FEATURE | INDUSTRY 4.0
ABB’s Ability Smart Hoisting includes advanced condition monitoring, predictive maintenance and real-time data analytics.
monitoring, predictive maintenance and real- time data analytics to help teams make better decisions. These upgrades allow operators to improve uptime, reduce safety risks and make smarter operational decisions without replacing entire systems.
“At the same time, we’re also seeing new mining developments invest in full-scale smart hoists designed from the ground up with digital infrastructure,” says Veselin Donchev, ABB’s global product manager hoisting service, digital lead hoisting.
ABB Ability Smart Hoist offers features like drive system monitoring, KPI tracking and remote diagnostics via ABB’s collaborative operations centres. “They’re designed to improve productivity, meet safety and environmental standards and extend equipment life, while minimising environmental impact,” he adds. “In short, whether companies are updating old gear or buying new smart hoists, they both are aiming to have safer, more reliable and more efficient mining operations. This trend shows that industries are relying on digital tools for building long-term resilience and sustainability in mining operations, as well as cost-savings.”
Integration challenges While a greenfield development can factor in automation and smart technologies from the outset, what is the best route forward for a going concern? “Greenfield is pretty easy,” says Jackman. “It’s a case of planning out the implementation of the material handling around other commissioning activities. A brownfield site is typically more challenging as there is likely processing equipment that the client wants to
keep running, and we have to work around the production needs of the facility.” The other challenge he sees is training and
competence. “Where we see material handling automation fail is that the company installs automation and leaves, but the facility does not have the staff or know-how to handle the equipment or modify custom one-off code for a material handling system. These facilities are mostly 24/5 or 24/7, and so should their automation partner be – but small, one-off automation shops are not set up for this.” Mi-Jack has approached integration by making Mi-Star manufacturer agnostic. “Because equipment fleets are full of a variety of brands and ages, our being agnostic allows them to
have the hardware in place to see the full chain of custody for overall asset tracking,” says Newton. “This flexibility makes it desirable, and recommended, to implement the solution in its entirety, since once you have the hardware in place, you can see everything, and the value of that data helps deliver a solid ROI. Essentially, we right-size the solution for each piece of equipment and each location.” An element of this includes trying to future-
proof the technology. “We have products that have been in the field for over two decades, and they continue to work as intended,” he adds. Beyond integration, the big challenge is cyber security. “How everyone needs to evolve now is to account for the advancements in software
ABB Ability Smart Hoist offers features like drive system monitoring and remote diagnostics.
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