Evaluation of Reliability and Technical Conditions of Tunneling Machines

This articles describes a way to increase operational reliability of selective heading machines by preventing sudden failures and adjusting the repair cycle based on the results of runtime diagnostics of executive unit drive in terms of technical conditions. Based on the statistical examination of heading machine reliability, the authors have worked out a range of parts and assembly units with limited failure-free lifetime and subject to operational control. There have been developed techniques for expeditious diagnostics of executive unit drive technical condition based on values of engine current with measured data presented in frequency domain, diagnostics being performed without interrupting the technological process of underground development. There have been found identification frequencies in current range corresponding to defects and failures of separate parts of the electro-mechanical drive of the executive unit. There has been developed a microprocessor diagnostic complex that analyses compliance of hardware-obtained amplitude-frequency characteristics with actual technical conditions of the examined heading machine unit.