Quality Criterion of the Loading and Transport System Operation at Open-Pit Mines

Abstract

Loading and transport operations at open-pit mines are performed mainly by heavy loading & transport systems (LTS). One of the main problems of the LTS is a rather low level of its operation quality, mainly due to the imbalanced influence of various factors on the efficiency of the joint operation of shovels and trucks as parts of the LTS. In this article we formulate, derive and analyze a functional criterion for assessing the LTS operation quality at open-pit mines. The rationale, general principles of the functional criterion formation, its general form for mixed (heterogeneous) truck and shovel fleets, which are typical for modern mining LTSs, are presented. For this purpose, modern methods of data collection and processing, mathematical modeling, analysis and synthesis are used. The possibility of assessing the LTS operation quality is very important for identifying the main directions of improving its operational performance and operation quality, for reaching an optimization of the key performance indicators by the quality criterion, and, as a result, for a possible saving of resources during the open-pit mining of minerals.