After improving mobile equipment fleet performance at a Zambian mine, the Rithmik team are eager to deploy their integrated AI-driven solutions, Asset Health Analyser (AHA) and Asset Performance Analyser (APA), in other regions of Africa. These innovative solutions enhance equipment efficiency, reduce costs, and drive productivity.
At present, mine operators in Africa are zealously focused on increasing production to meet the demand for critical minerals and, of course—most importantly—boost the bottom line. However, in this quest, they may inadvertently overlook downtime for vital equipment. Unfortunately, in most cases, this occurs when least expected.
Importance of Sound Maintenance
In light of this, Rithmik Solutions is raising awareness about the costly effects of downtime on mobile equipment fleet, emphasising the importance of investing in sound maintenance solutions that can optimise performance. Drawing from its extensive know-how, the globally focused, Montréal-based analytics firm is committed to offering assistance to help mining companies make informed decisions.
AI-Driven Predictive Maintenance Solutions
Rithmik provides two AI-driven predictive maintenance solutions to industries: Asset Health Analyser (AHA) and Asset Performance Analyser (APA). Ross Barichievy, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, informs African mining operators – through an interview with Mining Business Africa – about the value of these innovations in fleet management.
1. Asset Health Analyser (AHA)
AHA offers convenience to fleet managers in managing maintenance matters, particularly in the following areas:
- Scalability
AHA is scalable and can be trained on data specific to a customer’s mine or equipment type, such as fleet management position/status, payload, and maintenance work orders. “We can refine the insights to the site operating context and ensure greater accuracy and actionability,” Barichievy affirms.
- Earlier Identification of Health Issues (Predictive Maintenance)
Most importantly, AHA facilitates informed maintenance decisions. It assists fleet managers in the earlier identification of equipment health issues, allowing a shift from reactive maintenance to a predictive maintenance approach.
While the strategy is nothing new, Barichievy points out that, distinctively, Rithmik’s analytics enable fleet managers to unlock predictive maintenance capability faster and with less overhead. “With AHA, the right maintenance happens at the right time, which increases equipment availability, lowers maintenance costs, ensures equipment operates within the set parameters, and minimises fuel consumption for every tonne of material hauled.”
iii. Equipment and Software Agnostic
A common challenge that fleet managers face is equipment and software non-interoperability. However, Barichievy says they can rest assured that both AHA and APA are designed to be equipment and software agnostic. “Rithmik’s products leverage existing equipment data sources and data collection systems already in place at customers’ mining operations. This interoperability makes Rithmik a great solution for mixed fleets and also provides the ability to scale across customers’ operations as an enterprise solution covering multiple fleets.”
2. Asset Performance Analyser (APA)
Designed to complement AHA, APA generates anomalies focused on the operational performance of mining assets. These performance insights span Asset Health, Equipment Operator, or Environmental Operating Condition and assist fleet managers in understanding where action needs to be taken to maximise fleet productivity.
APA enhances operator performance and equipment health to increase efficiency and productivity. Barichievy demonstrates how this is achieved: “APA models ideal equipment operating performance based on the unique context of the mine site. The output is used as a comparison mechanism across the entire fleet, enabling fleet managers to quickly identify areas within the mine or pieces of equipment performing below target. Further specificity allows the isolation of operators from equipment health causes of low productivity.”
Reliable Means for Increased Equipment Availability
As mining companies ramp up production, they need reliable means to increase equipment availability. Cognisant of this urgency, the team at Rithmik are on hand to address enquiries and customise AI-driven predictive maintenance solutions relevant to the unique needs of customers.
