An overview of torque meters and new devices development for condition monitoring of mining machines

Condition monitoring and diagnostics of minerals mining machines is a challenging task for operating companies and their maintenance staff. Conventional approaches based on measurements of vibration, temperature and other parameters are still not widely implemented in the mining industry due to non-stationary loading conditions. Registration of overloading and resonance modes is not sufficient by the electrical motors current in case of heavy mobile vehicles or stationary mounted mining machines having multi-body structure. Telemetric torque measurement tools installed in the drivetrains of mining machines allow accounting the variation of loads and gives valuable information on damages in geared transmissions. This paper represents the different methods of torque measurement and digital telemetry device under development based on strain gauges. The focus is on the functionality required for industrial applicability and issues in course of machines operation and maintenance. The additional features, which the torque meters afford for mining machines diagnostics, are considered.