Technology Section
Introduction
The Technology Section is also located in Almadén, and its main objective is to integrate the studies currently carried out in the fields of machinery design, special vehicles, and predictive maintenance, among others.
This section is composed of researchers from the Applied Technologies for Design Group, which has laboratories dedicated to materials, manufacturing, and mechanical engineering.
In any mining facility, a significant number of machines and special equipment coexist, often operating under extreme conditions, which results in a considerable reduction in their service life. Additionally, in various processes such as aggregate production and classification, interactions occur between machines, installations, and particle flows, governed by behavior laws that do not correspond entirely to either solid or liquid models.
The complex special vehicles used in both mining operations and civil engineering require continuous efforts in design optimization to improve reliability and availability. This involves enhancing material properties and refining forming processes, supported by appropriate simulation tools.
Location
This Section is located in the laboratories of the Department of Applied Mechanics and Project Engineering at the Escuela Universitaria Politécnica de Almadén.
Objectives
The specific objectives of this Section focus on:
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Optimization of machinery and special installations design:
Particular attention is paid to phenomena such as friction, fatigue, and vibrations, as a consequence of the specific working conditions of the mining sector. Another priority research line is the study of particle flow applied to the design of specific equipment where continuous solid–particle flow interaction occurs. This is the case, for example, in classification plants. To achieve this objective, the Section uses specific design and simulation tools based on both finite element and discrete element methods.
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Design of mining and civil engineering vehicles:
Design of mechanical components, safety and guidance systems. Studies of longitudinal and transverse dynamics. Stability and turning radii. Design conditions for haul roads.
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Improvement of predictive maintenance processes:
Particular emphasis is placed on techniques such as vibration monitoring and analysis, as well as thermographic measurements, due to their high potential for application. The development of these techniques, applied to specific equipment, makes it possible to reduce failure rates, increasing reliability and availability, which leads to significant improvements in operational performance.
Team
This Section is composed of a multidisciplinary team that has been working over recent years in all the areas described. It includes researchers from the Departments of Applied Mechanics and Project Engineering, Civil and Building Engineering, Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering, and Applied Mathematics at UCLM. The team established for this Section is detailed below:
Responsible:
Researchers:
Research Lines
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Mining machinery design. Friction, vibration, and fatigue.
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Study of solid–particle flow interaction. Design of machine components in contact with particle flows (buckets, silos, ball mills, etc.).
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Design of mineral and rock processing plants.
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Design of special vehicles.
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Prototyping techniques.
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Optimization of predictive maintenance techniques for equipment, machines, and installations (vibration, ultrasound, thermography, oil analysis).
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Materials technology. Forming processes in composite materials.
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Analysis of vibrating systems. Propagation of vibrations in the ground.
Equipment:
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Finite element software (Ansys, Nastran-Patran, Abaqus).
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Discrete element software (EDEM, Ensight).
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Vibration analysis and thermography equipment.
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CNC machines and forming equipment.
Technological Offer
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Vibration control.
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Design of preventive-predictive maintenance plans. Execution of predictive measurements. Equipment monitoring.
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Design and transformation projects for special vehicles in mining and civil engineering.
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Optimization of machinery design.
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Studies for improving the design of equipment and installations in contact with particle flows (aggregates sector).