Diagnostic maintenance expert system for the hydraulic subsystem of a continuous miner

An expert system is being developed for diagnostic maintenance of the hydraulic system of a continuous coal mining machine. Through the use of such a system, lengthy and costly delays due to equipment failure and repair can be significantly reduced. This type of equipment diagnostic system can be applied to the electrical and mechanical systems as well as other mining machinery. The functional requirements of the expert system, the approach to the problem, the application domain, a description of how the system works, its software design and sensor interface, and future plans for the continued development of this and other expert systems in mining are discussed