analyse the latest operation cycle. These
software tools make up Cat MineStar
Health for Longwall and are used at the
gate end PCs and on the surface.
In particular, these tools allow the
visualisation of all longwall
subsystems and equipment – from
shields, armoured face conveyors
(AFCs), shearers or ploughs to chain
tensioning and boot end systems –
with regard to machine variables and
parameters. Health for Longwall offers
live views, generates daily log files for
analysis and plays back operational
data. Using the Cat Data server for
longwall (VDataSrv), the mine team is
able to provide all relevant live data at
five different software interfaces (OPC,
Sql, UDP, EIP and a web server) within
the mine local area network (LAN),
giving the mine further usage of the
data within its network. Health for
Longwall includes VlongwallDataBase
as a tool for longtime data storage and
reporting of almost all data sets
generated onboard. This allows the
mine operators and the supporting
dealer to run continuous reports and
analysis on the machine health,
supporting proactive maintenance
work at the face. Health for Longwall
vibration analysis offers continuous
online vibration monitoring. Use of
this tool allows the detection of all
abnormalities in the longwall system
drive train, such as bearing defects or
increases in wear.
Serving production
expectation
SBA and Navigation features help
facilitate smooth production at a
consistent rate and allow the mine to
achieve a high and constant
coal‑clearance capability. Downtime of
equipment is reduced and inefficient
use of uptime is avoided.
The use of SBA requires strict
discipline, a cultural shift and a
concerted effort by management to
steer the change. However,
considering that the results can be
double-digit productivity increases,
these investments in time and effort
pay off quickly.
When Caterpillar’s SBAwas
implemented at a mine in Australia’s
Hunter Valley in 2004, the success was
immediately apparent. In the first
calendar month after introduction,
productivity increased more than 10%
and it has remained at a consistently
higher level since the introduction of
SBA.
Pre-SBA production averaged
1892 tph, whereas the average
production rate after SBA introduction
was 2315 tph. Moreover, since the
installation of SBA, the EL3000 has
been the highest-producing shearer in
Australia. In 2008, four of the top five
producers in Australia were using
Caterpillar EL3000 shearers with
state-based shearer automation. In
spring of 2014, Caterpillar had another
customer in Australia exceeding
planned production month by month.
The utilisation of the
fully‑automated shearer is now
consistently reaching more than 94%
with no input from operators. This
number is expected to reach 100% as
operator confidence in the automatic
steering system grows.
Figure 6. Cat MineStar system VShearer (shearer visualisation program) allows users
to define extraction profiles and provides the operator with a realistic view of the actual
pan profile.
Figure 7. Cat MineStar system: VGraph3D providing several 3D waterfall plots for
review and predictive analysis showing e.g. set pressure or other parameter plotted
over time and face width.
58
|
World Coal
|
August 2015
