Coal Age

AUG 2016

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62 www.coalage.com August 2016 operating ideas Maximizing Loader Performance — Three Key Dimensions While the benefits of big data and the Internet of Things will continue to grow and be delivered into the mining industry, it's important to note the significant value from providing real-time, easy to use, actionable information to the people who have the greatest capability to act on it — the machine operators. No one else on the mine site has such a direct and substantial influence on the productive capabilities of the shift. The real-time decisions every operator makes each minute of the day have significant im- plications to the bottom line of the mine site. Furthermore, as autonomous haulage deployments become more commonplace, the variation in performance between ma- chine operators on loading equipment will continue to signifi- cantly affect the success factor for the whole load-and-haul pro- cess in the pit. Primary loading tools, such as draglines, shovels and exca- vators, start the material movement process. The performance of these tools heavily influences the success of the downstream mining processes. Inefficiencies on the front end have dramatic repercussions to the overall value stream. As such, the loading equipment operator at the front end has significant influence on the overall cost of mining. The three key dimensions to loader productivity under the operators' control are payload compliance, mine plan compliance and machine damage management. Providing accurate, real-time information and easy-to-use technology empowers an operator to address all of these dimensions throughout each and every shift. Operator awareness in real-time generates tangible produc- tivity gains. Getting the operator actionable information in a time- ly fashion is the key to driving operator behavior thus improving decision making. Production reports for the last month, the last week, the last shift, or even the last few hours provide dated infor- mation. If it's not known now, it's too late to be fixed later. Payload Compliance Payload compliance involves both the rate and accuracy of the truck loading process. Keeping the operator informed in real time "tightens the bell curve" for truck payload distribution, which leads to an average increase and consistency in truck payload. Significant production and maintenance benefits are achieved by ensuring each and every truck is neither over nor under loaded. Traditional payload measurements on trucks offer minimal accuracy until the truck leaves the loading zone. Getting the infor- mation after the truck leaves provides little, if any, value to load- ing equipment operators as they shift focus to the next truck. Real time payload information allows the operator to adjust the load while it still makes a difference, ensuring improvement in consis- tency. Providing real-time, accurate feedback, the operator can confidently adjust the critical last pass to ensure that each truck leaves with as close as possible to 100% of its nominal payload. The challenges involved in maintaining accurately calibrated truck weighing systems, particularly for large fleets, and the signifi- cant fluctuations in the accuracy of strut-based payload weight mea- surement systems as a truck is being loaded, means a loader-based system is the only way available to achieve the desired objective. The MineWare system is a reliable, accurate, low mainte- nance, loading tool-based payload calculation system that: • Delivers a consistent, real-time 3% bucket payload accuracy; • Requires minimal recalibration (less than once per year); and • Provides significantly more benefits than traditional strut- based truck payload systems. Acquiring and maintaining operator acceptance and involve- ment (creating the "need" to use a system) is the third pillar of successful change management and, as such, a requirement for The simple green fill-bar graphic on the right of the operator screen gives the operator all the information they need to control the haul truck's payload. by andrew jessett Real-time operator feedback for an excavator and dragline. Note how easily an operator and supervisor can quickly assess how well they are digging to plan.

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