Joy Global says its newly introduced Track
Shield Collision detection and mitigation
system is the first dipper-to-track collisionavoidance technology solution available for
electric mining shovels, for which repeated
dipper-track strikes are a major contributor
to reduced crawler shoe life and structural
cracking. This condition results in unplanned and unbudgeted shoe, pin and
hardware replacements. Long term, it can
also mean more costly repairs to crawler
frames and carbody structures. “Dippers are
increasingly becoming larger and deeper.
Mining operations in applications such as oil
sands require wider tracks to provide flotation,” said Eric Hsieh, product manager–
technology at Joy Global Surface Mining.
“Under these circumstances it is difficult
even for the most experienced operators to
avoid repeated dipper-track strikes.”
According to the company, the Track
Shield system uses mathematical modeling
and prediction based on readings from sensory devices and the shovel’s Centurion electrical control system to monitor and minimize impact of dipper strikes to the dipper
and crawler shoes. The system, according to
Joy Global, can give shovel operators the
confidence to maintain machine speed for
optimum cycle times, and can also assist
new operators by guiding them in where they
need to be in respect to distance to the digging face for proper fill factors.
www.joyglobal.com
As featured in Womp 2013 Vol 07 - www.womp-int.com