Capital Equipment News December 2017

MINING NEWS

Sandvik adds new intelligent solution to its AutoMine portfolio

Sandvik is introducing AutoMine Tele-Re- mote for underground loaders, a new smart entry-level addition to its industry-lead- ing AutoMine product family. AutoMine Tele-Remote provides an easy way to start exploring the full potential of Sand- vik equipment automation while improving productivity, safety and cost efficiency in mining operations. The new AutoMine Tele-Remote pro- vides functionality for smart teleoperation and monitoring of a single loader from the safety of a remote location. It is easy to set up, operate and maintain without a need for advanced technical skills. Designed specifically for quick production area de- ployment, AutoMine Tele-Remote is par- ticularly suitable for continuously changing mining environments, such as applications with small stopes or mine development. “AutoMine Tele-Remote makes remote loader operating simple, thanks to several smart system functionalities assisting the operator,” says Jarkko Ruokojärvi, product line manager Automation at Sandvik Min- ing and Rock Technology. “The advanced features – such as automatic steering and predictive wall collision avoidance – ensure easy and smooth operation of the loader, reducing strain on the operator.” As the intelligent operator-assisting So complex has modern engine design become that companies wanting to have their engines remanufactured should first look carefully at their service provider’s equipment and in-house skills profile. According to Andrew Yorke, operations director of Metric Automotive Engineer- ing, the cost benefit of remanufacturing a ‘new generation’ engine is quickly lost if a vehicle starts to underperform as a result of incorrect parts being fitted, or very fine engineering tolerances not being met. Yorke warns that there are increasing- ly critical differences between parts that look the same, and that ignorance of these subtleties will lead to sub-optimal engine performance.

The new AutoMine Tele-Remote provides functionality for smart teleoperation and monitoring of a single loader from the safety of a remote location.

AutoMine Tele-Remote system automat- ically steers the loader in environments previously unknown to it, loading can start immediately after site installation without a need for area definitions. In addition, the solution enables additional productive hours each day by allowing continued re- mote operation of the loader during blast clearance times. Equipment utilisation is also increased as operators can hand over between shifts much faster, without the need to locate and “Rebuilders can give our sector a bad name by not closely complying with engine and component numbers, which reflect a range of small size variations even within one manufacturer’s range of products,” he says. “This is vital because it is no longer possible to identify the differences simply by a visual inspection.” “The danger for the end-user is that it is very difficult to establish why a reman- ufactured engine is underperforming once the vehicle is back on the road, and the en- gine’s power, fuel efficiency and emission standards may be compromised,” he says. Achieving a high standard of remanufac- ture therefore requires both the right work- shop infrastructure and a higher level of

travel to the equipment. The intelligent fea- tures of the system assisting the operator also help to avoid wall collision damage that would otherwise lead to expensive downtime for repairs and maintenance. This translates into cost savings and higher productivity. The system’s compact onboard package is integrated into the in- telligent control system of Sandvik loaders, allowing full monitoring and control func- tionality as well as straightforward retrofit installations. b

New generation engines raise the bar for remanufacturers

engineering skill than in the past, he says. When customers source remanufacturing services, therefore, they should audit the remanufacturer’s equipment to check that it is up to the task of being applied to new generation engines. b