Based in Nîmes, France, Logimine specializes in mining fleet management systems and also manufactures its own weighing system for wheel loaders plus an external payload display for haul trucks. The company has also integrated Caterpillar and Komatsu payloads for more than 12 years.
Logimine’s L21-W, distributed as the Ez-Scale in North America, is a weighing system designed for all types of loaders. It consists of sensors and an onboard intelligent terminal with integrated software. The TFT touch-sensitive color terminal displays the required load data and guides the loader operator during loading and unloading activities. The sensors, carefully positioned on the loader and coupled with sophisticated algorithms, guarantee a weighing accuracy to within ± 1%, according to the company. Two other characteristics of the L21-W are that it allows weighing on the go, without interrupting the loading process; and that weighing does not diminish the machine’s dynamic— the necessary measurements are carried out without stopping boom movement.
The system offers several weighing modes:
• Count-down mode automatically measures the remaining amount to load. The operator enters a target load on the display and begins loading the truck. Toward the end of the loading process, the operator can use a specific “last trim bucket” feature to adjust the amount of material in the last bucket until the exact target load is reached.
• Count-up mode is particularly suited to stockpiling. This mode automatically totalizes individual bucket loads and displays the running total on the screen.
• Stand-by mode allows the operator to temporarily stop the loading activity as and when required.
All the loading cycle data is saved in the onboard terminal: date and time, target load, actual load, number of buckets, vehicle ID, etc. The data can be printed on tickets if the L21- W is connected to a printer. Alternatively, the terminal has a USB port to enable data export in standard CSV format via a USB key. The generated files can then be retrieved and data can be used into spreadsheets such as Excel or OpenOffice. Some mines choose to use the L21-W in conjunction with other Logimine products—the PCC4 fleet management software and L21-R radio/GPS systems. The complete solution enables real-time vehicle tracking and quality control, from anywhere.
Managers and supervisors can share all the data collected from the intelligent on-board terminals via an internet navigator. The system is available in several languages and conforms to safety norms IP66, CE and EU RoHS. In North America, it is distributed by Trouble-Shooting Services Ltd. (www.ezscale.com). Ez-Read, another product offered by Logimine to help optimize loads, is an external payload display for Caterpillar and Komatsu trucks.
Ez-Read incorporates a large LED display unit mounted onto a truck’s exterior. It allows operators to precisely control loading activities to prevent overloading or short loading of dump trucks. The display is readable in all lighting conditions from 50 m. It indicates the current payload weight to both loader operators and site supervisors. From his cab, the loader operator is able to load the optimal weight onto the dump truck. At the same time, the supervisor can monitor the loading cycle from his vehicle to ensure loading is productive and safe. According to the company, Ez-Read users gain 5%–7% in loading efficiency while reducing dump truck component damage and life cycle maintenance costs.
