DECEMBER 202119MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTSscenario comprises coal transported via railcar being dumped onto a conveyor for transport directly to a boat or into the stockyard. Reclaiming product from the stockyard requires the stacker-reclaimer machine to slew along tracks picking up appropriate coal grade for the customer's order. Mixing this up can be financially catastrophic and create adverse impacts on machinery. "Stacker reclaimers are huge $50 million machines that can move more than 10,000 tons per hour of product. With better vision and information systems we are solving multiple issues with these machines for our terminal clients," says Pearce. For example, the bucket wheel scooping product rotates on a wheel bearing, the failure of which resulting in downtime that can amount $20 million+ in expenses and lost revenue. "With these systems we are able to provide spatial awareness preventing adverse impacts to machinery and also predict when the bucket wheel bearing may fail." Typically, the machine operator is guided by cameras to scoop the material from the pile. However, less experienced operators are not always good at smoothly positioning the machine and often collide with piles, creating mechanical stress on the equipment, and contributing to bearing or other mechanical failures.To prevent this, QCA installs sensors on the equipment that create 3D point cloud models of the stockyard. This and other key equipment parameters from the machine controller are sent to ThingWorx for digital twin modelling. As the machine moves, it scans piles and updates models, which can be used for collision avoidance between machines, bulldozers, people, etc. while softening operator movement of the machine not to negatively impact design life. This also optimizes machine movement to reclaim more material. "With this improved vision, control and ThingWorx modeling we can prevent and predict equipment issues giving operations increased throughput and maintenance the advanced warning they need to repair or replace key components prior to catastrophic failure," states Pearce. What differentiates QCA from others on the market is they are an engineering and systems integration company with decades of ports and terminals experience building machinery and supporting operations at multiple sites. Their boots-on-the-ground knowledge and expertise is key to unlocking value from these projects. "Instead of simply relying on software and analysis expertise," Pearce asserts, "We understand both the operations and maintenance environments and equipment producing the data, which allows proper data context to be applied at a low level, which makes our models more accurate and allows us to target use cases the industry benefits most from."QCA Systems is also working extensively with FactoryTalk systems from Rockwell Automation and others on historical data collection, visualization, enhanced operator interfaces, shipload planning optimization and routing systems. "We can track products from the mine pit all the way through to the boat at port to verify the right amount of correct product arrives in the right place," says Pearce.In addition to leveraging advanced analytics using ThingWorx, the firm is building a technology stack and methodology that can be standardized and expanded to use cases across industry. "Our goal is to take the solutions we've developed in Vancouver to customers across the globe, to solve similar problems faced by every port and terminal facility globally," concludes Pearce on a buoyant note. QCA is a Rockwell Automation global solution partner for ports and terminals industry providing turn-key electrical engineering, automation and information systems solutions
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