Komatsu helps Wabtec reach safety milestone

The Wabtec CAS solution passed all key performance criteria and demonstrated the ability to decelerate a haul truck under a controlled deacceleration strategy, which is a significant safety milestone in the mining industry.

The tests were conducted to demonstrate the ability to integrate and decelerate Komatsu 730E and 860E haul trucks at speeds of up to 30 km/h in a controlled manner.

“This initiative proves the broader communication capabilities of our GPS integration solution, which helps to optimise brake functions and mobility dynamics of a large rigid body haul truck,” Wabtec vice president and Digital Mine general manager Henro Van Wyk said.

“We will now be able to expand our testing for various interaction scenarios and dynamic decelerations that are required to ensure that the intervention solution performs optimally, positioning Wabtec as the global leader in vehicle interaction system solutions.”

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This is the first time a Wabtec mining solution has been validated at level nine of the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table defensive controls model for a major original equipment manufacturer.

The 730E haul truck is Komatsu’s smallest AC-drive truck model and is rated at a nominal 181-tonne payload capacity.

The Komatsu 860E electric drive rigid frame dump truck, features a payload capacity of 254 tonnes and the option of a factory-installed trolley-assist feature to save fuel, reduce emissions and extend engine life.

Wabtec Digital Mine will expand its testing to better cater for various interaction scenarios designed to improve the vehicle intervention solution performance and capability by adjusting detection zones for braking distance, speed, and real-time payload and haul road grade.