PC-based Personal Simulator for off-highway mine trucks

When you teach your teenagers to drive, you expect the car to get a few dents (hopefully nothing worse) as they learn. Likewise, teaching adults to operate heavy equipment can be hazardous to both the equipment and the trainees, especially in the initial 20-50% of training. Yet the students cannot learn without seeing, hearing and getting the feel of the equipment.

Training simulators have become available in recent years, which satisfy this need while avoiding the risks to personnel and machines and reducing the number of hours that equipment is removed from production, but the simulators are expensive.

Simlog Inc. of Montreal has found a way to make simulator training more affordable, using a client’s own PC and projector, with either off-the-shelf PC controls or replica controls with elements from real trucks connected through the USB port. The company has developed training systems for off-highway trucks and wheel loaders, and soon will release systems for mine trucks and electric rope shovels.

It takes 12 to 24 months to develop the software for each type of equipment, based on standard training methods plus modeling the vehicle and simulating the work. The graphics are based on real equipment and real mines, with experienced operators giving simulator feedback. The software just measures a student’s performance and compares it with target times and values; the acceptable level of competence is determined by each customer. The training is suitable for beginners as well as a refresher for veterans.

Simlog’s new Off-Highway Truck Personal Simulator is available in English, French and Spanish. The cost of the commercial software licence is US$6,000, plus the cost of simulator controls. Simlog’s partner Vista Training of Wisconsin supplies complementary products for the entire training path including safety videos and other computer-based training aids. For more information or to place an order visit www.simlog.com or www.vista-training.com.