Altair Case Studies Optimizing Dragline Performance and Productivity at VR Steel with Altair EDEM™

	Optimizing Dragline Performance and Productivity at VR Steel with Altair EDEM™ Altair

Optimizing Dragline Performance and Productivity at VR Steel with Altair EDEM™

Altair

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Virtual & Augmented Reality Software Wearables - Virtual Reality Glasses, Headsets & Controllers
Applicable Industries	Metals Mining
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing Virtual Reality
Services	Testing & Certification
Challenge	VR Steel, a company that designs, builds, and repairs fabricated mining equipment attachments, was faced with the challenge of optimizing dragline bucket performance and productivity for a wide range of media and mining conditions globally. They needed to develop a new, optimized bucket design that balanced efficiency, capacity, durability, and projected O&M costs. The company wanted to streamline the design process and provide their customers with design solutions that were guaranteed to fill easily and empty completely, operate at maximum capacity, boost wear protection, reduce operating costs, and improve overall efficiency. Read More
About Customer	VR Steel (Pty) Ltd is a company that designs, builds, and repairs fabricated mining equipment attachments. Their clients include major players in the mining industry such as Anglo Coal, Arch Coal, BHP Billiton, BMA Coal, Coal India, CRM, and Xstrata. VR Steel has dragline bucket customers in the US, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, and India. The company is committed to providing innovative solutions that enhance productivity and efficiency in the mining sector. Read More
Solution	To address this challenge, VR Steel utilized EDEM, in conjunction with multibody dynamics simulation software, to simulate both the bulk soil dynamics and the dynamics of the bucket and lifting gear. This innovative, integrated particle-machine dynamics solution successfully modeled the transient particle-structure interaction, simulating the complete digging cycle of a dragline bucket. This virtual performance testing predicted the prototype bucket's mode and rate of fill, transient loading of bucket and gear, and wear patterns and rates. The use of EDEM virtual prototypes allowed VR Steel to field-test new design options, create custom designs for specific users, build fewer physical prototypes, shorten the design cycle, and increase customers’ productivity. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Virtual & Augmented Reality Software

Wearables - Virtual Reality Glasses, Headsets & Controllers

Applicable Industries

Metals

Mining

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing

Virtual Reality

Services

Testing & Certification

Challenge

VR Steel, a company that designs, builds, and repairs fabricated mining equipment attachments, was faced with the challenge of optimizing dragline bucket performance and productivity for a wide range of media and mining conditions globally. They needed to develop a new, optimized bucket design that balanced efficiency, capacity, durability, and projected O&M costs. The company wanted to streamline the design process and provide their customers with design solutions that were guaranteed to fill easily and empty completely, operate at maximum capacity, boost wear protection, reduce operating costs, and improve overall efficiency.

About Customer

VR Steel (Pty) Ltd is a company that designs, builds, and repairs fabricated mining equipment attachments. Their clients include major players in the mining industry such as Anglo Coal, Arch Coal, BHP Billiton, BMA Coal, Coal India, CRM, and Xstrata. VR Steel has dragline bucket customers in the US, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, and India. The company is committed to providing innovative solutions that enhance productivity and efficiency in the mining sector.

Solution

To address this challenge, VR Steel utilized EDEM, in conjunction with multibody dynamics simulation software, to simulate both the bulk soil dynamics and the dynamics of the bucket and lifting gear. This innovative, integrated particle-machine dynamics solution successfully modeled the transient particle-structure interaction, simulating the complete digging cycle of a dragline bucket. This virtual performance testing predicted the prototype bucket's mode and rate of fill, transient loading of bucket and gear, and wear patterns and rates. The use of EDEM virtual prototypes allowed VR Steel to field-test new design options, create custom designs for specific users, build fewer physical prototypes, shorten the design cycle, and increase customers’ productivity.

Impact #1	The use of EDEM’s simulation capabilities led to significant engineering improvements in VR Steel's dragline bucket designs. The company benefited from improved bucket design, which resulted in the need for only one physical prototype. This allowed for repetitive virtual testing under the same operating conditions, leading to faster convergence to the best design. The ability to accurately simulate the performance of the prototype bucket designs and wear packages not only enhanced the efficiency of the design process but also boosted the overall productivity of the company.

Impact #1

The use of EDEM’s simulation capabilities led to significant engineering improvements in VR Steel's dragline bucket designs. The company benefited from improved bucket design, which resulted in the need for only one physical prototype. This allowed for repetitive virtual testing under the same operating conditions, leading to faster convergence to the best design. The ability to accurately simulate the performance of the prototype bucket designs and wear packages not only enhanced the efficiency of the design process but also boosted the overall productivity of the company.

Benefit #1	Increase in fill level of the bucket
Benefit #2	Shorter filling cycle for the bucket
Benefit #3	Reduction in bucket mass

Benefit #1

Increase in fill level of the bucket

Benefit #2

Shorter filling cycle for the bucket

Benefit #3

Reduction in bucket mass

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Overview

Optimizing Dragline Performance and Productivity at VR Steel with Altair EDEM™

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit