Over the past decade, machine simulation has emerged as the favoured training tool of the mining industry. Almost all the world’s largest miners have switched on to the technology and the novelty factor that may have once been a deterrent definitely no longer exists.

 

This growing popularity and acceptance can be largely attributed to the global skills shortage and the effectiveness of the current generation of simulators in getting new employees up to speed in a shorter space of time and without risking damage to multi-million dollar pieces of equipment.

 

However, the leading supplier contends – and there is increasing evidence to back them up – that mining companies are coming to appreciate the extra benefits offered by the technology: better site safety, reduced reactive maintenance costs, and perhaps most importantly from a productivity perspective, more uniform and improved operator performance.

 

As the world’s No. 1 manufacturer of simulators for large surface mining equipment such as haul trucks, excavators, dozers, wheel loaders and draglines, Perth-based Immersive Technologies has played a key role in opening the eyes of mining company executives to the value of machine simulation.

 

There is also South Africa-based Fifth Dimension Technologies (5DT), which is growing its share of the simulator market.

 

Immersive has more than 100 simulator units, coupled with more than 300 simulation modules for different machine configurations, in operation across 18 countries, and has supplied groups such as Phelps Dodge, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Newmont Mining, Xstrata and Thiess.

 

The company also has alliance agreements in place with five of the world’s largest original equipment manufacturers, including Caterpillar and Komatsu, giving it exclusive access to proprietary machine information that ensures the authenticity of the finished simulator product.

 

Speaking with Australia’s Mining Monthly recently, Immersive executive marketing manager Rob Gourlie explained that now the mining industry had a solid grasp on the training benefits offered by the simulators, Immersive’s goal was to increase awareness of the overall benefits.

 

“Training has always been a major area of focus for all companies, but simulation has a greater effect as a discipline within an organisation when it is implemented correctly. It goes beyond training and impacts in many, many areas,” Gourlie said.

 

“We’re trying to take it past just the training aspect and really make the training centre a profit centre. We’re able to show companies that the training centre can significantly decrease their outgoings and help them become more profitable.”

 

American copper miner Phelps Dodge, which is soon to be taken over by Freeport McMoran, has certainly been struck by the value of simulator training in reducing reactive maintenance costs.

 

The company installed its first Immersive simulator at the Morenci mine in Arizona in 2004 and claims it will be able to transfer the estimated $US1 million ($A1.3 million) a year in maintenance cost savings at that site to the five other mines where it has subsequently installed simulators.

 

“We have made major improvements, not just in terms of eliminating some of the variance we used to see at our operations, but in reducing unplanned maintenance events and being able to reinforce practices and behaviour that keep people safe and healthy, and keep equipment operating optimally,” said Phelps Dodge Mine Technology Group manager Jim Armbrust.

 

“Now, things change: component prices, haul profiles, the areas being mined, and so on. So it can be hard to make comparisons. But when you break it down into reactive maintenance time and cost, and you look at degrees of improvement as I have done, it tells a good story.”

 

Anglo Coal Australia is another staunch advocate of machine simulation after having recently partnered with Immersive in achieving a world first – creating a dragline simulator that faithfully replicates the real thing.

 

The new simulator, which is said to have been significantly more involved to develop than truck or shovel simulators because of complex elements such as the dragline “jewellery”, had helped Anglo Coal alleviate the problem of an ageing workforce at its Australian mines.

 

“One of the things that drove us down this path is that we know we’ve got a number of people due for retirement over the next few years,” said Anglo Coal project development manager Jim Hill.

 

“We typically have long training lead times with new dragline operators. After aptitude assessment and initial training, the trainee operator is able to work at about 50% of the competency level of an average, experienced operator when they hop in the seat for the first time.

 

“It then takes about six months to get them up to between 75-90% of the average operator.

 

“We believe with the simulator, we can get new operators up to the 75-90% after three months. That’s a significant improvement in itself, but the other big benefit is we don’t have those extra three months of production with the operator at 50%.”

 

The level of realism featured on the dragline simulator has provided further benefits for Anglo Coal, particularly in preparing operators to respond to emergencies.

 

Anglo Coal Calliede mine dragline superintendent Trevor Douglas said: “This technology allows you to simulate an emergency situation, such as a fire or ropes breaking, that you otherwise couldn’t recreate.

 

“Even your best dragline operator might make a fatal mistake and not follow an emergency procedure, which could destroy the machine, so I would say this technology is vital to keeping them up to speed and familiar with what they need to do in that sort of situation.”

 

To allow customers such as Phelps Dodge and Anglo Coal to share their experiences with the simulators, Immersive holds industry user forums every 18 months. The company greatly values the feedback it receives in those sessions and uses it in further product refinement and development.

 

“It’s not only about delivering a product, putting it on a customer’s doorstep and saying there you go,” Gourlie said. “It’s about partnering with our customers. We commit to a long-term partnership and continually assist them in meeting their ultimate training goals, adding value to their business.”

 

He said Immersive had reinvested $5 million into research and development in 2006 to ensure it stayed on top of its game and it was the seventh consecutive year the company had deployed significant capital back into the business.

 

“This reinvestment has allowed the business to grow by 42% during 2006, ensuring we have the ability to service our expanding global user base.”

 

The investment back into the business is also essential in staving off...click here to read on.