SIMS

Leica SIMS is an option for Series 3 Dragline Monitor that gives you the opportunity to extend the operating envelope of your dragline safely, and therefore the productivity of your dragline.

To achieve this Leica SIMS provides real-time, pre-emptive information to the operator on what to do to stop an operation that may cause strength or fatigue limits to be exceeded on the boom. It also provides actual boom strength and fatigue feedback.

This information can then be used to improve operator techniques, allow mining and maintenance engineers to better control and analyse peak performance factors, and to make immediate changes to optimize maintenance planning.

How does Leica SIMS work in practice?

Leica SIMS can be tailored to any dragline and is based on state-of-the-art structural integrity management technology developed at Monash University, Australia.

With the use of a finite element analysis of the boom, structural limits and critical member locations can be identified. In most cases, with the use of Leica SIMS, the dragline can then be certified to operate at well above its rate of suspended load.

Leica SIMS uses a series of sealed long life strain gauges designed to measure the stress and fatigue of the structure in key locations of the boom.

This information can be used to provide operators and foreman with real-time pre-emptive and actual feedback on their operating practices. E.g. Critical alarms are engaged when:

• Swinging with the bucket engaged
• The bucket is out of plane, carrying excessive stress
• Fly dumping
• General fatigue and stress occurs
• Lifting the bucket too fast causing boom osolation (excessive fatigue)

Optimizing dragline productivity

Information provided by Leica SIMS can be used by dragline operators and maintenance and mine management to better control the key parameters the dragline boom is operating within.

Operators can load the boom to its structural limit and beyond consistently, but with a designated safety margin. In other words, the operating envelope of the dragline is extended safely and productivity can be maximized. In fact, bigger payloads are often the pleasing result.

Even more importantly, catastrophic events caused by gross overloads, incorrect dragline operation and unnecessary fatigue can be avoided.

The information provided by Leica SIMS also means maintenance can be optimized and more efficiently monitored leading to increased machine life.

Other Options for Series 3 Dragline monitor:

• Leica SIMS Plus

This extension includes all of the features of Leica SIMS plus a range of extra reporting and safety features.

Leica SIMS is set up to store data required for long-term structural integrity management in a database. Stored data can also be used to trend performance per shift/operator/dig mode for chosen time periods and/or operators.

Further more, Leica SIMS has the ability to predict a structural event. It can be linked to a dragline's electrical control system to limit the rate of hoist speed being applied by operation, and therefore avoid the structure exceeding its limits.

• Leica DragNav: A high precision GPS navigation option for draglines.