JSG has become a master of lubrication system art.
The automatic lubrication system keeps mobile and fixed assets running normally, preventing downtime from becoming too expensive. This is the expert of JSG Industrial Systems and is constantly improving every day.
Over time, the lubrication system has made considerable progress and has proven to be a low-key but essential gear to prevent downtime in mining operations.
Friction is a buzzword in lubrication. Two metals rubbing against each other under heavy load is not a good sign that there is no lubrication to keep things rotating.
With more than 50 years of experience in providing products and solutions for the mining and industrial sectors, JSG Industrial Systems has become a master of the art of lubrication systems, ensuring that machinery keeps working properly.
In the end, JSG developed a comprehensive range of automatic lubrication system products-industry-leading products that can improve productivity and machine reliability, while improving worker safety.
Mike Sipman, JSG business development manager, said that automation and monitoring of lubrication are the next development direction of preventive maintenance, which can improve the predictability and planning of mines.
"The reality is that on many automation equipment, in terms of occupational health and safety, many areas of the factory cannot be lubricated during operation," Sipman told the Australian Mining Corporation.
"If you automate the process and calculate how long the machine can run before maintenance shuts down, this will have a huge impact on production, because you might run it for 12 or even 18 weeks without actually stopping the factory.
"So if you reduce the number of maintenance downtimes, you are actually automatically increasing production."
JSG has formed an alliance with global manufacturer SKF to provide automated lubrication systems for assets of all types and sizes, and the deployment of this technology has become an industry standard.
"For certain projects, all mobile fleets are now equipped with automatic lubrication systems-most of which come from OEM factories," Sipman said.
"We have installed a lubrication system on the screen shuttle, belt feeder, and take-up winch, and we have also built a crusher-anything with rotating equipment and bearings can be automatically lubricated.
"SKF produces a wide range of lubrication products to suit any application. They have everything-from single-point lubricators to fully integrated lubrication systems that can lubricate hundreds of lubrication points autonomously."
Many mining operations prefer that their automated lubrication system is controlled by the factory, and JSG's solution can extend the technology to many assets to cater to this demand.
An operator of a JSG customer monitors 16 independent areas through his control system and provides a bird's-eye view of many lubrication points.
As JSG's automated lubrication systems are widely used throughout the mining industry, the company has established a good footprint, making it a leading supplier in this field.
Much of JSG's success is attributed to relationships and collaboration, which makes the business a leading global distributor of SKF lubrication solutions and the preferred supply chain for cooperation with other METS (mining equipment, technology and services) companies.
The company has established a distribution network that enables it to provide support for SKF lubrication products in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore and other regions.
JSG has also established a relationship with Monadelphous, which is one of Australia's leading engineering groups in mining, oil and gas, light industry, railway and power industries.
Monadelphous has partnered with JSG in a major iron ore business in the Pilbara region of Western Australia to purchase its automatic lubrication system as part of a supply and installation contract with a major miner.
"I deal with JSG-they are frank and approachable," said Adam Hosking, a senior engineer at Monadelphous.
"They are not long-term leading projects (for iron ore projects), so we set milestones for what we want first and what we want last, and they matched their delivery schedule to suit us and our on-site installation Handover sequence. They work very well and prioritize what is needed."
Monadelphous has received strong feedback from the mining company to debug the automated lubrication system-the product of its fruitful cooperation with JSG.
Establishing a strong relationship between the mining and METS divisions is critical to the success of JSG, and the company sees increasing demand for its lubrication system solutions.
"Any automatic rotating equipment needs reliable lubrication," Sipman said of its automatic lubrication system. "I mean, many of these locations are remote and you need to be able to rely on a piece of equipment for lubrication."
Mining operations involve every process at every hour of the day, and an unplanned maintenance operation error can prove to be particularly expensive.
"It may be that someone has to drive a long distance or fly to a station to repair a piece of equipment-this is the downfall of automation, you don't have someone ready," Sipman continued.
"Therefore, you need reliable equipment to keep these equipment in top operating condition, and an automated lubrication system can ensure this."
Sipman believes that a large part of the automation movement is the result of mining companies realizing the importance of initiative rather than reactivity, rather than being satisfied with the status quo.
"This is the biggest difference with this level of automation right now-you are optimizing everything. No one accepts the statement,'We always replace that bearing within X hours, because it is like this', and this situation will never happen again. Now," Sipman said.
"Now we are monitoring everything, and we will get the maximum output from the cost of the asset. In the past, companies were used to accepting replacements at regular intervals, and they just had to do this.
"What you find now is that one of the reasons we have this level of automation is that it is no longer easy for experienced technicians to do this kind of work."
As JSG's legacy grows, its automated lubrication system will continue to be an important aspect of mining operations in the future.
In a world where the fault tolerance rate of mining companies is smaller than ever, maintaining normal operations and punctuality is not negotiable.
This article was published in the December issue of Australian Mining.
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