Interpreting and Predicting Drive Maintenance
In African mining, where high costs, harsh environments and tight margins are prevalent, maintenance can make or break profitability. SEW-Eurodrive’s DriveRadar is at the heart of a shift from reactive repairs to intelligent predictive maintenance.
As the sector continues to embrace artificial intelligence (AI), Jonathan McKey, Sales and Marketing Manager at SEW-Eurodrive, explains that DriveRadar already incorporates elements of AI to help mines make better decisions faster.
Continuous monitoring
DriveRadar continuously monitors a broad set of parameters around each drive and, crucially, it doesn’t stop at raw data. “The diagnostic unit can monitor various external conditions, harmonics, vibrations, temperatures etc. Based on this information it can take the logic and give feedback back to the client as to the state of their drive.
“It also gives a projected outcome if preventative measures are not put in place. In other words, DriveRadar is not just measuring; it is interpreting and predicting,” Jonathan explains.
The practical value of this AI-style approach is in predictive maintenance. Instead of rigid service schedules or last-minute fixes, DriveRadar helps mines act at precisely the right time. “It monitors these changes and these variations, and the impact that would have on the oil and the viscosity and reliability.
Costly rush orders
“And it actually intervenes and tells a customer how much longer they can operate a drive safely before it results in premature wear or damage. For mining operations where every hour of lost production translates into significant revenue, that foresight is invaluable,” Jonathan adds.
By identifying problems early and accurately estimating safe remaining life, DriveRadar helps mines avoid emergency breakdowns, reduce costly rush orders and plan maintenance around production, not the other way around.
A frontrunner in AI
It has already been proven that AI can have a positive impact on mining. While the technology is still novel in the sector, Jonathan states that DriveRadar already represents a practical, embedded form of AI.
“Consider the fact that the diagnostic unit can monitor all these various external conditions and then take the logic and actually create a safe running philosophy. This version of artificial intelligence already basically exists to a degree within the technology.”
For African mines, it points to a future where smart drives and AI-style diagnostics work hand in hand with skilled technicians, delivering higher reliability, lower maintenance costs and a much clearer picture of what is happening inside every critical gearbox and motor long before anything fails.
