Measuring Production Systems

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Measuring Production Systems

• Unit operations of mining
• drill gt blast gt load gt
  haul
• mechanically mine gt load gt haul
• Unit operations measured by industrial
  engineering
• Overall production results unit operations
  delays to the production process
• delays measured by management information system
  with first-line supervisor report basis of
  measurement

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Example of Multidiscipline Process Improvement in
Control
Team forms and initiates work. Team composed of
drill operators or roof bolter operators,
geologist, mining engineer, first-line
supervisor, BPI champion.

• Team drafts system enabling drill operators to
  produce efficient and regular geologic
  observation reports, and the correct geological
  mining engineering response with respect to
• Drill hole spacing
• Primary support plan
• Powder factor
• Integration into budget

Team reviews performance of alpha, beta and
further trials, modifies system to improve it.
Results improved productivity, safety, reduced
costs, shifts unknown into known, or regard to
process improvementgeologic variability defined
The communication system is tested
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TWO ROUTES TO PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

• Continuous Improvement -DMAIC
• Define
• Measure
• Analyze
• Improve
• Control

• Design/Redesign DMADV / DFSS
• Define
• Measure
• Analyze
• Design
• Verify

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To DMAIC or DMADV it

• Risk, competition, macro economics may drive
  decision
• Example, a reoccurring geologic hazard may be
  DMAICd and crossing it with the longwall can be
  made more efficient and less time
• Oravoidance by DMADV the mine plan may produce
  the better overall economics
• The unit operations of mining can be extended to
  broader range in this context
• Crossing the hazard becomes routine and part of
  the cycle and subject to DMAICing.

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Mining Productions Systems

• Tunnel Boring Machine, continuous haulage
• Conventional mining
• Continuous miner
• Longwall
• Truck Shovel
• Dragline
• Dozer
• Blast Cast

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Production in a Shift

• Repetitions of unit operations delays or
  special cause variation
• Stakeholders are entitled to unmodified
• Raw tons mined
• Clean tons processed
• Bank cubic yards mined
• Prime bank cubic yards mined (no re-handle)
• Tons hauled

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Process Control Chart
Differentiate common from special causes, or
differentiate systemic repeat variance from less
frequent variance
Mean 1,004 tons/shift /- 335 over 130 shifts Is
it in control?
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Example Overall Result of a System

• Production process delays
• Mean 1,004 tons/shift /- 335 over 130 shifts
• Production result an integration of unit
  operations and delays

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Example Unit Operations

• Continuous miner section unit operations onlythe
  production process
• Mean 3.6 tons/min /- 0.8
• Shuttle car haul distance, switchout delays,
  place change time all influence result

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Multidiscipline Process Measurement and Control

• Process team optimizes communication feedback and
  creates continuous improvement on geologic
  anomaly forecasting and planning
• Surface mine
• BFR in PRB as impacting productivity and
  prediction accuracy of financial results
• Underground mine
• Strata variability as impacting safety,
  productivity, and prediction accuracy of
  financial results
• Advantage as method builds defines what is out of
  control

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Example of Delays to Production the Process

• Delays to production
• Mean 41.7 minutes/delay /- 74.9 over 980 delays

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Continuous Miner Delays to Production the Process

• Continuous miner delays to production
• Mean 50.7 minutes/delay /- 54.6 over 189 delays

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Dragline Production System

• Unit operations
• Drill blast
• Set, swing
• Positioning for key cut, chop, dig
• Key minimize overall swing angle, rehandle, sets
  in a dig maximize prime yard production
• Distribution nearly rectangular for swings per
  shift

75 Seconds /- 3
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Pareto Diagram
Chart usually pinpoints the 80 20 rule.
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Operations Improvement

• Phase shift (upward) of a production process by
  improving systemic sub-functions
• Perform main effects analysis (variables that
  affect the outcome only)
• Faster cars, more tons per car, more cars
• Faster cutting rateoptimize lacing through
  specific energy analysis
• Find variables within the process that affect
  other variables and the outcome - interaction
• Day or night versus truck speed affecting
  tons/shift
• Operating schedule versus worker fatigue
  affecting tons per shift

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Example Interaction Analysis
Prime BCYs per Shift
Truck A
Truck B
night
day
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To Reduce Delays

• Diagnostic proactive maintenance manifesting in
  component changeout prior to failure
• Filtration analysis, motor meggering, oil
  analysis, vibration analysis
• Response time (w or w/o parts)
• Reduce trouble shooting time
• The 12 second pit stop, the 52 hour longwall move

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Important to Leverage Simulation Tools

• Mine it on paper. To discover relationships.

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SIMULATION TOOLS