1 min read / March 8, 2024 / Staff writer
To identify opportunities for additional machine performance improvements, the RemoteCare analyst tracked the mine’s engine availability over a period of 8 months. After grouping engine breakdowns by 6 general system types (fuel, block, electronic (i.e. ECM and other complex modules), cooling, electrics/wiring (including fuses, bulbs, wiring, etc.), and “others”), the RemoteCare analyst identified that 26% of all engine failures, on average, were the result of a breakdown in the fuel system.
The RemoteCare analysts leveraged the MineCare system to develop and monitor automatic diagnostic trends and OEM events related to the following fuel system failure modes
Monitoring these failure modes in real time allowed the RemoteCare analysts to identify potential breakdowns before they occurred.
Efficient communication with the on-site maintenance team facilitated quick replacement of the affected fuel system component, enabling the trucks to return to their circuits faster.
Figure 7. The new fuel system monitoring parameters helped the mine increase its fuel system availability, correlative to a decline in system breakdowns.
After the December 2019 implementation of the new MineCare fuel system alerts, and in the months that followed, the RemoteCare team helped the mine increase their average fuel system availability by 0.12%, from 99.75% to 99.87% (figure 7). This figure translates to a reduction in fuel system breakdowns of 38%; additionally, these breakdowns contributed only 16% of all engine breakdowns (on average) from January-April 2020, vs. 26% (on average) from May-December 2019 (figure 8).
Figure 8. The percentage of engine breakdowns as a result of fuel system failures has declined by 38%.
By replacing the mine’s previous FMS with the DISPATCH system’s superior algorithms and material blending capabilities, and by implementing the ProVision high-precision machine guidance system on the mine’s loading units, Komatsu’s personnel and technologies came together to provide the total solution needed.
Each of these failure modes is relatively common to mining equipment. Whether a mine is operating full steam ahead, or production is restricted as a result of a pandemic or other circumstance, remote monitoring can provide the asset health foresight needed to keep moving forward. Establishing and monitoring such parameters as coolant pressure, exhaust temperatures, and fuel system failures, among others, has enabled this mine to adopt a more proactive asset health approach. Since their implementation in 2015, Komatsu’s RemoteCare experts and MineCare system have enabled the mine’s maintenance teams to troubleshoot and repair issues faster, in a more scheduled manner, helping to reduce costs and drive productivity.