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By L. Xia, B. Hart, J. Nigim, Z. Chen

"Grinding ore is an important step in the flotation process. Not only does grinding reduce particle size and liberate minerals, it also creates conditions for reactions to occur on particle surfaces that can aide or inhibit flotation. There have been numerous studies examining various grinding regiments and the effect on flotation pulp chemistry, including autogenous grinding and using media of variable composition. There have been however, few studies looking at the effect of variability in grinding media size on pulp chemistry and subsequent flotation. This study attempts to link changes in pulp chemistry in response to variations in grinding media size to flotation recovery. It uses probes mounted in the grinding chamber (pH, Eh, DO, and conductivity) to monitor pulp chemistry changes during grinding of a Cu-Zn ore. Surface chemistry analysis by ToF-SIMS was performed on sphalerite from the mill discharge. Activator and depressant species were monitored on the mineral surfaces and their presence was evaluated in the context of variability in pulp chemistry linked to differences in grinding media and its ball size.INTRODUCTIONIt has been widely recognised that not only does grinding reduce particle size and liberate minerals but the grinding environment has a large effect on the flotation of sulphide minerals. This effect is attributed to Eh change, iron hydroxide coating on surfaces, oxygen reduction, precipitation from solution and galvanic coupling (Grano, 2009). As early as 1960, it was reported that after grinding the ores in an iron mill the natural floatability of sphalerite was reduced significantly (Rey and Formanek, 1960). Kocabag and Smith (1985) studied on the industrial circuits showing that the depression of sulphides flotation in a steel mill is possibly due to the coating of iron oxidation products. Peng, Grano, Fornasiero, and Ralston (2003a, 2003b) found that iron contamination from grinding media plays a dominant role in depressing galena and chalcopyrite flotation. Huang, Grano, and Skinner (2006) reported the same observation in the flotation of arsenopyrite."

Jan 1, 2016

By A. R. Trusiak, C. Bazin, D. Hodouin

"The On-Stream Analyzer has proven, and is still proving to be, an extremely valuable tool for the control of flotation circuits. This paper examines the possibility of going further in the utilization of the analyzer results by using a real-time material balance program to calculate the mass flow rates within the streams of a circuit for process control, analysis and optimization as well as for the detection of sensor malfunction. The material balance algorithm improves measurements and give good estimates of unmeasured variables during normal operating conditions. The potential and limitations of the method are illustrated using results of an application to the Line 3 flotation circuit of Brunswick Mining and Smelting, New Brunswick.IntroductionThe On-Stream Analyzer (OSA) has gained, over the last two decades, the status of key instrument for the control of flotation plants. The OSA is currently used in almost every sulphide flotation plant and its application in oxide mineral flotation plants isincreasing. Commercial OSAs include a sampling system that collectssamples from various streams of a circuit and exposes thesamples to an X-ray beam. The sample then generates X-ray pulsesthat are converted into assays using multilinear regression programs(Leroux and Franklin, 1994). The estimated assays arepassed to the flotation operators via operator consoles, or to controlloops of various degrees of complexity (McKee, 1991), whichmanipulate reagent addition, aeration rate or froth thickness toensure an adequate operation of the plant. Although this applicationrapidly pays for the purchase of the OSA, one should ask:""Could we get more from the OSA?"""

Jan 1, 1995

By D. G. Osborne

"The paper describes current 'tools' available to the coal preparation engineer for carrying out the evaluation of data, process design, selection of equipment and layout and design of coal preparation plants.Laboratory and pilot-scale equipment is widely available and test data can be used to provide valuable design information regarding capacities and sizing for specific applications. Pilot plants, unless they fit closely to the basic design envisaged for the eventual commercial plant, C(In often provide only limited useful information.Computing aids such as equipment simulation, plant modelling, etc. are becoming widely applied for establishing design criteria and investigating flowsheet options . Other computer tools such as computer-aided design systems are taking over some of the time-consuming tasks of detailed layout and design and estimation of quantities, etc. and providing the means for detailed examination of more than a single option.Besides computer modelling there is also physical modelling of plant buildings, plant sites and entire proposed mining areas; the former can be especially useful in finalizing design and threading' pipework and electrical reticulation systems through the plant without the resultant risk of impairment of flow, obstruction or wastefulness. Not the least of the benefits of plant models is the assistance provided for training new operating and maintenance staff."

