In mining operations, mining shovels do the heavy lifting in digging and extracting ore in surface mining operations. They are used in coal, copper, gold and other ore mining operations.

In an Engineering and Mining Journal Article, Shovel Service Suppliers Help Cut Costs, CO2, Emerson’s Tom Francisco joins other mining experts to describe ways to extend the life and improve maintenance practices on these critical assets for mining operators. Some of these ways include:

• Overhauling electric rope shovels and repairing crawler frames
• Performing telemetry-based machine health monitoring
• Performing shovel service visit audits of the undercarriages
• Refurbishing shovel cylinders
• Monitoring vibration continuously.

Tom addressed continuous vibration monitoring in this article.

Emerson Automation Solutions said that, with REACH and ROHs certification, the AMS 6500 is effectively a new offering that also has a proven track record spanning more than a decade.

“The solution was updated with new components and as a result, it is at the beginning of its lifecycle again, meaning that this product will be supported for many years in the future,” said Tom Francisco, business development manager, Emerson Automation Solutions.

The AMS 6500 is an online vibration monitoring solution that measures trends and detects anomalies with the hoist, crowd and swing of electric rope shovels. “It provides continuous updates for each channel as well as detailed information on a schedule you specify,” Francisco said.

The solution is part of the AMS Machinery Manager software application. “Ideally, the shovel would have a connection to the site’s IT network, which allows the site team or even a remote corporate shovel or reliability expert access to the latest data recorded by the system,” he said. “There is even a means to interface with a CMMS system for maintenance scheduling.”

The AMS 6500 also integrates with other systems “for input and output to synchronize with specific actions or processes via adaptive monitoring,” Francisco said.

The solution adjusts based on changing machine conditions, such as load or speed. “When these conditions occur within a specific range, data is acquired and stored,” he said.

The AMS 6500 integrates with the shovel control system, which allows it to adapt to the action being executed. “When the operator tells the shovel to swing right, a signal is sent to the acquisition hardware to monitor those channels,” Francisco said.

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Read the article for more on each of the expert’s insights and Tom’s additional perspectives on data real-time vs. component templates and bearing information, adaptive monitoring, advanced PeakVue diagnostic technology, and how continuous monitoring and remote monitoring reduces downtime.

Visit the Mining, Minerals & Metals section on Emerson.com for more on the technologies and solutions to help you extract more availability, more efficiency, and more productivity from your operations.