Maintenance
A Titan of tyre maintenance WHILE MANY COMPANIES CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE DURING THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC, NORDIC MINESTEEL TECHNOLOGIES’ SUBSIDIARY SPECIALIZED MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT (SME), HAS USED THIS TIME TO BOOST ITS SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONS USING REMOTE ACCESS.
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ith borders closed during the global COVID-19 pandemic, it has been difficult for companies with international customers to complete the training and maintenance assistance that comes with providing a product. While some industries have shutdown completely, and endured lockdowns with its employees working from home, the mining and resources sector continued to operate. The combination of remote operations with its importance to the world’s economy meant that regular production continued, which caused challenges for some suppliers of specialised equipment. Specialized Maintenance Equipment (SME), a subsidiary of Nordic Minesteel Technologies, instead used this time as an opportunity to improve its customer service with the development of supporting software upgrades and diagnostics through remote access. SME is the producer of a remoteoperated, battery-powered truck jacking system called the Titan220e that can lift and secure the complete front or rear axle of the world’s largest haul trucks. Titan220e incorporates an all-inone truck jack, safety stand and work platform that can be used for a wide range of haul trucks. Nordic Minesteel Technologies business development specialist Heather Johnston says the company has also been adapting to the pandemic by developing an extensive digital library of operator training videos which can help
customers understand the equipment anywhere around the world. “It has been a wonderful tool for us,” Johnston says. “We have been able to remote dial-in to machines in Chile, Peru and Brazil, which gives us the ability to understand and investigate any problems with the machine.” In order to alleviate some of the operator errors, the company has created a digital library of training videos and made them accessible to customers and distributors. “Because we can’t physically be there to do the training we would traditionally do, it has been a great tool and, moving forward, it will also be able to save both time and money for customers,” Johnston explains. “Even when the world opens up again post-COVID, we can do our training and commissioning straight from our head office in North Bay, Canada, especially if there is a rapid solution required which exceeds travel time needed to get to the sites.” The training videos have also proven helpful due to the high levels of staff turnover in the mining sector, as new employees are able to conduct the training without the need to send an instructor to site. The Titan220e has been specifically designed with safety in mind. The jack’s use of battery power provides greater worker health and environmental benefits to a mine operation, as it can be used in workshops without emitting fumes like diesel-powered equipment. It also allows employees to work
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in an environment with noise levels far below the harmful decibel level as that of a diesel jack, protecting employees’ hearing. The remote-control capabilities of the Titan220e mean workers are removed from the line of fire and protected from the high risks of getting sprains, strains or pinched from using traditional jacks and safety stands. It is also equipped with mechanical locking arms so technicians can visually confirm that the Titan220e is locked in place and the truck is supported, instead of relying on clumsy internal locking features. In 2017, two diesel prototypes were developed and sent to be tested at mine sites in the high-altitude mountains of Latin America, where they are still operating today. Johnston says there were some valuable lessons learned from the original machines, which led to the design of the current Titan220e. “Our customers wanted a cleaner solution so they could operate the machines in their shops, which they couldn’t do with the diesel model, but they could with a battery,” she says. “There are also the operating costs to consider as there are more moving parts in a diesel-operated machine compared to using a battery. We use dry cell batteries which are maintenance free, you can get around 12 lifts per charge. “We do recommend that customers give the machine one full charge per week, but you can also do opportunity charging as needed while it is
