MachineLife analyzing the durability of 3 different draglines for consideration of removing one from service while increasing the productivity of the other two.
A Marion 8200, a Bucyrus 1570, and a Marion 8750 and were structurally modelled and analyzed using strain gauge measurments and finite element analysis (FEA) techniques to identify the risks associated with operating each dragline beyond the OEM’s rated suspended load (RSL) capacity.
A risk matrix was developed for the mine’s dragline fleet, showing the percent reduction in expected remaining fatigue life, the reduction in operational Safety Factor, the potential increase in fleet productivity, and the structural upgrades necessary to operate safely with larger buckets.
