A Conceptual Framework for Automated Maintenance of a Reconfigurable Vibrating Screen Machine

Reconfigurable Vibrating Screen (RVS) machine is a beneficiation machine that could be used to screen varying quantity of mineral particle sizes demanded by the customer. Hence, effective maintenance of this machine when used in the surface mines for mineral particles beneficiation or when used for preconcentration in underground mines is vital to keep the machine functional and available during its product lifecycle. Therefore, automating the maintenance of the of the RVS machine when used in hazardous underground mines would improve maintenance performance time, eliminate maintenance error, and reduce exposure of a machine maintenance operator to hazardous underground work environment. However, capturing the vital information required to perform varieties of maintenance tasks on the RVS machine, and thereafter developing automated maintenance platforms to execute these maintenance tasks is a very difficult exercise. In light of this, this paper proposes a conceptual framework that firstly capture and classify myriads of maintenance tasks to be performed on a RVS machine and thereafter unveil the conceptual design platforms for automating the RVS machine maintenance tasks.