Camera Positioning System for Wear Lining Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for exchanging wear lining elements in rotating drum mills are inefficient and hazardous due to the difficulty in accurately positioning the attachment means of the wear lining elements within the mounting holes, requiring personnel to work in close proximity to heavy and suspended lining sections, leading to safety risks and prolonged production interruptions.
Innovation Solution
A control and positioning system utilizing a two-dimensional sensor and image processing unit to provide real-time positional feedback, allowing the crane operator to guide the wear lining element into precise alignment with the mounting holes from a safe distance, potentially enabling remote operation through two-way communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If personnel work in close proximity to heavy suspended lining sections to guide positioning, then positioning accuracy is improved, but safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
A camera system acts as an intermediary between the crane operator and the wear lining element positioning process. The camera captures images of the mounting holes and attachment means, transmitting visual information to the operator without requiring personnel to be in close proximity to the heavy suspended elements, thus maintaining positioning accuracy while eliminating safety risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of direct visual observation by personnel working close to the equipment with an optical-electronic system (camera and image transmission). This substitution allows the operator to view the positioning area remotely through a monitor, eliminating the need for personnel to physically position themselves in dangerous zones while maintaining accurate visual guidance for positioning.
2Productivity
If manual positioning methods are used, then equipment complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system provides real-time visual feedback to the crane operator, displaying the position of the attachment means relative to the mounting holes on a monitor. This feedback mechanism enables the operator to make precise adjustments to the positioning of wear lining elements, significantly improving exchange efficiency despite the added complexity of the camera and image transmission system.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a control and positioning system for the indication of the mounting position of an exchangeable wear lining element (10) at a surface at a wall (2) that is subject to wear, which may be constituted by, for example, the inner surface of a rotating drum (1) at an ore grinder, and where the wear lining element is supported at the free end of a manoeuvrable arm that is a component of a lifting arrangement (14) that is controlled during the handling of the wear lining element during a mounting operation by a crane operator (5), whereby the wall is provided with a set of mounting holes (21) and the wear lining element is equipped on its lower surface with a set of attachment means (17), whereby the wear lining element is intended to be tightened against the surface by means of supplementary attachment means (17') that are introduced through the mounting holes. The system comprises, for efficient and safe mounting: a first reference system (Rv) formed by the mounting holes (21) of the wall (2), a second reference system (Rs) formed by the attachment means (17) located on the lower surface of the wear lining element (10), a two-dimensional sensor (31, 31') that is arranged to be stationary at the outer surface of the wall (2), i.e. on the opposite side of the wall of the mounting surface to that which is exposed to wear, in such a manner that the field of view of the sensor contains the lower surface of the wear lining element (10) viewed through the mounting holes (21), whereby the sensor is arranged to transmit an electrical signal that represents an image of the relative position between the two reference systems (Rv, Rs), and with the guidance of which image the mounting position of the wear lining element (10) at the wall can be determined by the crane operator (5).