Eliminating $4,000 Board Failures on Mining Drill Consoles

The Headache

Fleet owners of heavy mining drills were facing a recurring operational nightmare: a specific control console component was vulnerable to accidental impact during operation. These impacts would physically shear internal cable mounting from the control board beyond repair rendering the drill inoperable.

With no engineering fix available from the OEM, sites were forced into a costly cycle: $4,000 per board replacement plus a minimum of one week of machine downtime. The financial leak wasn't just the hardware; it was the lost productivity of a grounded drill.

The Process

Initially, the client requested a sheet metal shroud based on their internal concepts. While we drafted the initial design, it became clear that the solution was overly complex—requiring multiple fabricated parts, fasteners, and a difficult installation process in a cramped cabin environment.

We pivoted to an alternative approach:

Design: Developed a Two piece, high-impact 3D-printed shroud in Fusion 360.

Iteration: Refined the ergonomics to ensure it protected the electronics without impeding operator control, provided a simple 2 bolt fixing to the console arm and a single bolt with imbedded hardware to lock the device in position.

The Result

The final 3D-printed solution reduced the part count from a multi-piece assembly to a single, rugged component. It provides a cleaner finish, snaps into place with minimal hardware, and—most importantly—has completely mitigated the risk of board damage, saving the client thousands in hardware costs and downtime.