors rotating. At this point, the motors become generators, supplying energy to the KESS system. When the operator hits the pedal again, the KESS supplies the stored energy while the engine simultaneously supplies diesel energy. The result is the engine being bolstered by an additional 550hp for our LHD and 1100hp for our surface wheel loaders. .
To make this possible, our engineers investigated ultra-capacitor energy storage along with battery storage. Compared to other motor technologies, the SR hybrid drive’s high-speed capability made SR kinetic energy storage feasible and more favorable against other available energy storage devices.
Our SR technology is now incorporated into multiple products lines:
With decades of experience, we now have more than 150 surface wheel loaders using SR around the world. That means millions of hours of cumulative operation and tens of thousands of individual component operational hours.
Building on our experience, we’ve developed advanced SR control algorithms to optimize efficiencies in applying toque to the ground, controlling wheel slip to minimize tire wear and significantly reducing fuel burn. We also have incorporated decades of mining duty traction motor design knowledge to ensure our motor and generator designs are rugged, reliable and up to the task of achieving long life in the tough mining environment.
SR hybrid drive
Joy OptiDrive, an AC variable-frequency drive system, integrates software with the electronic and mechanical systems to provide the following features:
OptiDrive integrated drive transmission
Joy OptiDrive for AFC, a variable speed drive (VSD) system, extends equipment life and reduces energy consumption. The VSD is integrated with the motor to achieve better speed and torque control, resulting in softer starts/stops and faster acceleration. The variable chain speeds that match production conditions allow for increased capacity, improved cutting cycles, and greater efficiency for your longwall system.
The OptiDrive VSD, designed for the arduous conditions found in underground mining, is approved for use in all underground mining applications. The system includes a high-quality flameproof motor, integrated with a high-power variable frequency drive, to give a single combined power unit. The system is seamlessly integrated with all components of the transmission to provide a complete drive system.
The OptiDrive for AFC provides the following key benefits:
The OptiDrive for AFC helps increase operator safety through:
The OptiDrive for AFC provides intelligent production rate controls to minimize the peaks and troughs of traditional longwall production, including:
The OptiDrive for AFC reduces wear to equipment components by ensuring that the chain is always fully loaded when the conveyor is running, reducing the chain travel by more than 40%. This means 40% less revolutions of the chain, sprockets, couplings, transmission and motor, resulting in significantly improved life expectancy and less downtime for equipment repairs and maintenance.
The system has low maintenance requirements and can operate in underground environments with a service interval of up to three years.
The OptiDrive for AFC has also been optimized for easy maintenance:
In many cases, the OptiDrive for AFC replaces a controlled slip device which normally operates at 95.5% efficiency. This, in conjunction with power saving due to optimized speed and torque during non-production and reduced-production phases, can bring a power savings of over 20% when compared to a fixed-speed, soft-start system.
Since the OptiDrive for AFC is an integrated drive and motor system, it not only saves installation space but also internally manages the motor cable, eliminating the electrical protection issues normally associated with free-standing variable speed drives. Integration also means that the setup parameters are pre-set in the system during the manufacturing process. Compared to free-standing drives, the OptiDrive requires no setup – simply plug in and begin operation.
OptiDrive for Armored Face Conveyors
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