Modular Mining Systems, a market leader in providing powerful information management solutions to mining operations worldwide, continues to expand and deliver customised, state-of-the-art ModularReady interfaces, helping customers attain significant maintenance savings and overcome the unique challenges of their fleet.
In 2006, such an interface was implemented to the General Electric Statex III drive system, providing savings of over $1 million in fleet maintenance costs for a long-standing Modular customer, Iron Ore Canada (IOC). When IOC, a Rio Tinto operation, identified an opportunity to reduce costs by monitoring and managing the use of service brakes on Komatsu trucks, they requested implementation of a Statex system configuration to monitor haul truck operator brake activity in realtime. The interface records all instances where the operator applied the service brakes at speeds over eight miles per hour. Due to collaboration between the Modular product development team, Komatsu America, Federal Equipment, and General Electric, the interface successfully allows the Statex Service Brake event notification to be detected in realtime by the Modular Mining Systems' Dispatch system and alert the dispatcher immediately. Concurrently, operators are re-trained in the correct use of the service brake.
The ModularReady VIMS interface has increased the capabilities of MineCare customers operating Caterpillar equipment. Customers who implemented the VIMS interface have reported increased interactivity with their fleet, including the ability to remotely troubleshoot problems, capture alarms, and create trends to monitor for site specific issues.
ModularReady versions of the VIMS interface exist for many equipment models, with the most recent being developed for Caterpillar loaders, which was initiated by a Latin American customer operating a large fleet of Cat 994D loaders.
Other notable ModularReady interfaces engineered in 2006 include the interface for DPI Sandvik drills in Ghana, and the interface for Liebherr 994 and 996 hydraulic excavators. The interface for DPI automatically captures and stores hole counts and depths into the Dispatch system. The interface for Liebherr excavators provides robust communication between the mine operators and equipment. Through the Modular Mining Systems' IntelliMine system, the mine operator can access realtime excavator health information such as alarm codes, operating parameters, and abnormal events, ultimately improving operating efficiency.
A current interface project in development is a Rimex TyreSense System interface, allowing mine operators realtime access to tyre data so they can make quick and informed decisions, maximising tyre life. With the shortage of large truck tyres, Modular has completed interfaces to Michelin and Bridgestone, with TyreSense next in line.
Another ModularReady interface on the horizon for 2007 will allow customers operating with Lubrizol oil technologies access to realtime, onboard oil analysis through the IntelliMine system, maximising oil life and catching potential catastrophic failures before they occur.
For more information contact Modular Mining Systems Africa, +27 (0)11 463 5995, [email protected], www.mmsi.co.za
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