INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
industrial task . The information can be collected at the control stations , from a great distance , from on-line interactive user-friendly operator interfaces and sensors installed on the respective excavation or transport equipment at any industrial site worldwide . Another economic application of intelligent satellite link-up technology is that of ‘ online preventive maintenance ’ ( Figure 8 ).
Figure 8 : Satellite link-up for on-line equipment maintenance service
The on-board tracking system installed within all equipment at the industrial site is useful for transmitting data on the cumulative hours of machine usage complemented by the operating conditions or even the operational health of the vehicles . The creation of databases for carrying out efficient maintenance service of all the site equipment is useful in reducing equipment downtime and the minimisation of repair costs through optimum preventive servicing or replacement of relevant equipment parts at optimum time intervals . This technology , when effectively implemented , can improve work efficiency at an industrial site via increased productivity , reduction in fleet idle time and the rapid response to safety warnings .
6 . Unique Articulated Truck Design An articulated truck is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivoting joint in its design which allows the vehicle to turn more sharply at any industrial site ( Figure 9 ). The advantages in the usage of articulated trucks are unsurpassed manoeuvrability in adverse road
conditions due to the incorporation of a high rotating hitch , automatic traction control and hydro mechanical self-adjusting steering in the vehicle design ( Caterpillar , 2015 ). Other benefits in the utilisation of this novel truck design include simple to use , automotive style comfort , complemented by extended equipment service intervals thus providing more time at the industrial work site to focus on the time and effort required for the task to be done , combined with savings from less time and money spent on equipment servicing . Some of the new articulated truck engines in the market using the Advanced Combustion Technology offer the truck operators over 5 % more power and up to 20 % more torque than older models ( Volvo , 2015 , Bennink , 2012 ). Outcomes of intense research include the development of a novel variable geometry turbocharger and high-pressure fuel injection system that can deliver more fuel efficiency . The turbocharger setup provides quick engine response and high torque at low and high engine speeds . The newly-developed Automatic Traction Control ( ATC ) system in the industry , provides a seamless transition thus helping to reduce fuel consumption by up to 6 %, extending tyre life by 10 %; and also protecting the driveline system from unnecessary wear . An improvement in the crankcase ventilation network setup in the truck engine helps to improve work site air quality by ensuring that no oil mist is present in the exhaust gasses . Where practically applicable , this cost-effective articulated truck technology is able to offer benefits in fuel efficiency and low maintenance costs ; resulting in the benefit of overall low ownership costs .
Figure 9 : Unique articulated truck designs
12 VOL 68 OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2016