When you move testing from the mine to a controlled environment.
When upgrading 6 mining locomotives in Australia, it was not just a question of implementing the LMC control system.
A fundamental operational issue arose:
How to reduce the technological risk before the system enters real operation and at the same time prepare operators to use it safely and efficiently?
In a mining environment, any unplanned downtime is costly.Every operational intervention means logistics, safety measures and time.
The aim was to gain control of the testing before deployment to the mine and to create conditions for systematic training of operators outside the real operation.
Project challenges
- Train operators as a project priority without depending on locomotive availability
- Verify LMC functionality before installation
- Reduce commissioning time
- Minimise risk during SAT/FAT
- Enable secure software development in parallel with operation
Classical laboratory testing did not provide realistic feedback of the traction system or full conditions for operator training.
Testing directly in the field was a risk.
Solution:
VONSCH Testing Room
We designed and delivered a hardware-in-the-loop testing ecosystem that moves testing and operator training out of the mine and into a controlled environment.
The system consists of two interconnected parts.
DASH BOX – identical operator interface
- driving joystick
- pair of HMI panels
- LMC control unit
- full physical signalling
The operator works in the same environment as in a real TL30, allowing realistic training and verification of reactions without risk to operations.
TEST BOX – traction system emulation
- power converters
- control cards
- relay logic
- two 0,37 kW induction motors with encoder
The system reproduces the real dynamics of traction drives including acceleration, braking and fault conditions without working with 600 V traction voltages.
Technological approach
The Testing Room was not a simulator. It was a physical validated testing tool designed for both technical validation and systematic operator training.
The developed variant of the LMC software allows:
- simulation of safety and hydraulic inputs
- testing of failure scenarios
- advanced diagnostics
- maintaining realistic communication flows
The architecture is modular and ready for next generation systems and future training scenarios.
Business Impact
Testing Room brought:
✔ Reduction of technological risk before commissioning
✔ More predictable commissioning process
✔ Possibility of safe software development outside the mine
✔ High level of operator readiness before entering into real operation
✔ Greater control over the quality of implementation
The project has not only moved forward technologically. It has moved process-wise, including a systematic approach to training operators as part of implementation.
Why this project is a reference
In the mining segment it is standard to supply a control system.
Less standard is to create an entire testing and training environment that allows:
- realistic traction emulation
- safe development
- risk reduction before deployment
- systematic training of operators
- long-term technological control
The Testing Room moved VONSCH from the position of an electronics supplier to that of a technology partner.
ABOUT VONSCH
We are a second-generation, family-owned company with over 30 years of experience in power electronics.
We specialize in:
- control of AC motors
- Traction Drives
- energy systems
- custom solutions in challenging environments
We are searching for a technical truth. With enthusiasm.
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