Mechanical Technology March 2016

⎪ On the cover ⎪

our equipment design knowledge and ex- pertise in analysis algorithms to produce robust equipment and process specific performance classifiers,” he explains. Continuous condition monitoring of specific mining processes, according to Mdlazi, is relatively rare. Process and equipment monitoring is mostly based on irregular or periodic manual inspections that have been found to be somewhat ineffective in picking up or predicting incipient equipment failure. “Imminent failure can easily be missed unless each asset is automatically and continuously being monitored,” he suggests. Describing how Synertrex monitor- ing systems work, he says that each machine is connected to its own moni- toring module, which collects vibration, temperature, flow, pressure and wear data along with process specific process performance indicators. “All of this data is sent via a local Wi-Fi network to be collated and analysed onsite. Associated analysis software algorithms embedded into the system are used to trend equip- ment condition and deterioration and to trigger alarms should the signatures be outside those of normally operating machines,” he says. The system also includes enterprise- level or big-data connectivity. Using ADSL, satellite or 3G/4G Internet proto- cols, all of the results from the site can be uploaded to the Internet and remotely accessed via ERPs (enterprise resource planning systems) or other dedicated software applications. “This system is designed for clients that require more from their equipment, to enable them to reliably minimise maintenance costs, improve uptime and reduce their total costs of ownership,” Mdlazi tells MechTech . “We are increasingly being asked to guarantee the performance numbers and lifetime claims of our equipment. Our Synertrex system will allow us to collect credible data about machines operating in each different environment. In addition to helping us improve our designs, monitoring allows us to proac- tively intervene where equipment is not performing optimally in order to avoid downtime and redress performance is- sues,” adds Stehle. “This is also an ideal tool to support our service contract offerings. When Weir Minerals’ takes on service responsibili- ties, we do so at a fixed cost to the cus- tomer and penalties apply for excessive

Weir Minerals’ Isando-based enigineering department is the DCO for Enduron vibrating screens.

The new Warman WBH slurry pump.

A Linatex-lined Isogate mechanical pinch valve.

the best time to refurbish a pump, based on minimising the TCO,” he explains. “The industry has developed ways of compensating for production losses as a pump wears by increasing the pump speed using variable speed drives (VSDs). By monitoring these aspects, it is pos- sible to determine how well the pump is performing and how quickly it is wearing. This is directly useable for optimising predictive maintenance schedules, for example,” Gomes tells MechTech . “The Synertrex development will en- able us to gather life and efficiency data for a host of different applications and environments. In addition, we will be able to use reliable real-time data to perform just-in-time maintenance, instead of having to risk failure by leaving a pump running too long or wasting significant amounts of wear life by changing out the impellers and throatbushes too early,” Gomes concludes. q

downtime. It is therefore in our direct interest to track a machine’s condition to maximise productivity and uptime for our clients and reduce risk to us,” explains Stehle. “Ultimately, we want to go beyond condition monitoring and, in the long term, use the principles of the ‘Internet of Things’ and ‘big data analytics’, to develop predictive algorithms that can optimise and control plant performance – by analysing the ongoing performance of individual machines, identifying bottle- necks and under capacity and setting each machine’s individual output for maximum capacity at lowest total costs, for example,” says Mdlazi. Turning attention to the potential use of Synertrex systems for slurry pumps, Gomes points out that a pump’s ef- ficiency falls as the impeller and the throat bush wear. “This knowledge can be incorporated via Synertrex to predict

Mechanical Technology — March 2016

5