The greatest strength of Axiom Hydraulics lies in its ability to solve complex problems and adapt systems to meet unique challenges. This capability stems from two key factors: the diverse experience of its team members, which spans decades across multiple disciplines, and their unwavering dedication to their clients. Regardless of the project’s size or scope, Axiom’s engineers are committed to and invested in their clients’ success.
The CAS Level 9 project illustrates these unique attributes. When the CAS Level 9 legislation required autonomous braking systems for light duty vehicles (LDVs) on mines, compliance posed a significant challenge for many in the industry.
“The Level 9 standard is a major leap forward from Level 8, which required systems to deliver an advisory instruction to operators. Electronic systems must now automatically take mechanical control of the vehicle, slow down, and apply the brakes at any time where there is a significant risk of such collisions,” says Gert Roselt, CEO of Probe Integrated Mining Technologies.
With the announcement of this new legislation, Axiom Hydraulics began developing a hydraulic solution that would allow for the required adaptations to its existing braking system, specifically the AUSCO failsafe braking system.
A&R; Engineering designs custom systems ranging from proximity awareness systems to emergency control systems. The company specialises in delivering innovative safety and automation solutions for mining operations. A&R; approached Axiom Hydraulics to develop a solution that would integrate its control unit with the AUSCO failsafe brake to create a fully compliant braking control solution.
The project required taking a system that engaged in a full stop when faced with a sudden hazard and adapting it to allow for controlled autonomous deceleration in response to proximity threats. To achieve this, Axiom Hydraulics designed an advanced custom-built hydraulic unit. This system allowed A&R’s control unit to regulate braking force by modulating hydraulic pressure, thereby ensuring proportionally controlled deceleration without triggering the full-brake mechanism of the AUSCO failsafe system.
Marilette Pieterse, the engineer from A&R; who initially worked with Axiom on this project explained, “The solution is impressive, and it’s much safer now. Our priority is safety on the vehicle, and with the combined efforts of Axiom and A&R, we have achieved that.”
The collaboration between Axiom Hydraulics and A&R; Engineering delivered a robust and reliable solution for LDV’s fitted with AUSCO brakes on mining sites. The final system is fully CAS Level 9 compliant and integrates automatic proportional braking with emergency braking capabilities. This innovative solution overcame technical limitations and hurdles to deliver a system that not only met the stringent requirements of the CAS Level 9 legislation, but also ensured seamless functionality under the most demanding conditions.
Lance Tondolo from Axiom Hydraulics reflects, “It was not a ‘quick-and-easy’ project, and we faced several operational challenges before achieving the desired result. Some of the more complex issues demanded a more creative approach to problem-solving, and I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished together”.
The Axiom team is once again tackling a new challenge. Together with the AUSCO R&D; teams, they are working on developing a failsafe braking system that can be used on Hilux mine vehicles.
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