Jan 1, 1985

By C. A. Roloff

Demands for increased grinding production, lower-grade are and limited capital have resulted in ever larger grinding mills, some as large as 36ft (/1 m) in diameter and 12,000 hp (8,950 kw). The result is often f ewer machines per plant, with a greater dependence on each machine. To meet these reliability requirements, manufacturers of mills, drives, castings and other components have had to be innovative and creative in their design. Only by thorough review of past designs and practices and by model studies confirmed in field tests can the manufacturer have full confidence in the product. Because of the great interest in large mills, a short review of larger machines is presented. This discussion covers material feeding, bearings, the rotating element, drive trains and material discharge.

Jan 1, 1979

By H. Warren Newcomen, Dennis C. Martin

"This paper describes the investigation of a large, progressive slope failure on the southeast wall of the east pit at Highmont Mine, British Columbia Geotechnical investigation s consisted of geological and structural mapping, assessment of blasthole drilling records, review of rock core information, slope movement monitoring and back analysis of various possible failure modes. Climate records and mining history were also assessed to determine their relationship to slope movement .Analysis of movement monitoring records and geotechnical information indicates that the failure is deep seated. The upper portion of the failure surf ace occurs along clay filled discontinuities. The lower portion of the failure surf ace appears to occur through the highly altered rock mass. High groundwater pressures and mining at the toe of the slope are documented to have had a major influence on stability at various times during the failure. Stability analyses results are presented and possible remedial measures are discussed.IntroductionHighmont Mine is located near Logan Lake in the Highland Valley approximately 50 km southwest of Karnloops, British Columbia (Fig. I). Mining of the porphyry copper and molydenum ore bodies began in 1980. In May, 1983, when mining in the east pit had progressed to a depth of about 60 m (200 feet) , a failure (designated the Southeast Failure) began to develop in the southeast corner of the east pit. Subsequent mining to a depth of 110m (360 feet) was accompanied by frequent and substantial slope movements involving between 500000 and I 000 000 m3 of rock . The slope was monitored extensively to assess short-term movement trends for operational safety. Geological mapping, core logging and rock mechanics testing were used in conjunction with the long-term monitoring information to determine the failure mechanism, conduct stability analyses, assess the effects of instability on pit design and enable design and installation of remedial measures."

Jan 1, 1988

By Robert B. Parsons

"Considering the traumatic events of Canadian mining taxation of the 1970s, one wonders at the sanity of anybody who tries to predict what the 1980s might hold for the tax structure of the mining industry. Yet, the author agreed to tackle this task when called upon to do so at the annual meeting of the Quebec Metal Mining Association in June. The text of this ""daring"" speech follows.IntroductionI have been asked to play the part of the oracle at Delphi, and to predict what the 1980s might hold for the Canadian mining industry in terms of taxation. To appreciate the challenge of this difficult assignment, try to imagine someone in my position back in 1972 attempting to forecast the balance of the 1970s. I daresay that ten years ago nobody could possibly have conceived of the devastating and casualty-ridden rollercoaster ride that mining taxation actually took in the 70s. Nevertheless, I shall examine the entrails and try to shed some light on what might happen during the balance of this decade as far as mineral taxation is concerned.If one were to retreat deep into history, one would find that taxation generally served one purpose-namely, to raise revenues for the government. More recently, an important second function has emerged: taxation is increasingly being used as a fiscal tool-a tool intended to mould and shape future events in order to accomplish certain economic, social and political objectives. It is these two main forces-the need (or desire) for revenues and the perceived convenience of using taxation as a fiscal tool-which will continue to shape the tax structure of the future.In our assessment of where taxation of the mining industry may be headed, we should be able to learn something by looking at where we have been."

