Modular Dozer Access Platform for Safe Mining Equipment Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mining equipment lacks easy and safe access to on-board components, posing a risk of falls and injuries to operators and maintenance personnel, especially when working with elevated control stations and earth-working implements.
Innovation Solution
A modular access platform with a frame, ground engaging members, and stairs that encircle the equipment, providing safe and efficient access to key maintenance areas without the need for fall protection equipment, allowing technicians to work from a single platform without leaving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ladders and handrails are used for access, then device complexity is reduced, but safety deteriorates due to fall risks
Solution Approach 1:
The access system is divided into modular platform sections that can be independently positioned and assembled around different pieces of equipment. Each module includes its own stairs, platform surface, and safety railings, allowing the system to be configured in segments rather than requiring a single complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform system transitions from vertical ladder-based access to a multi-level horizontal platform structure with stairs providing graded access. This dimensional change creates intermediate working levels that eliminate the need for vertical climbing while providing stable access to equipment at various heights.
2Reliability
If fall protection measures are implemented, then safety improves, but productivity deteriorates due to additional requirements and constraints
Solution Approach 1:
Safety features such as railings, stairs, and non-slip surfaces are built into the platform structure during manufacturing, rather than requiring additional fall protection measures to be implemented during maintenance operations. This preliminary incorporation of safety features eliminates the need for separate fall protection procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform system provides inherent safety through its structural design with integrated railings and stable access points, eliminating the need for operators to use personal fall protection equipment or follow complex safety procedures. The structure serves its own safety function without requiring additional protective systems.
3Ease of operation
If multiple access points are provided around equipment, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The platform modules are designed with universal connection interfaces and standardized dimensions that allow the same basic module type to serve multiple access points around different equipment. This multi-functionality enables a single module design to provide access to various locations without requiring custom-designed structures for each access point.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform system incorporates movable and adjustable components that allow configuration changes based on equipment layout and maintenance requirements. Stairs and platforms can be positioned and repositioned to provide optimal access to different areas, creating a dynamic system that adapts to various operational needs.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed modular dozer platform provides systems and methods for safely accessing a platform for mounting a mobile piece of mining equipment. The disclosed systems and methods comprise a platform with modular frame, a plurality of ground engaging members supporting the frame and one or more sets of stairs providing access to the modular frame. In practice, the mobile piece of mining equipment is positioned in a central location and the modular frame sections are positioned around the mobile piece of mining equipment.