Expert systems for failure diagnostic improvement in mining equipment

The components of the mine maintenance cost structure are amenable to substantial reduction if the failure diagnostic is qualitatively and quantitatively improved. It is in this area that mine maintenance personnel could be helped with the implementation of expert systems for equipment troubleshooting. Due to its nature, equipment troubleshooting requires highly specialized personnel in a narrow domain. This is one type of domain that is suitable for the implementation of expert systems. This paper briefly reviews expert systems, and it includes a literature review of expert systems developed for equipment troubleshooting and diagnosis. Domain suitability and the diagnosis problem are discussed and different approaches to troubleshooting are examined.