MINING OPERATIONS ‘GET’ SMART WITH ANYTIME, ANYWHERE VISIBILITY OF EQUIPMENT COMPONENTS
In the harsh environment of the mining industry, large equipment breakdowns can lead to costly downtime, operational inefficiencies and unplanned maintenance or replacement expenditures. That’s why it’s so critical to know in real-time the condition, status and location of key components for excavators, loaders and shovels. IDENTEC SOLUTIONS’ wireless Ground Engagement Tool (GET), developed and proven in partnership with the mining industry, provides new levels of control over the components of heavy-duty mining machines. i-GET focuses primarily on providing anytime, anywhere visibility of the metal “teeth” affixed to such equipment. As a result, i-GET automatically alerts operators when these components break away and contaminate piles of ore before crushing begins, as well as when to repair and replace them before their failure can disrupt operations. i-GET benefits include:
• Reduced crusher downtime
• Improved operational efficiency
• Improved lifecycle management and maintenance of components
The i-GET solution leverages IDENTEC SOLUTIONS’ SensorSMART Platform, an industry leading network that combines the functionality of active RFID wireless sensing and RTLS in one. The SensorSMART Platforms RFID sensor systems adapted for the extreme conditions of the mining industry are embedded into the hollowed teeth of the equipment, transmitting key information at configured intervals to operators via fixed or mobile readers.
Operators receive i-GET alerts when components are “Healthy” and in the correct position on the bucket or “Alarm” alerts when they’re missing. The RFID system enables users to find lost teeth in ore or underground, access component maintenance histories and “sense” for potential failures due to shock, vibration and heat. Future features under development include real-time reporting on the wear-rate of teeth, tire pressure, rock hardness, personnel proximity, haul truck transport and more.