Jan 1, 1982

By J. H. Shillabeer

"Rational exploration requires the prior selection of areas possessing excellent geological potential and minimum hazards to commercial development . Within an over-all strategy of grass-roots exploration, two procedures for selecting areas for (i) coal and (ii) metals exploration are described. The procedures explicitly balance infrastructure requirements and environmental concerns for areas of geological merit not alienated in parks and reserves. Through consensus, priorities are attached to those areas meriting closer scrutiny and field reconnaissance.IntroductionMining companies need to know that having made a potentially economic discovery, they will be allowed to develop it with minimum delay and at reasonable cost. The environment for exploration in British Columbia is complex and recent experience suggests that conditions are not becoming any easier. Conflicts over land use issues, preservation and economic development are common. The high cost of exploration requires that the risks should be offset where possible by: (i) carefully selecting the areas in which to work (ii) conducting operations in a responsible manner, and (iii) working cooperatively with the community of interests. This paper concerns the first action: prior selection of areas.To aid exploration planning at Suncor, a procedure was developed to grade those areas of the province possessing favourable geology according to the ease with which a mine might be developed . This had to be done within the constraints of the company's over-all approach to exploration. This emphasizes ""grass-roots"" exploration of self-generated projects in British Columbia. In addition, having selected a favourable belt of rocks, it is intended to persevere there while steadily adding to the accumulated data base and local experience. Hence, it is intended to concentrate on an area. This implies a long-term commitment to an area which in turn increases the importance of the original selection.Suncor's search is directed to finding base and precious metals in intrusive and volcanic environments, and export quality coal."

Jan 1, 1985

By R. B. Stein

"Countercurrent decantation circuits(CCD) are often employed in hydrometallurgy to effect solids-liquid separation in combination with a barren solution wash to reduce losses of valuable solution component(s) from the tails. Bechtel Corporation uses its BEMSIM flowsheet-modelling PC computer program to simulate a CCD circuit where the ""dirty"" wash solution contains significant amounts of soluble components. An algorithm successfully models this condition and is simplified to a single expression when the wash solution is a ""clean"" solution containing no solubles. The CCD calculation module is compared to operating data from uranium and nickel-cobalt CCD circuits.IntroductionHydrometallurgical process schemes have often relied on countercurrent washing methods to reduce soluble losses of valuable product in the tails. Commonly used equipment to effect this operation is a CCD circuit of N thickeners in series, where a slurry is fed to thickener I and a wash solution to thickener N; clear pregnant solution overflows thickener I and washed tails exit as underflow from thickener N. CCD circuits of this type are typically employed when the solids tend to slime heavily and where a filter is not economic.A typical CCD circuit usually employs from two to five thickeners and can employ either a ""clean"" washing solution of, say, pure water or else the hydrometallurgical circuit may generate a ""dirty"" barren solution containing an appreciable amount of soluble component which may be advantageously returned to the process as CCD wash solution. Various authors have treated the case for clean washing solutions (Svarkovsky 1977, Merritt 1970). For the case of dirty wash solutions, an algorithm has been developed to enable efficient modelling by the BEMSIM computer program, because the need for an accurate method to calculate soluble losses is required when performing an economic trade-off analysis of the value of product lost in the tails as a function of the number of thickeners."

Jan 1, 1990

By Earl Gebhardt

The planning and design of mining panels in the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc., Lanigan Division mine Block B involved a number of investigative techniques. The techniques utilized to gain insight into the viability of mining included 2-D and 3-D seismic surveys, longhole drilling, exploration wells, photolineament, magnetic and gravity surveys, and actual room excavation.

Feb 1, 1993

By André Gobell

"La distribution des éléments majeurs dans une séquence de roches volcaniques felsiques, la formation de Waconichi, au sud de Chibougamau, indique que les roches pyroclastiques du secteur ouest de ce segment sont chimiquement anormales si on les compare à la composition moyenne des roches volcaniques de Chibougamau: elles sont caractérisées par une teneur anormalement élevée en f er, en magnésium et en potassium et une teneur anormalement basse en sodium et en calcium; ce chimisme caractérise les encaissants des dépôts de sulfures massifs d 'origine volcanique.Les coulées rhyolitiques massives sous-jacentes au gite de cuivre-zinc avec or et argent de Lemoine ne montrent pas ou très peu d’altération de ce genre. Le schéma de mise en place des dépôts de sulfures massifs d'origine volcanique et la nature des roches en présence permettent de croire que la zone d'altération mise en évidence à l'ouest de la mine Lemoine puisse être reliée à la mise en place de ce gisement d'ou l'im portance de tenir compte des caractères texturaux des roches lors de l'interprétation de données litho géochimiques."

