A bio-inspired approach for the design of a multifunctional robotic end-effector customized for automated maintenance of a reconfigurable vibrating screen

The development of a robotic-driven maintenance solution capable of automatically maintaining reconfigurable vibrating screen (RVS) machine when utilized in dangerous and hazardous underground mining environment has called for the design of a multifunctional robotic end-effector capable of carrying out all the maintenance tasks on the RVS machine. In view of this, the paper presents a bio-inspired approach which unfolds the design of a novel multifunctional robotic end-effector embedded with mechanical and control mechanisms capable of automatically maintaining the RVS machine. To achieve this, therblig and morphological methodologies (which classifies the motions as well as the actions required by the robotic end-effector in carrying out RVS machine maintenance tasks), obtained from a detailed analogy of how human being (i.e. a machine maintenance manager) will carry out different maintenance tasks on the RVS machine, were used to obtain the maintenance objective functions or goals of the multifunctional robotic end-effector as well as the maintenance activity constraints of the RVS machine that must be adhered to by the multifunctional robotic end-effector during the machine maintenance. The results of the therblig and morphological analyses of five (5) different maintenance tasks capture and classify one hundred and thirty-four (134) repetitive motions and fifty-four (54) functions required in automating the maintenance tasks of the RVS machine. Based on these findings, a worm-gear mechanism embedded with fingers extruded with a hexagonal shaped heads capable of carrying out the "gripping and ungrasping" and "loosening and bolting" functions of the robotic end-effector and an electric cylinder actuator module capable of carrying out "unpinning and hammering" functions of the robotic end-effector were integrated together to produce the customized multifunctional robotic end-effector capable of automatically maintaining the RVS machine. The axial forces ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]), normal forces ([Formula: see text]) and total load [Formula: see text] acting on the teeth of the worm-gear module of the multifunctional robotic end-effector during the gripping of worn-out or new RVS machine subsystems, which are 978.547, 1245.06 and 1016.406 N, respectively, were satisfactory. The nominal bending and torsional stresses acting on the shoulder of the socket module of the multifunctional robotic end-effector during the loosing and tightening of bolts, which are 1450.72 and 179.523 MPa, respectively, were satisfactory. The hammering and unpinning forces utilized by the electric cylinder actuator module of the multifunctional robotic end-effector during the unpinning and hammering of screen panel pins out of and into the screen panels were satisfactory

A maintenance system model for optimal reconfigurable vibrating screen management

Abstract The reconfigurable vibrating screen (RVS) machine is an innovative beneficiation machine designed for screening different mineral particles of varying sizes and volumes required by the customers’ through the geometric transformation of its screen structure. The successful RVS machine upkeep requires its continuous, availability, reliability and maintainability. The RVS machine downtime, which could erupt from its breakdown and repair, must also be reduced to the barest minimum. This means, there is a need to design and develop a maintenance system model that could be used to effectively maintain the RVS machine when utilized in surface and underground mines. In view of this, this paper aims to develop a maintenance system model that could be used to effectively maintain the RVS machine when used in surface and underground mines. The maintenance system model unfolds the predictive (i.e. diagnosis and prognosis) algorithms, the e-maintenance strategic tools as well as the dynamic maintenance strategic algorithms required to effectively maintain the RVS machine. Four different case studies were presented in this paper to illustrate the applicability of this maintenance system model in maintaining and managing the RVS machine when utilized in the mining industries