TITLE:
Investigation of Excavator Performance Factors in an Open-Pit Mine Using Loading Cycle Time
AUTHORS:
Samwel Victor Manyele
KEYWORDS:
Potentially Acid-Forming (PAF) Rock, Non-Acid Forming (NAF) Rock, Truck Utilization, Truck Fill-Factor, Queuing Time, Loading Cycle Time, Full and Empty Haul, Total Cycle Time, Theoretical Cycle Time, Non-Productive Cycle Time, Cycle Time Performance Ratio
JOURNAL NAME:
Engineering,
Vol.9 No.7,
July
19,
2017
ABSTRACT: This
study presents the effect of excavator model, loading operation location, shift
availability and truck-shovel combination on loading cycle time and productivity of an open-pit mine. The loading cycle
time was used to assess the material loading system performance which is one of
the key components of the total cycle time for material transportation in an
open-pit mine. Loading is among the components of cycle time during which
material is being handled. The data analyzedwascollected from a
computerized dispatch system at GGM from which 62,000 loading dispatches per
month involving several shifts, 14 excavators and 49 trucks were loaded. About
4465 dispatches per excavator and 1276 dispatches per truck were assessed using
loading cycle time data for each dispatch for a period of four months (between
August and December). Under fixed tonnage loaded and waste type (33 t of
non-acid forming waste rock),it was observed that loading cycle time depends on excavator model,
location and truck being loaded. Average cycle times, PDFSand CDFS of
loading cycle time series were used to identify differences in performance under
different situations. It was concluded that shift availability for excavators,
loading location, excavator model and truck-shovel combinations strongly affect
the productivity during loading process in an open-pit mine.