Caterpillar announces two new optional technology solutions, Integrated Technology Package and Operator Assist Technology Package, for the Cat® 7495 and 7495 HF electric rope shovels. The new packages eliminate the need for unique technology customization, offer faster technology installation, and provide seamless integration of future technologies into machine operation. They offer better health and productivity data tracking that helps reduce the number of unplanned machine outages, creating a more predictable maintenance schedule and extending component life.
The Integrated Technology Package fully integrates Cat electronics into the machine design and provides the foundation to support future technology expansion. The new package features six standard technologies, ranging from health monitoring to cycle segmentation, to support increased uptime reliability, increased operator efficiency and enhanced cybersecurity. This upgrade also provides seamless integration of the full suite of Cat® MineStar™ Solutions operating technologies that help track, monitor and manage the shovel.
Building on the Integrated Technology Package, the Operator Assistance Technology Package provides machine control and self-protection enhancements that simplify operation of the 7495 and 7495 HF. Without sacrificing productivity, this upgrade minimizes machine self-collision and protects against damaging operator practices. It enables less experienced operators to load trucks efficiently while reducing the effort required to avoid poor digging practices that can affect machine availability and overall productivity.
Machine self-protection
The new update to the operator assistance technology package simplifies the way the loader is operated through machine self-protection. Automatically detects and avoids collisions between bucket, track, boom bumper and cable management systems.
The technology’s LiDAR vision system scans the front of the blade and algorithms integrate with operator commands to provide the least intrusive avoidance path. If a collision is unavoidable, the system will stop machine motion to prevent or mitigate the collision. Reduce unplanned downtime, extend component life and improve total cost of ownership.
The package introduces the second generation of enhanced motion control, encompassing all the improvements of the first generation. It also offers a new feature to protect the rotating undercarriage by alerting the operator when the turning angle exceeds 20 degrees so corrective action can be taken.
Other features within the new operator assistance technology package include:
- Anti-bank sway – prevents damaging side load forces on the bucket when the operator attempts to swing the bucket across the bank.
- Hoist Stall Prevention – Monitors forces and optimizes forward/retract commands to prevent bucket stalling and prevent damaging forces on the hoist gearbox.
- Hoist Cable Slack Prevention – Automatically adjusts load and lift references to maintain cable tension when slack is detected.
- Boom Jack Minimization – Automatically adjusts the hoist and load to maintain proper cable tension and improves cycle times.
- Push Rope Impact Prevention – Measures the force on the push rope and automatically adjusts the motor output to avoid shock loads.
- Rope Crowd Overspeed Prevention: Eliminates unnecessary crowd brake wear by providing more stopping power to prevent overspeed situations.
future ready
By providing the foundation for supporting technology expansion and integration, the Integrated Technology Package helps deliver more robust and reliable reporting. New cycle segmentation establishes operational key performance indicators (KPIs) and identifies dwell time when idle. Splits cycle time data into dig, roll to truck, dump, and roll to bench segments. This allows miners to track machine performance across different shifts and operators.
With this introduction, legacy reporting technologies change to new Machine Health, Vibration Monitoring, Payload Management and Bearing Temperature Monitoring technologies.
- Machine Health offers enhanced reporting capabilities and provides real-time remote monitoring of machines.
- Using sensors to capture data from the crowd, hoist, rotating motors and gearboxes, Vibration Monitoring examines vibration signals for changes, enabling proactive maintenance to reduce unplanned downtime.
- Payload management provides real-time information on the material moved to prevent over- or under-loading the truck.
- Bearing temperature monitor tracks lift, swing and thrust bearing temperatures and alerts the operator if figures exceed set thresholds.
The optional Integrated Technology Package will be available at the standard and premium subscription levels. Standard subscriptions include all bundled technologies and push notifications for software updates. Premium subscriptions include all standard features plus vibration data analysis, monthly reporting by a Caterpillar engineer, and in-person consultation to review report findings and conclusions.
New purchases of Cat 7495 and 7495 HF shovels can be optionally equipped with the Integrated Technology Package and Operator Assist Technology Package beginning in 2023. Availability of these technology packages as field overhaul kits is scheduled for mid-2020. of 2023.