Jan 1, 1980

By L. Hutton, S. W. Colley

"The release of soluble salts of base metals from acid mine pits and in the waste water from metal refiners is an avoidable source local pollution and contamination. Tightening of the regulations controlling natural resource extraction and industrial wastewater discharge is mandating the removal and recovery of metals from waste streams, and the remediation of contaminated sites. There is an economic incentive in recovering the valuable copper and nickel, as the value of the recovered metal can offset remediation costs and for high flow waste streams can be a source of income. Extraction of metals from waste streams by conventional Ion Exchange and chelation resins is widely practised, but has limitations on applicability in complex and dilute feeds due to the structure and properties of polymeric resin beads. Composite Advanced Ion Exchange (AIX) materials have been developed for the recovery and purification of base metals from base metal mining and metal processing industries. A silica-composite based resin has been developed for the selective extraction of copper from high iron containing feeds. This resin can be eluted with sulfuric acid yielding a copper stream suitable for return to solvent extraction or to electrowinning. We describe the development and application of the resin and process to two acid mine drain feeds of varying copper and iron concentrations, and show that the copper concentration can be considerably upgraded even at small scale with a final metal content of >95% copper.INTRODUCTIONWaste water with high sulphate concentrations, low pH and containing complex and variable mixtures of metals is an inevitable product in the mining, extraction and metal refining industries. One problematical water source is Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) which in addition to the metals of interest also contains a wide range of contaminating elements. Purge streams from metal refining are less complex in composition but contain significant quantities of the value metals. The typical treatment of such waste streams is treatment with lime to increase the pH of the water, precipitating the dissolved metals and sulphate as a sludge of mixed metal oxides/hydroxides and sulphates. The process is effective in producing a water stream that can be safely discharged but if there are significant concentrations of value metals such as copper, nickel, zinc then there can be a considerable loss of metal value."

Jan 1, 2016

By T. G. Carter

"This paper traces the introduction and use of fire-resistant (FR) fluids in hydraulic systems at underground mines in British Columbia. Reasons are given for the decision to make compulsory the use of such fluids in underground mines after January 1, 1975 by provincial government legislation. Examples are quoted of fires caused, or supported by, mineral oils which have resulted in loss of life and property.The basic principles of hydraulic systems are reviewed in order to present the effects of changing a system operating on mineral oils to one which must operate on FR fluids. Approximations of the cost of system conversions are given for certain machines and a brief survey is made of the various pieces of underground equipment which contain hydraulic systems operating on FR fluids.IntroductionIn 1948, Admiral Ben Moreel , who was then president of Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation in the United States , wrote:""Although safe and healthful working conditions can be justified on a cold dollars-and- cents basis, I prefer to justify them on the basic principle that it is the right thing to do. ""(1)This paper will outline the introduction and use of fire resistant fluids at mine operations in the Province of British Columbia. That it was the right thing to do in enhancing the safety and well-being of every person employed at the mines was the prime consideration. That it may be justified on a cold dollars-and-cents basis is left for the reader to judge. The prime purpose of this paper is not so much to trace the efforts made by the individual mines to successfully introduce and use fire-resistant (FR) fluids in hydraulic systems, but to present an over-all picture of what occurred, in a collective sense, at the majority of mines which have ended up with a working FR fluid system. The problems attendant to the introduction of an FR fluid will be recounted in a manner which, it is hoped, will prove useful to those contemplating system conversions. Because the predominant fluid now in use is an invert, or water-in-oil. emulsion, this will be the FR fluid considered.Fluid Loss from SystemsThe quantities of various fluids required for use in hydraulic systems are extremely high. This statement in itself may appear to be redundant in that the capacities of the various systems should demand that a fixed amount of fluid is required for the initial filling of a system, with a further amount of fluid scheduled for use during subsequent fluid changes, i.e. at the recommended change intervals . If only this were the case!"

