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Operational data is useful when it comes to preventive maintenance, as regular information alerts mines before the equipment needs to be taken out of service for repairs.

Fleet suite

To help mines work smarter, Sandvik has introduced a fleet management solution through a new interactive customer portal

Text: Alannah EamesPhoto: Sandvik Mining and Adam LachPublished: 25 May 2016

Companies today, regardless of their industry or location, need affordable and reliable solutions that improve productivity and help them work more efficiently. The logic: it’s a competitive world out there, and nobody can afford to lose time or money.

Mining companies are no exception. One golden opportunity where they can improve their operations is the way in which they collect, store and use the data from their mobile equipment. Gone are the days when it was enough to collect data manually by pen and paper and log it onto Excel spreadsheets on the mine manager’s computer. Today, it’s all about automating these processes.

Today, Sandvik customers can interact with Sandvik Mining via the new My Sandvik customer portal. The portal holds all information related to a customer’s equipment – operational data, order history, parts e-manuals, training manuals, bulletins and recommended parts – in one place.

The My Sandvik portal also marks the launch of a new interactive fleet management solution called MyFleet, which will be included in the value offering to customers that operate Sandvik equipment.

Operational data from the equipment offers a comprehensive overview of the day's activity.

For years, mining companies and their suppliers have been discussing the value of equipment operational data – such as its location, engine, idle, percussion and transmission hours – and how to use it. Often, the problem is that mines don’t have a complete overview of their fleet information. Having all the operational, transactional and technical information of a unit in one location accessible via a single login makes life easier. Information about the equipment will be transmitted to a secure central database where the data is analyzed and used for reports, to schedule maintenance or to spot operators’ problems with the unit. As different mines have different data needs, all kinds of reports from basic to customized detailed information can be compiled in the system.

“Together, this information will give the mine a great snapshot about decision-critical information in one interface,” says Daniel Gidlund, installed base programme manager at Sandvik Mining.

“It works a bit like a subscription for TV channels,” he says. “You can have a basic subscription, or when you want to add more ‘exclusive’ channels, such as Sandvik OptiMine, you just choose a different package option.”

OptiMine is an integrated information management system that allows real-time tracking of manually operated Sandvik and third-party equipment. Operational data from the equipment has many benefits for the mine.

Having a comprehensive overview of the daily health and productivity of equipment can improve safety and daily operations, boost productivity and save money.

Operators, for example, have a huge impact on how the mining equipment is used. Getting the data directly from the equipment, and being able to compare the data for several different units, can help mining companies to better understand the full picture of what happens during the working day and to highlight when the operator may need training or support.

”This information will give the mine a great snapshot about decision-critical information in one interface.

The operational data is also useful when it comes to preventive maintenance. Regular information from the machine alerts mines to the need for maintenance before the machine breaks down and needs to be taken out of service. In addition, the data can be useful in providing an overview of the stock of spare parts for the active fleet in a certain location.

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The My Sandvik customer service portal

A single source for customer users to access, share and manage their Sandvik fleet information such as engine/percussion/transmission hours, last service date, next service date, active status, last rebuild date and warranty status
24/7/365 self-service capability for easy parts and tools ordering
Functionality includes wish list and cart workflow, quotation creation, order track and trace, and viewing/downloading invoices
More transparency and control for customers in their order process with Sandvik and good visibility of machine consumption
Access to updated electronic parts catalogue and user manuals
Access to safety and technical bulletins and promotions
Creation of return requests
Recommendations of parts and kits suitable for the customer’s fleet

Besides improving efficiency in daily operations, capturing and using this data smartly has another huge benefit: safety. “Safety is the number one priority for mining, so instead of people having to gather this information manually, doing it automatically is much safer,” Gidlund says.

It’s easy to hook up to this fleet management service, as the technology has already been built in to new Sandvik equipment and just needs to be activated. It can also be added to existing Sandvik equipment or combined with other Sandvik automation offers such as OptiMine. The technology is suitable for all equipment operating in surface and underground mines.

Protecting this confidential data was a key consideration during the development process. Each mine will have access to its private equipment data, and all the information will be transmitted using high encryption technology and stored securely. Only the mine and Sandvik Mining will be able to access the data.

“Trust and transparency are very important,” Gidlund says. “There are many benefits of sharing this information with Sandvik, as we can use it to help our customers get the most out of their equipment.

“And, on the other hand, we believe that customers who join the new programmes will gain better utilization of their machines and additional benefits such as higher safety due to well-maintained equipment, as well as perhaps even extending equipment’s life cycle.”

For Gidlund, the new interactive portal is just the first step of a new journey.

“The natural evolution of this service will drive us towards even more advanced and trustworthy reports, higher accuracy and smarter tools in the future,” he says.