The mining industry depends on heavy machinery in every aspect of its operations from the extraction and transportation of materials to the processing and site rehabilitation that follow. Like businesses in most other asset-intensive sectors, those in the mining industry depend on highly specialized, responsive, and robust maintenance programs in order to keep this heavy machinery in safe, effective, and optimal working order.
However, the mining industry is unique.The conditions under which maintenance work must take place are often hazardous, harsh, and rife with safety risks. That is why careful maintenance planning and management is so critical.
Why maintenance is important in the mining industry
The inherent risks and harsh environmental conditions underscore the importance of mining equipment maintenance. They can inflict intensified wear and tear, sudden damage, and unforeseen emergency breakdowns on heavy equipment like that used for drilling, excavation, hauling, and processing.
Mining companies depend on large asset portfolios distributed across numerous processing plants and job sites, as well as fleets of transport vehicles for moving materials between these locations. Without proper mining asset maintenance, complex and costly critical assets like drills, excavators, crushers, and haul trucks may be prone to frequent breakdowns, heightened safety risks, prolonged downtime, wasted resources, and shorter lifespans.
This is why mining industry operations depend on preventive maintenance practices like routine servicing, regularly scheduled inspections, and proactive repairs for their safety, productivity, and profitability.
Your mining equipment maintenance checklist
Mining equipment maintenance is a highly specialized area of operational maintenance. As noted above, in addition to the cost, complexity, and criticality of the heavy equipment used in mining, this equipment often operates under harsh conditions. As a result, maintenance teams must also operate under harsh conditions while providing upkeep and repairs for a wide range of mining vehicles, machines, and tools.
Below, we take a closer look at some of the key equipment types and components that mining maintenance teams must service:
Excavators require:
- Hydraulic system checks for oil levels, leaks, and the integrity of hoses
- Boom and arm inspections for cracks and weld integrity
- Undercarriage evaluations, including tracks and rollers
- Electrical system testing for battery and control panel functionality
Haul Trucks require:
- Tire inspections for tread wear and inflation
- Engine servicing, including oil changes and filter replacements
- Brake system evaluations for wear and functionality
- Suspension inspections to ensure stability and performance
Drilling Rigs require:
- Drill bit inspections for wear and damage
- Hydraulic system checks for fluid levels and leaks
- Engine maintenance, including oil and air filter changes
- Control system tests to ensure operational integrity
Conveyor Systems require:
- Belt inspections for wear, alignment, and proper tension
- Roller and pulley checks for smooth operation
- Electrical system evaluations for functionality
- Bearing checks for cracks and lubrication
Crushers require:
- Jaw and cone inspections for wear and alignment
- Drive system checks, including belts and gears
- Electrical system testing for motor performance
- Safety device evaluations to ensure operational compliance
Mining equipment maintenance strategies
Mining equipment is often deployed in remote regions that may be characterized by rough seas, arid deserts, rugged terrain, high altitude, extreme hot or cold, and under a full range of weather events, both seasonal and severe. This means that mining vehicles, machines, tools, facilities, and infrastructure face accelerated wear and tear, a heightened risk of unexpected failure, and a more unpredictable total lifecycle.
Given these variables, it is especially important for mining maintenance personnel to be equipped with a host of asset maintenance strategies. Below, we discuss a few common maintenance management strategies and how they apply to the field of mining.
Reactive maintenance
Reactive maintenance is a strategy in which action is initiated only after malfunction, breakdown, or failure has occurred. For this reason, reactive maintenance is sometimes also referred to as a “run to failure” strategy. A solely reactive approach to maintenance is not highly recommended because it usually comes with a higher risk of unexpected equipment failure, higher repair costs, and prolonged downtime.
However, it is also important for a maintenance team to have standard operating procedures in place to handle unforeseen maintenance needs. This is particularly true in the mining industry, where the higher risks of sudden damage to equipment might prompt the need for corrective action and emergency repairs. For instance, if a drilling rig located in a rugged mountainous jobsite sustains damage to its hydraulic system due to an unforeseen rockslide, your maintenance team must have rapid response and corrective repair protocols in place that are specific to this situation.
Preventive maintenance
A proactive maintenance approach, preventive maintenance deploys routine servicing, regular inspections, seasonal parts replacement and other prescheduled maintenance activities aimed at preventing equipment failure, reducing unplanned downtime, and lengthening the life of your critical mining assets.
Preventive maintenance planning will usually rely on a combination of manufacturer recommendations, internal procedures, and–especially in the mining sector–proven industry best practices. For instance, performing regular oil, filter, and hose changes on haul vehicles can improve their performance, heighten their fuel efficiency, reduce the occurrence of unexpected breakdowns, and help extend the life of these costly mining vehicles.
