Preventative maintenance for the smart mine

The evolution of maintenance in the mining industry has come a long way in the last decade, aided by the availability of real-time data. Too many mining operations are playing defense when it comes to equipment maintenance; inspections are done on an irregular basis, and repairs occur only after an asset in the equipment fleet breaks down. Every hour that a machine is down for maintenance or repair is an hour during which it isn’t drilling, hauling or digging, and that downtime is usually longer for major failures.

The expense of preventative maintenance is a worthwhile investment and very effective when the costs of lost productivity and human injury are brought into the equation. Reliability of mining equipment translates into more value derived from that equipment over time, with fewer costs associated with it, both human and financial.

By analysing the data with the help of cost effective sensors on an entire fleet of machines or even on a machine-by-machine basis, maintenance managers can identify patterns of equipment failure and schedule inspection and repairs on a more regular basis, extending the working life of your capital investment in equipment at all levels of operation.

Solutions to consider for mining

Air leak detector

Equipped with an array of microphones for an expanded field-of-view, handheld air leak detectors enable maintenance teams to quickly and accurately locate air, gas and vacuum leaks in compressed air systems; even during peak operations and in noisy environments.

Our recommendation: Fluke ii900 SoundSight™ Sonic Industrial Imager

Thermal cameras

The Fluke Ti480 PRO is designed to work in the toughest industries. Optimally engineered, Fluke cameras are aligned to drive efficiency through the latest in thermography technology advancements. They offer everything needed for industrial professionals to safely, quickly and easily find, assess and solve mission-critical problems before they result in downtime, become costly or even disastrous.

Our recommendation: Fluke Ti480 PRO Infrared Camera

Industrial accelerometers

Industrial accelerometers are ideal for route-based and permanently mounted predictive maintenance applications. The AC voltage output can interface with third-party data collectors or other online monitoring systems for vibration data analysis.

Our recommendation: PCB 603C01 Industrial Accelerometer

Portable vibration calibrator

Calibrate sensors onsite and generate calibration certificates. The 699B07 calculates and displays test sensor sensitivity in real time. The unit has a built-in ICP® or voltage test sensor input for direct connection and readout of the most common types of accelerometers and velocity transducers, making regular calibration a viable option.

Our recommendation: PCB 699B07 Portable Vibration Calibrator

Preventative maintenance

Thermo Fisher Scientific understands that the costs of unplanned downtime are high and that those who manage facilities face more maintenance issues today than ever before. Whether electrical, mechanical or building related, preventative maintenance programs are critical to significantly reducing the risk of downtime and keeping systems operating at optimal performance levels.

Whether you are just starting a formal preventative maintenance program, adding capacity to an existing program or upgrading your tool belt, Thermo Fisher Scientific provides reliable test tools that industrial professionals can count on for accurate and consistent measurements.

Learn more: www.thermofisher.com/au/en/home/industrial/manufacturing-processing/condition-monitoring/preventative-maintenance.html.

Top image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Michael Evans