Overview
The client operates a large open cast coal mine, spread over a wide geographic area. Within this mine there are 25 overland conveyors – some as long as six kilometers. There is a control room that monitors and controls all of these conveyors, however, managers lacked the ability to report on maintenance carried out. There is some maintenance that must be completed - all conveyors and protection systems must be tested, by law, monthly. On a single conveyor belt there is a trip switch on either side every hundred meters. In many cases there are in excess of one hundred safety devices that need to be checked to ensure proper functionality.
Initially the client wanted to incorporate the maintenance reporting within their existing automation systems. However, it became clear that the cost to do so made this option difficult to justify. To further complicate matters, there was a mixture of existing systems that control the coal plant, all of which would have to interoperate with the maintenance reporting system.