With its TRUST ITM solution, ITM Mining is providing an intelligent contribution to predictive maintenance and operational efficiency.
N obody likes faulty equipment. Bucket Cylinder Assy
Generally speaking, the more complex the tool, the more costly the fix when it breaks down. And when it comes to mining, it doesn’t come more complex – or expensive to repair – than machine undercarriages.
Since its foundation in Valsamoggia, Italy, in 1957, ITM Group has designed, manufactured and distributed an inclusive range of undercarriage parts and customisable solutions for several industry segments, and the company continues to be ahead of the curve.
Its latest technology is called TRUST ITM, which was recently launched in the Australian market by ITM Mining, one of Australia’s leading suppliers of undercarriage components for heavy mobile equipment and fixed plant.
TRUST – Track Advice Undercarriage Smart Technology – provides live data about the current state of the undercarriage, such as its temperature and predictive maintenance. The data is transmitted from a series of sensors in-built or magnetised to the undercarriage.
In an ordinary scenario, a mining operator would have to stop roughly every 20 minutes and wait for the undercarriage to be manually tested with a temperature gun. With TRUST ITM, an operator can monitor the state of their undercarriage while on the move.
“Thanks to real-time temperature monitoring, we can reduce excavator tramming time by up to 50 per cent,” ITM Mining told Australian Mining.
“We can learn how long it takes for a roller to heat up while the machine is tramming and how long it takes to cool down.
“This kind of data helps you operate your machine to its maximum performance.”
Not only does TRUST ITM make mining operations more efficient; it also helps prevent component failure and costly downtime.
Temperature is an indicator of a faulty part. By monitoring the state of the undercarriage in real-time, operators and mine managers can enact predictive maintenance before a breakdown occurs. As ITM puts it, “you cannot improve what you cannot measure”.
“Safety-wise, you’re also keeping your maintenance employees away from hot undercarriages and moving machinery,” the company said.
“There’s roughly a 100m exclusion zone when these machines are moving, so it’s hard to get a visual or take a measurement when these things are operating.
“So the safety aspect of TRUST ITM is quite enormous.”
ITM Group has provided undercarriage components for over 65 years, and now the with TRUST ITM, the company is positioning itself within a new digital era, where efficiency, predictive analysis and supply-chain management are essential for clients.
“Real-time data is the key,” ITM said. “We provide a constant monitoring of components while the machine is operating, and send an automatic warning when the temperature reaches a critical level.”
TRUST ITM data is safely stored on a cloud-based system and can be read on an operator’s dashboard, a mobile app, and a mine manager’s remote PC.
This means a mine manager is able to monitor the live status of an entire fleet from a single hub.
According to the company, TRUST ITM can help miners cut costs and get more accurate and specific readings.
“Undercarriage maintenance is upwards of 50 per cent of your maintenance costs,” ITM said.
“A mining company could be spending millions on an undercarriage and still manually measuring things with a ruler and a temperature gun – and that’s as sophisticated as it gets.
“With our product, you can see in real-time the performance and actually learn from it.”
TRUST ITM has been tried and tested in the field.
“The technology is already at work in different mining sites around the globe,” the company said. “In WA, we have some shovels and dozers operating with TRUST ITM.”
“We got regular email alerts showing that in the case of one particular dozer at the WA site, two of its rollers had increased in temperature quite considerably.
“We were then able to tell the mine operator exactly where those two rollers were, as well as the nature of the problem, which was a failed pin that caused the rollers to overheat.”
The TRUST ITM undercarriage technology is available in two forms: built-in sensors and wearable sensors.
“The wearable kit can be plugged on to any metallic surface – such as a gearbox – to monitor temperate and other parameters,” ITM said.
This makes the wearable sensor handy to a number of industries beyond the mining sector.
TRUST ITM improves operational efficiency, cuts maintenance costs, allows for predictive maintenance, and helps to keep employees safe.
“Efficiency, predictive maintenance, and supply chain management is becoming pivotal for our clients,” ITM said. “We believe data is the key to unlocking this future.”
This feature also appears in the May edition of Australian Mining .
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Aftermarket Hydraulic Cylinders For John Deere Since 1908, Australian Mining has informed the industry on the latest news and technologies from across the mining sector. Comprising of a monthly print magazine, website and e-newsletter, Australian Mining is a leading resource showcasing the latest in mining innovation.