Condition-based maintenance
Condition-based maintenance or CBM employs advanced sensors and IoT (Internet of Things) devices in order to monitor equipment performance in real-time. These strategies often supplement preventive maintenance strategies, allowing a combination of real-time performance tracking and timely intervention. The primary goal of condition monitoring is to continuously observe key indicators like temperature, vibration, and sonic frequencies in order to anticipate issues and prevent them from escalating into major failures.
For instance, your mining maintenance technicians may utilize sensors to detect abnormal vibrations in the conveyor belts, crushers, or ball mill grinders used to process raw minerals. These abnormal vibrations may be an indication of cracks, leaks, loose joints, or broken welding seals in one or more components. This indication can be used to initiate and channel the focus of corrective repairs before cracks, leaks or breaks can become full-fledged equipment failures.
The benefits of effective mining equipment maintenance
An effective equipment maintenance program is vital to the continuity, safety, and success of any asset-intensive business. But the importance of a robust asset maintenance strategy is magnified in the mining industry. Indeed, mining asset management and maintenance can be characterized by heightened safety risks, an elevated need for rapid response, and intensified wear and tear.
Mining businesses that manage these challenges with structured and proactive comprehensive maintenance strategies see the following benefits:
- Reduced downtime during critical operations such as extraction and materials transport
- Extended equipment lifespan for costly assets like drill rigs, excavators, and crushers
- Improved safety conditions and a reduced risk of accidents, injuries, or fatalities
- Enhanced energy efficiency, lower fuel costs, and improved environmental performance
- Better compliance with regulatory requirements, environmental laws, and safety standards
- Cost savings as a result of fewer and less severe equipment breakdowns as well as minimization of downtime, which can be uniquely costly in the mining industry
What causes mining equipment failure?
Mining maintenance managers must take into account a number of heightened equipment failure risks specific to the industry. The following are among the common causes of mining equipment failure as well as some of the common steps mining maintenance teams will take to mitigate these causes:
- Wear and tear, which can be offset through regular inspections, timely replacement of worn parts, and routine cleaning
- Overloading, which can be prevented through proper training and adherence to manufacturer recommendations
- Insufficient lubrication, which may be corrected through routinely scheduled oil changes
- Contaminants such as dust and debris, which can be removed through regular cleaning and filter replacement
- Hydraulic failures, which can be avoided with routine fluid changes and inspections
- Electrical issues, which can be minimized with regular testing of wiring, batteries, and controls
- Fuel issues, which can be prevented with routine system inspections and the use of quality fuel
- Corrosion, which can be countered with regular cleaning and the application of rust inhibitors
Establishing a mining equipment maintenance program
As the solutions outlined above suggest, a preventive maintenance strategy is generally preferable over a reactive maintenance strategy. A preventive mining maintenance program should improve safety, lower costs, and enhance the efficiency of your operation. Here are a few simple step-by-step instructions for implementing a more proactive maintenance strategy for your mining operation.
- Set clear goals such as minimizing downtime, reducing repair costs, and improving safety.
- Assign roles, clearly defining responsibilities for all team members, from maintenance managers and equipment operators to technicians and safety inspectors.
- Take a complete inventory of your equipment with detailed records of all machinery, including make, model, and maintenance history.
- Develop a maintenance plan, building out a preventive maintenance schedule based on manufacturer guidelines and equipment usage.
- Schedule tasks, prioritizing work orders and tasks based on asset criticality, equipment utilization, resource availability, and preset time intervals.
- Train team members on the proper use and care of equipment, as well as early detection of potential functionality issues.
- Monitor program performance using maintenance metrics like Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) to assess program effectiveness.
- Integrate inventory management into your maintenance program to ensure the timely availability of spare parts, tools, and raw materials.
- Conduct regular reviews of your program and solicit feedback from key stakeholders to identify areas for improvement.
- Implement a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to automate, simplify, and streamline critical aspects of your maintenance process such as work order management, preventive maintenance scheduling, and coordinated inventory management.
How Limble’s CMMS can drive your mining asset maintenance program
Limble’s leading edge CMMS offer a full suite of advanced features, integrations, and customizations for the mining sector including:
- Centralized data management on equipment details, maintenance schedules, work orders, and more
- Customizable dashboard featuring user-friendly modules and real-time KPI monitoring capabilities
- Automated preventive maintenance scheduling based on manufacturer recommendations and historical data
- Streamlined work order management including automated creation, tracking, and completion of work orders
- Inventory control including real-time visibility into stock levels, spare parts tracking, and automated reorder points
- Performance monitoring through integration with condition monitoring sensors and IoT device
- Improved compliance through compliance checklists, detailed reporting, and comprehensive audit-trail documentation
- Mobile accessibility through a secure, user-friendly, cloud-based mobile app, allowing technicians to access data and task information remotely or from the field.
To find out what else Limble’s industry-leading CMMS can do to empower your mining maintenance team, request your free CMMS Buyer’s Guide today!