Tyres represent a significant expense in a mining operation and are a powerful area for cost containment, we should all know that. Maximising life increases machine availability and proactively addresses issues like global tyre shortages. Immersive Technologies reports it “has worked with major OEMs and mining operations around the globe to deliver a mean 10.4% increase in mining truck tyre life using Advanced Equipment Simulator based operator training programs.”
Amongst many examples, a North American based mining operation worked with Immersive to develop a continuous improvement training program aimed at increasing tyre life using simulation based training. Results were demonstrated over a five-month period using tyre hours and tyre replacements due to damage as the metrics of interest. The training initiative resulted in a 27% reduction in tyre replacements due to damage as compared to the same time period in the previous year. Globally, Immersive Technologies continuous improvement projects focused on tyre life have resulted in increases in tyre life ranging from 3.3% to 14%.
Through simulation operators are trained to identify and correct errors such as brake misuse to optimise tyre life.
“Our Advanced Equipment Simulators are the only fully supported solution of their kind in the mining industry. Scheduled system upgrades are part of our service agreements. The development of these upgrades is driven by evolving mining industry needs, using input provided by customers and equipment manufacturers. This ensures that our customers are able to continually achieve quantifiable improvement in their mining operations in areas such as tyre costs, fuel costs, unscheduled maintenance costs, spotting times, new operator training times and so on.” said Karen Joseph, Product Portfolio Manager at Immersive Technologies.
The simulation based training gives equipment operators the skills and knowledge they need to operate in a productive manner while assessing and eliminating behaviours that cause unnecessary tyre wear. Properly trained operators extend tyre life without impacting productivity.
SimControl, the software powering all Immersive Technologies Advanced Equipment Simulators performs detailed monitoring of operator behaviours which directly impact tyre wear including operation around spillage, dry steering, aggressive cornering and speeding.
Immersive Technologies’ simulation based training solutions provide an assessment tool for managers to determine which tyre wear related operator behaviours are most prevalent in their mining operation and represent the greatest opportunities for cost reduction. The simulation based training solutions provide an assessment tool for managers to determine which tyre wear related operator behaviours are most prevalent in their mining operation and represent the greatest opportunities for cost reduction.
“Our simulation based training solutions provide an assessment tool for managers to determine which tyre wear related operator behaviours are most prevalent in their mining operation and represent the greatest opportunities for cost reduction,” said Joseph.
“As a company we strive to provide solutions to the mining industry and results like these further our mission to make every mining and earthmoving equipment operator safer and their employer more profitable,” said Peter Salfinger, CEO of Immersive Technologies.
