Modern Quarrying Q1 2019

SIXWAYS TOMAXIMISE PAYLOADAND INCREASE LOAD/ HAUL PRODUCTIVITY Here are six ways Cat MineStar technologies – including Cat Fleet and Cat Terrain for loading – can help you make sure that every truck gets loaded with the optimum tonnage, hauls it to the right place and works efficiently all shift long.

It is important to ensure that the machinery is correctly matched to the site and application, as well as the timing of cycles compared to the number of trucks.

Accurate payload & loading tool data Cat Fleet provides real-time dashboards and custom reports that deliver reliable production information. The Loading screen gives you a wide range of accurate loading tool data, such as average loads for a range of time periods, plus average hang, queue and spotting times for loading tools across the entire shift. Avoid under & overloads Payload data from Cat Fleet helps you adhere to the 10- 10-20 rule for truck loading: No more than 10% of loads should exceed 10% over target payload, and no loads should ever exceed 20% over target payload. Follow this rule and your trucks will haul as much as they can without the risk of slower haul speeds or costly component and tyre wear. Load the right material At the face, Cat Terrain for loading provides operators with colour-coded maps that deliver real-time feedback on progress towards ore design. It helps them load the right material on every truck and, in some cases, do precise blending at the face, resulting in more accurate material movement. Haul it to the right place Cat Fleet facilitates the precise management of grade blocks for optimum blending and downstream processing. Material flow is monitored through integration with Cat Terrain for loading. Materials are locked all the way to their destinations to prevent misdirected loads. Optimise fuel stops The fueling feature of Cat Fleet increases productivity by sending trucks to get fuel only when needed, which saves time and boost productivity compared with fixed fuel schedules. The system also manages queuing at fueling stations to prevent excessive wait times. Reconfigure shift changes Cat Fleet’s shift change function increases productivity during the first and last hour of a shift. Automated Lineup efficiently allocates operators to equipment, assigns machines to specified tie down destinations, and keeps them running as long as possible while reducing congestion at loading tools and processors.

implemented, a load and haul opti- misation programme can identify significant opportunities for operational improvement. Brad Castle, product marketing manager at Bell Equipment, estimates the cost percentage of load and haul in the whole production equa- tion at a typical quarrying operation to be between 25-30%based on the whole operation cost, including site personnel and vehicle costs. So, how can quarry owners reduce their operation’s unit cost related to load andhaul? A reduction in the unit cost of loading andhauling can been achieved, on one hand, by applying newand inno- vativemining equipment andmethods, andon the other hand, by optimising the use of existing equipment. What should a load and haul fleet optimisation programme entail? Castle says it is important to ensure that the machinery is correctly matched to the site and application, as well as the timing of cycles com- pared to the number of trucks. “While this is so important, however, none of it will work unless the site is managed correctly. I would therefore

say that site management is as important as the equipment on site. Bell has made this easier for customers by developing its innovative fleet management system, Fleetm@tic. Machine productivity, utilisation and condition parame- ters can all be accessed from the owner’s computer, tablet or mobile phone. Customers can therefore be rest assured that their investments are earning a maximum return. Machine breakdowns are also detrimental to an operation, therefore, managing preventative maintenance schedules is vitally important and

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QUARTER 1 - 2019 MODERN QUARRYING