Gold mining: 50% of time saved during tramming phase on a CAT 7495

Gold mining: 50% of time saved during tramming phase on a CAT 7495

The scenario

Increasing mining efficiency and safety: one hour of continuous tramming with the TRUST ITM® Mobile Kit

A success story from a gold mine on a CAT 7495.

What we did

In a large mining site, a CAT 7495 was following the standard "20-20" procedure: 20 minutes of tramming followed by 20 minutes of rest, to prevent roller overheating and minimise downtime. During tramming, the machine is accompanied by vehicles and maintenance personnel who manually measure roller temperatures during stops. As a test, TRUST ITM® Mobile Kit was used on the CAT 7495; the magnetic sensors were connected to the components, an external receiver was mounted on the machine and a display was installed in the operator's cab - all in just 5 minutes. The tramming phase was then monitored from a vehicle positioned ahead of the machine. After 30 minutes, the display was moved to the monitoring vehicle to test the connection range. The TRUST ITM® MobileKit successfully transmitted data up to 80-100 metres from the external receiver, allowing real-time monitoring for the next 30 minutes.

“The trial highlighted the effectiveness of the TRUST ITM® Mobile Kit in monitoring temporary events like tramming, with the flexibility to transfer sensors to other machines for various purposes. Implementing a permanent solution, such as embedded sensors, would further enhance efficiency by eliminating manual operations around the undercarriage and improving the safety of the customer's operations”.

What we achieved

This test demonstrated that, as long as component temperatures remained within safe parameters, the CAT 7495 could operate continuously for over an hour. As a result, unnecessary stops totalling 60 minutes were eliminated, while reducing risks for maintenance personnel and optimising resource utilisation.

Benefits generated

Increased productivity & efficiency

Increased safety in the operation

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