Smart stockyard and port solutions for more efficient, more productive, and safer bulk materials handling.

Mining companies and port operators face the challenges of ensuring the health and safety of personnel, increasing productivity, and reducing operational costs. thyssenkrupp addresses these challenges with smart stockyard and port solutions that are fully automated and digitized – and help customers stay competitive.

Increased system availability

A fully automated and digitized material handling process enhances equipment efficiency and availability, which ultimately increases productivity and lowers operational costs. All bulk materials handling machines and conveyor systems involved in such a process function fully automatically and can be operated from a central control room.

HPGR Pro for more energy-efficient and longer-lasting rolls

Full process transparency

We combine material flow detection with pile scanning instruments to create a digitized 3D stockpile model that is updated in real time and allows multiple machines to work simultaneously on the same stockpile. As each step is documented and visualized, full process transparency is ensured. 3D visualization of the stockpile condition and shape allows pile gaps to be detected and refilled with new material, while anti-collision systems ensure the safe operation of large-scale equipment. By coordinating all stockyard machines the number of unnecessary movements is reduced and efficiency enhanced. Our digital maintenance assistance system (MAS) visualizes, plans and schedules maintenance tasks according to usage time and displays the maintenance areas The outcome of stockyard automation and digitization is quite simply stockyard optimization.

“How to keep track of all your work orders, machine parameters and stockyard materials? Simply select our Smart Stockpile Management System”

How you benefit

Our Stockpile Management System provides you with real-time data on the material handled, enables live data adjustment, and optimally supports operators in improving overall performance. This brings you concrete benefits:

  • Gap between theoretical and real capacity reduced – with no huge investment
  • Inventory data on material stocks
  • Improved operational execution
  • Simplification of inventory accumulation
  • Provision of data for reporting purposes

Your HMI interface

Our Stockpile Management System acts as a human-machine interface that enables your stockpiles to be managed smartly and efficiently via a website or SCADA system

The detailed user interface offers you a wide range of useful features:

  • Overview of actual state of stockpiles with height and machine position data
  • Overview of all generated work orders with options to delete, modify or define new work orders
  • Notification of any errors with an alarm message list detailing all system defaults
  • Visualization of the actual values of the main components of your machines, e.g. power consumption and position
  • Editing of configurations for parameters such as stockyard, stockpiles, materials, and machines
  • Adaptive rate control (only for bucket wheel reclaimer)
  • Sensor-based anti-collision system for machine stockpile
  • Stacking and reclaiming scheduled selection

The system’s core components

  • Base model uses real-time machine metrics that can be further enhanced through integration of sensor data collected from the machine optimization process
  • Utilized capacity shown for stockpiles across the stockyard, enabling the stockyard, stockpiles and individual machines to be seen in a real-time 3D visualization
  • Reclaiming visualization supported, e.g. single bench reclaim, entire stockpile bench reclaim, pilgrim drop, and pilgrim step reclaim
  • Stacking visualization supported, e.g. cone, cone slew, and windrow stacking
  • Available capacity for stockpiles displayed
  • Tracking and tracing of stockpile material position and quality
  • Operator access to reporting tool suite enabling comprehensive understanding of actual and projected stockpile performance

  • Calculation of optimal slew angle for outer edge remnant clean up on bench change
  • Setting of optimal reclaimer start position for fresh bench, partially reclaimed bench, partially completed square-up, and partially completed pilgrim step
  • Calculation of optimal turnaround (slew angle) for existing and next cut
  • Calculation of remaining materials for end-of-bench signaling or doubling
  • Volumetric look-ahead to help set cutting speed
  • Optimized PLC level instructions for machine tasks, status monitoring and reporting via Task Execution Manager
  • Calculation of optimal start position for optimal bucket wheel stacker and bucket wheel reclaimerfor initiation or resumption
  • Creation and editing of tasks
  • Starting, stopping, suspension or cancellation of tasks
  • Monitoring of machine to avoid stockpile collisions

For the input variables pressure, current or power of the bucket wheel this function enables the flow on the nearest conveyor belt to be measured and the operator-defined set point. It also calculates the ideal PID control set point.

Automatic mode

  • Fully automatic operation with receipt of operation schedule and execution of all movement procedures, e.g. position on the stockpile, reclaiming operation, and bench maneuver

Semi-automatic mode

  • Remote operation, even if the 3D sensor is not available. If the encoders are available, the machine can be operated even without GPS availability. In semi-automatic mode the operator calibrates the slewing angles while the traveling movement is set automatically and slewing speed adjusted by the control rate. The stockpile position and bench maneuver have to be executed manually. For this mode an embedded CCTV system is required.

Manual mode

  • Even in manual mode, which is normally used for tests and maintenance, the machine can be operated remotely.

Related Products & Services

Stacker-Reclaimer Automation
Shiploader Automation
Maintenance Assistance System