Cutting Assistance for Reclaimer Operators and Automation
Besides online 3D volumetric scanning of the stockyard, the iReclaimer™ Cutting Assistance is a unique bundle of helpful features to enhance reclaiming operations for advanced material management.
How can you realistically expect an operator to measure the distance to the face or cutting depth with his bare eyes? Is it 15m, is it 16m? – this "tiny" difference has a big impact on the operation! Operators are forced drive by feeling, judging vibrations and waiting for slewing out of the pile. Get real-time and highly accurate information on cutting span depth, detect the bench edge height to automatize stacker boom return movements, or make use of the many other monitoring options.
How does it work?
Solution Layout: Several indurad DualRangeRadar (iDRR™) sensors are installed left and right of the bucket wheel. The iDRR™ sensors measure the surface of the pile. Furthermore, the position of the machine on the rails is determined with the indurad ActiveTransponderRadar (iATR™). The latter may be combined with absolute slew encoders and luff inclimometers.
GPS can be used as alternative or redundancy add-on. If the devices are not already installed, they can be retrofitted by indurad. The indurad RadarProcessingUnit (iRPU™) handles all sensors and processes all incoming raw radar data.
Why is it an improvement?
Common technologies: During reclaiming, the key process is still manual. Some sites are using teleremote operation, which demands specialized technology with a reliability and availability >99%. Also, this data must be in real-time, as without any real time update, productivity loss usually accounts for 5-10%. Thus, many technologies are limited in use or cannot be used standalone:
Simulations/Models:
- Do not allow dozer / wheel loader operation
- Fade away over time as input and output errors accumulate
- Non homogeneous material changes behavior (flow, repose, settlement, ...)
2D laser scanners at bucket wheel
- Sensors need to be installed in the highest dust and vibration
- Steaming material and dust makes it not reliable
3D Laser Scanners
- Filtering out the area around the bucket wheel
- Far too long cycle time for scan >1 minute
- High range from central location with mounting error or vibration cause massive lever
1D point radars
- inaccurate point probe without pile geometry
Breaking Limitations: iReclaimer™ is the first technical solution to provide the full range of features required for a high performance operation, as it combines predictive cutting assistance and control with inventory management and safety. The technology contributes for manual reclaiming, teleremote operations as well as automation. Among the large set of unique features are:
- Bench Edge Height Estimation
- Predictive Volume / Cutting Span Area Estimation, etc.)
- Sector based pile distance control for collision avoidance
- Exact 3D inventory information including timestamps at all times
- Database allows to use timestamps to track of material on the stockyard
- Integration of Dozer operations by position broadcast
- Automation and remote control to provide higher performance than human operation
- Easy installation without maintenance
What are the Benefits?
iReclaimer™ monitors many facets of the reclaiming process and thus provides real-time information and 3D inventory data to the PLC/SCADA/MES system for
- Increased Productivity and Decreased Cost by consistent high production
- Eliminating shut downs because of overtorque
- High accuracy under all environmental conditions during operation
- Online 3D volumetric measurement
- Long travel control
- Easy integration into existing PLC/SCADA/MES solutions
Where is it used?
Industries/Materials: iReclaimer™ monitors many facets of the reclaiming process and thus provides real-time information and 3D inventory data to the PLC/SCADA/MES system for
- Increased Productivity and Decreased Cost by consistent high production
- Eliminating shut downs because of overtorque
- High accuracy under all environmental conditions during operation
- Online 3D volumetric measurement
- Long travel control
- Easy integration into existing PLC/SCADA/MES solutions
