China’s first mining truck condition monitoring and fault early warning system for extreme cold regions has been successfully put into operation at Yanbao Energy, accumulating over 10,000 hours of stable operation. This breakthrough achievement fills a technological gap in the intelligent operation and maintenance of mining equipment in extremely cold areas, setting a new benchmark for the digital construction of mining equipment in high-cold regions.
Located in the heart of the Hulun buir grasslands, the Baorixile Open-pit Mine experiences extreme winter temperature as low as -45°C, posing significant challenges to traditional mining truck maintenance models. In the past, maintenance personnel had to brave the bitter cold, making multiple trips between fault sites and the maintenance workshop, resulting in low efficiency and serious safety risks. “Once a vehicle broke down, especially in the cold winter, we had to shuttle back and forth in the environment of dozens of degrees below zero. For electrical faults alone, checking operational data and locating the fault point consumed a great deal of time.” recalled an on-site maintenance worker.
Addressing this pain point, the Company developed the Mining Truck Condition Monitoring and Fault Early Warning System, achieving a fundamental shift from “reactive emergency repair” to “proactive prevention”. The system conducted specialized technical research tailored to the characteristics of extreme cold environments: the onboard data collector features a wide-temperature-range design to ensure stable operation in low temperatures; the communication system optimizes transmission protocols to guarantee data reliability under extreme cold; and sensors use low-temperature-resistant materials with specially treated installation processes, effectively overcoming challenges unique to extreme cold regions, such as frost heave and icing.
For mining trucks working in severe cold, this system acts like an “all-weather, medically knowledgeable intelligent guardian”. It innovatively adopts an “onboard collection + cloud processing + multi-terminal collaboration” architecture, fundamentally transforming the traditional “fix-it-when-it-breaks” work model. The onboard data collection device fully integrates data from the truck’s original electronic control and engine systems, and is compatible with tire monitoring, weighing, fuel monitoring, and other systems. Operational data is transmitted in real-time to cloud servers via a dedicated 5G network. Now, with the system installed, maintenance personnel no longer need to frequently brave the cold outdoors. They can monitor the operational data and status of major mining trucks in real-time via web or handheld mobile terminals, improving both working conditions and efficiency. Notably, the system’s built-in Fault Handling Expert System can intelligently push repair guidance, helping maintenance staff quickly locate and resolve faults. Additionally, the system establishes a full-lifecycle “health profile” for each vehicle, enabling a management upgrade from “relying on experience” to “relying on data”, providing a scientific basis for predictive maintenance and operational optimization in extreme cold environments.
The system was first installed on five MT4400 mining trucks in September 2022. Having withstood the test of two full winters, it officially passed acceptance in December 2024 and has accumulated over 10,000 hours of stable operation in extreme low-temperature conditions. The system maintains a rapid response time of under 5 seconds even in extreme cold, has accurately issued 339 fault warnings, and successfully prevented over ten potential downtime incidents, securing valuable production time.
The successful application of this project marks the first time in China’s open-pit mining industry that complete, system-wide data collection and remote real-time monitoring of mining trucks have been achieved in extreme cold environments. It also pioneered the establishment of fault prediction models and expert diagnostic systems for mining equipment suitable for extreme cold conditions. This not only provides reliable equipment and technical support for mineral resource development in China’s extreme cold regions but also holds significant demonstrative and leading importance for promoting intelligent mine construction and industrial upgrading in these areas.
