How Rithmik Would Have Prevented a $650,000 Engine Failure 21 Days Before It Happened
At a Peruvian copper mine, the OEM onboard alarm on a CAT 793F haul truck fired 7 minutes before failure. Here's what Rithmik's analytics platform saw that the onboard system missed.
$650,000
21 Days | 7 Minutes
Rithmik is a prescriptive analytics platform for surface mining operations.
Diagnosis, not just detection. Purpose-built AI for mobile mining equipment that tells the right team what to fix and why, bridging the gap between operations and maintenance — reducing maintenance costs, improving availability, cutting unplanned downtime, and optimizing fuel efficiency.
It was the latest in a series of systemic engine failures on this fleet. After the failure, the operator engaged Rithmik to examine whether it was predictable, when, and how.
02 — Anomaly Detected
Given only the truck’s historical sensor data, Rithmik’s analytics platform flagged an anomaly on December 7, 21 days before the failure.
A sudden step increase in engine oil restriction, subtle enough to go unnoticed by the onboard systems, was the first visible symptom of progressive damage.
On December 23, a scheduled maintenance cycle addressed the visible symptom but left the underlying damage intact. Five days later, the truck failed under maximum load. The OEM onboard alarm activated seven minutes before the failure.
Rithmik Proprietary Analytics Model, Engine Oil Differential Pressure
03 — Signal Analysis
04 — Failure Mode Diagnosis
A Maintenance-Induced Failure With 80% Confidence
Failure Mode: Oil contamination from maintenance event causing progressive component wear.
— Superintendent of Reliability Canadian Mining Operation
Had Rithmik’s platform been running at this site, the failure would not have happened. The anomaly flagged on December 7 was actionable for 21 days. Instead, 14 days of continued operation passed before any maintenance action, and when it came on December 23, it addressed the symptom but not the damage. By then, the damage was irreversible.
05 — Outcome
On December 28, under maximum load, the compromised components failed. Oil pressure dropped, filter differential increased, oil temperature spiked, and the engine derated.
Every sensor. Every alarm. Every anomaly detected, diagnosed, continuously.