Vehicle transport is a dominant type of technological processes in rock mines, and its profit ability is strictly dependent on overall cost of its exploitation, especially on diesel oil consumption. Thus, a rational design of transportation system based on haul trucks should result from thorough analysis of technical and economic issues, including both cost of purchase and its further exploit ation, having a crucial impact on the cost of minerals extraction. Moreover, off-highway trucks should be selected with respect to all specific exploita tion conditions and even the user's preferences and experience.In this paper a development of universal family of evaluation criteria as well as application of evaluation method for haul truck selection process for a specific exploitation conditions in surface mining have been carried out. The methodology presented in the paper is based on the priciples of multiple criteria decision aiding (MCDA) using one of the ranking method, i.e. ELECTRE III. The applied methodology has been allowed for ranking of alternative solution (variants), on the considered set of haul trucks. The result of the research is a universal methodology, and it conse quently may be applied in other surface mines with similar expoitation parametres.Keywords: selection of mining machines, haul trucks, surface mining, multiple criteria decision aiding, ELECTRE III method Transport samochodowy jest dominującym rodzajem transportu w procesach technologicznych w kopalniach surowców skalnych; jego opłacalność jest ściśle powiązana z kosztami ekploatacji parku maszynowego, w tym ze zużyciem oleju napędowego. Racjonalny dobór systemu transportowego z wykorzysta niem wozideł, powinien wynikać z dokładnej analizy aspektów techniczno-ekonomicz nych, inwestycyjnych oraz eksploatacyjnych. Ponadto, wozidła powinny być dobierane z uwzględnieniem wszystkich istotnych parametrów w określonych warunkach eksploatacyjnych, a nawet preferencji użytkownika.W niniejszej pracy opracowano uniwersalny zbiór kryteriów oceny oraz zastosowa no metodę oceny w zakresie doboru wozideł technologicznych dla odkrywkowych kopalń surowców skalnych. Przedstawiona w pracy metodyka wyboru wykorzystuje nurt wielokry terial nego wspomagania decyzji (WWD), a w szczególności jedną z jego metod -ELECTRE III. Zastosowane narzędzie pozwoliło na uszere gowanie IntroductionRoad transport carried out by off-highway trucks is a dominant one, and sometimes it is the only one possible mode of transportation in surface mines of rock materials. This approach is justified primarily by the mineral deposits sourcing technology, based largely on the mining with explosives. In addition, this mode of transport also determines less frequently used system of rock materials' exploitation, based on direct mining by hydraulic mining shovel, or as a result the loading process of output carried out by backhoe loaders or by excavators directly to the off-highway dump trucks.The transport of the output carried out by off-highway trucks to points of destination and its unl...

Selection and assessment of mining equipment used in open pit rock mines relies chiefly on estimates of overall exploitation cost. The rational arrangement of mining equipment and systems comprising loading machines, haul trucks and crushing plants should be preceded by a thorough analysis of technical and economic aspects, such as investment outlays and the costs of further exploitation, which largely determine the costs of mining operations and the deposit value. Additionally, the operational parameters of the mining equipment ought to be considered. In this study, a universal set of evaluation criteria has been developed, and an evaluation method has been applied for the selection of surface mining equipment and the processing system to be operated in specific mining conditions, defined by the user. The objective of this study is to develop and apply the new methodology of multi-criteria selection of open pit rock mining equipment based on multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) procedures, to enable the optimization of loading, handling and crushing processes. The methodology, underpinned by the principles of MCDM, provides the dedicated ranking procedures, including the ELECTRE III. The applied methodology allows the alternative options (variants) to be ranked accordingly. Ultimately, a more universal methodology is developed, applicable in other surface mines where geological and mining conditions are similar. It may prove particularly useful in selection and performance assessment of mining equipment and process line configurations in mining of low-quality rock deposits. Therefore, we undertook to develop universal criteria and applications for the selection and performance assessment of process machines for surface mines, taking into account environmental aspects as well as deposit quality.

The article presents an analysis of the influence of selected operating environment parameters on the operation of a technological system in a mine and examines the profitability of exploiting a deposit of low quality. A model based on a cyclical transportation system in a surface limestone mine, developed in the Haulsim software, served to evaluate—from an economic perspective—several material transportation scenarios depending on the quality of the deposit. A discrete simulation of machine operation allowed a detailed analysis of the technological, operating and economic parameters for selected solutions. The results may be the basis for a decision to begin or to resign from mineral extraction. The simulation results demonstrate that maintaining the operating environment in good technical condition positively influences machine operating cycle times, the required total time of the transportation task and the operating costs. The analysis was performed for the production period of one full year, allowing for the effective work and technological downtimes. This approach allowed the usefulness of the model to be demonstrated in evaluating not only the effectiveness of individual technological procedures but also its economic aspect, related to a decision on the exploitation of “difficult” deposits.

The production performance of mining and also construction equipment (like haul trucks, excavators, loaders, crushing and screening equipment) depends on its availability and utilisation states. Thus, it is necessary to determine the mean availability and structure utilisation of machinery systems with the aim to improve the same. At the same time, a detailed analysis of machinery operation data can result in a more effective management of mining plant operations and the mining process itself. Determination of operational state indices and their individual components allows to start preventive actions, resulting in the improvement of the organisation of work of the entire mine machinery system. Moreover, the future technical state of machines operated in surface mining is closely related to the current state and depends also on the events that have occurred in the extraction system. The analysis of dependability parameters can have a significant impact on decision-making, related both to the processes of use and maintenance, and, primarily, to all main operational processes of the mine. Different mines follow different terms and maintain different information. The only common information in most of them concerns the availability and utilisation of mining and construction equipment, which might be useful. There is a need to develop proper feedback and to define terms, factors and indices related to mining equipment. Below follows an analysis of selected operational parameters and the mean availability in the process of using the mining and construction equipment. This type of analyses help determine the operational potential of every element in the engineering system, understood as the ability to perform work processes. The analyses also illustrate how the reliability parameters change with the durability of the operated machinery. This makes it possible to identify the machines with the highest and lowest damage rates and such analyses can form the basis for the creation of optimised machine systems.

A methodology is outlined for equipment selection for the extraction of secondary deposits, supported by the Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) tool based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and applied to evaluate its impact on the mining system’s performance and the viability of the rock mining project. The equipment selection analysis affords us the means to explore selected options, taking technological and economic parameters into account, and opening the way for making the decision to begin or discontinue mining operations. The simulation results show how maintaining the mining site in a good condition impacts on the actual duty cycle of mining equipment, the time required to complete the hauling task and the operating costs.