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FLANDERS is first to provide agnostic control systems

Project Overview

During surface mining operations, bank penetration by electric rope shovels exerts tremendous stress on the shovel’s major mechanical systems. Operator judgment was the only means of assessing whether the demands placed on shovel structural members was nearing or exceeding OEM specifications. This reality has led to premature mechanical damage in the past, resulting in machine downtime, lost production, and even safety issues. FLANDERS has addressed the lack of real-time, objective, structural stress monitoring with its FREEDOM™ Level 3 control system which includes the FREEDOM open-architecture platform, a FLANDERS M21 crowd motor, and our Optimized Bank Performance (OBP). OBP provides real-time structural feedback to the FREEDOM platform.

Verified Results

24% increase in productivity

The Challenge

During surface mining operations, bank penetration by electric rope shovels exerts tremendous stress on the shovel’s major mechanical systems. An electric rope shovel must be safely operated within its established parameters and only until recent years, operator judgment was the only means of assessing whether the demands placed on shovel structural members was nearing or exceeding OEM specifications. This reality led to premature mechanical damage, resulting in machine downtime, lost production, and even safety issues.

While monitoring systems exist to report operating temperatures, RPM, and electronic component performance, monitoring structural strain–particularly during the crowd function–has historically relied on the machine operator’s judgment.

The Solution

In 2012, FLANDERS introduced FREEDOM, a revolutionary open-architecture platform that allows mine operators an unprecedented level of electric rope shovel customization. FREEDOM permits rope shovels to utilize OEM and aftermarket solutions such as the FLANDERS high-performance excavator-duty motors. FLANDERS’ Optimized Bank Performance (OBP) offers real-time boom and gantry structural feedback to the FREEDOM platform. This real-time monitoring enables enhanced performance and increased productivity while staying within the machine’s existing OEM limits.

The FLANDERS FREEDOM Level 3 system upgrade allowed us to turn one of our lower-performing shovels into the highest-performing shovel in our fleet. In addition, we have not seen any increased maintenance costs as a result of the increased productivity of the machine. –Jim Van Emmerik, Manager, Electrical, Cloud Peak Energy

Outcomes

FREEDOM provides significant performance and reliability improvements, and increased shovel productivity

  • Structural abuse to the machine was reduced while hoist power was optimized during a portion of the dig cycle
  • Enhanced speed, torque, and reliability from the FLANDERS M21 / F22 crowd motor
  • Precise hoist power optimization enabled by the OBP enhancement

The FREEDOM platform allows heavy equipment operators to customize their machines in ways never-before imagined. Click here to learn more about how FREEDOM can liberate your machines.