Introduction

The 4.0 revolution in industry has made it possible to develop new techniques and technologies for various areas of engineering. One of the innovations that is becoming increasingly popular is the use of real-time monitoring systems. 

This article discusses the company's success in developing a monitoring system for a bucket-wheel type ore reclaimer. Check out the details below!

The main function of the monitoring system implemented is to ensure the stability of the equipment in accordance with standards. As previously discussed in this blog, for the machine to meet stability conditions, the calculated index must be within the limits established in the governing guidelines. For each operating context, the coefficient value must meet a safety factor.

Development

The analysis of the stability of the slewing system, or local stability, was carried out by monitoring the position of the center of gravity (CG). For each operating condition, the Cartesian location of the CG in a coordinate system must meet the limits set by the safety factors.

In order to meet the global stability requirements, a flowchart was drawn up to determine which stability case the machine is operating in, depending on the wind and material flow conditions. A simplification of this flowchart is shown in Figure 1 for better understanding.

Figure 1: Global stability flowchart. [1]

According to the standard it is possible to assign 3 different safety coefficients, they vary according to the operating condition, each case can be defined as:

• Stability Case 1: indicates that the system is stable for the normal operating condition;
• Stability Case 2: indicates that the system is stable for an abnormal operating condition;
• Stability Case 3: indicates that the system is stable for an exceptional operating condition.

As the values that define the material flow and wind speed conditions are stipulated by the machine design and the standard, the system was generated in such a way that these parameters can be configured. This means that they can be altered to suit other machines and/or scenarios.

After defining these cases and scenarios, the data acquisition systems were inserted and calibrated and the system logic was implemented in the programmable logic controller (PLC). To make it easier to visualize the machine's stability status, the Human Machine Interface (HMI) screen was modified.

A real-time machine stability indicator has been added to the HMI. The indicator at the top left of the screen shows a green triangle for Stability Case 1, yellow for Stability Case 2, and red for Stability Case 3. Figure 2 shows the signal in the reclaimer's operating cabin.

Figure 2: Indicator present on the HMI screen in the 3 stability cases. [1]

In addition, the boom belt conveyor and bucket wheel have also been equipped with real-time indicators. When green, it indicates that the equipment is stationary. When flashing yellow, it indicates that the equipment is faulty. When red, it indicates that the equipment is operating.

Kot also made changes to the control room's supervisory monitoring system in order to display all the information regarding the machine's operational integrity. To this end, two screens were developed.

• Main screen: the main screen contains all the machine's information. The top left corner shows information on the forces on the forklift's supports. The top right corner shows the system's stability information, with graphical bars and trend graphs. Figure 3 shows a screenshot of this screen.

Figure 3: Supervisory system with simulated values. [1]

• Configuration screen: the second screen created is the screen for entering the machine's configuration data.

Conclusion

In a recent post, we discussed the mathematical and computational verification of the stability of yard machinery. Using this concept and in line with Industry 4.0, Kot has developed a system capable of monitoring stability data in real time.

The implementation of this technology is capable of adding several benefits to the operation, since there is greater control of the monitored asset and undesirable events can be avoided, thus contributing to increased safety, reduced environmental impacts and at the same time increased mine productivity.

The concept of Miningof the Future consists precisely of automating processes, offering the possibility of preventive action on equipment. It is in this context that Kot offers the stability monitoring service, enabling customers to boost their business results. 

If you, like our more than 150 clients, are looking for engineering solutions for your operation, contact our team and find out more about our services. Since 1993, we have specialized in developing engineering solutions using computational methods.

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References:

[1] Kot Engenharia Collection.