Jan 1, 1981

By J. B. Hinzer, J. D. Harvey

"Noranda's Lyon Lake property in the Sturgeon Lake area of Northwestern Ontario was staked by Mattagami Lake Mines Limited in May 1969 to cover airborne Input anomalies. Subsequent ground geophysical and diamond drilling programs resulted in the disco very of the Boundary Extension, Lake and Creek ore zones. As of December 31, 1978, ore reserves were estimated at 3,945,000 tons assaying 6.53 per cent Zn, 1.24 per cent Cu, 0.63 per cent Pb, 3.42 oz/ton Ag and 0.010 oz/ton Au.These deposits are hosted within the South Sturgeon Lake volcanic pile of Archean age, which consists of several cycles of basic intermediate and felsic volcanic materials overlain by a sedimentary iron formation and built upon a plutonic base (Franklin , ' 1975). The top 50 m of the second felsic cycle, according to mine terminolo gy, contains the mineralization within Quartzphenocryst- bearing felsic lapilli tuff and underlying thin discontinuous graphitic sediments and altered coarse pyroclastics. The basal andesitic member of the overlying cycle forms the hanging wall to the ore deposits.Although there is no alteration pipe below the deposits, the coarse footwall rocks are permeated by chlorite, garnet, carbonate, iron sulphide and magnetitie-bearing veins intensifying from west to east.Immediate host rocks are alkali depleted and MnO, FeO, Zn and Cu enriched compared to Goodwin's (1972) average Archean rhyolites. Bedded pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite lenses with sphalerite-rich tops are underlain by weakly developed stringer mineralization.Traversing eastward from the Lake Zone to the Creek Zone and toward the Sturgeon Lake Mine deposit, more rapid facies changes, more pronounced chloritic and carbonate alteration, the presence ofgarnets, greater MnO, FeO, CaO and Ag abundances, and increasing Zn/Cu and MnO/FeO ratios are apparent."

Jan 1, 1981

By R. C. Wallace

Since the time when Canada's East and West were joined by the railway, and communication was established into the interior, settlements grew on the southern fringe of the great Precambrian area that formed the northern protaxis of the continent during its vicissitudes of growth. They clung precariously to the fringe of that ancient land, for the Precambrian is not generous to those who wish to live by the fruits of the soil, except in those limited areas where the Pleistocene ice-sheet has been profuse in its gifts of clay to cover the hard surface of the Precambrian rock. Later settlements spread westwards over the expanse of Cretacean plains that now form the wheatfields of the Canadian West; but there still remained in northern and western Ontario, in eastern and northern Manitoba, a pioneer race, to whom agriculture had attractions only in so far that it provided the wherewithal to lay siege to the riches of the Precambrian. And they had a vision beyond their time. More than they knew, they had seized the fact that for the complete rounding out of Canadian national life, a8 well as for the establishing of the necessary contributions towards the economic stability of Canada and its provinces, an industry in mining sh01.dd be well and truly built in the hinterland of the central provinces. Failing the winning of mineral from the rocks, and timber from the forests, there would remain between the East and the West an enormous barrier of unproductive country which would not only be an incubus to the agricultural people in their struggle for economic liberty, but would effectively, and for all time, remain an un-populated void across which the aspirations of East and West would be unable to unite.

Jan 1, 1924

By K. Thuro, L. Wilfing, H. Kasling

"In mechanized tunneling, performance prediction is a crucial issue for estimating excavation costs and construction time of a tunnel project. The aim of this work is to compare the calculated parameters by penetration prediction models with the results of penetration tests during excavation by a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) at actual tunnel projects. This comparison helps to improve the existing prediction models (Gehring, 1995 and Rostami (Colorado School of Mines), 1997.) and to develop a new, so-called “Alpine Model” (research group ABROCK; Schneider et al., 2012).On-site penetration tests are a common tool to determine performance of a TBM in certain geological environments. During a test, the TBM is operated under defined conditions that allow comparing the results of different projects and machine types. There are two different types of penetration tests in use. The more common type, described by Bruland (1998a), is based on test drives at different thrust levels. The tests in this study are performed as start-stop-tests, meaning that the TBM starts from zero to the maximum possible thrust and reverse with slowly increasing respectively decreasing steps (Frenzel et al., 2012). To gain information about the interaction between TBM and rock mass, a detailed geological documentation including an analysis of the discontinuity pattern and laboratory testing for rock strength characterization are mandatory.Within the last year 16 penetration tests have been performed. The results are thrust- penetration curves (Figure 2) showing that up to a certain penetration rate only crushing occurs (subcritical penetration). From there the desired rock fragmentation process called chipping takes place (Frenzel et al., 2012). These two different fragmentation processes can be described best by a bilinear function as seen in Figure 3. Both, CSM- and Gehring-model, do not fit to the trend of the penetration rates determined during the excavation process as they are using potential or simple linear functions.Another parameter that has to be implemented into the new prediction model is the influence of discontinuities. In case of favorable orientation and spacing, discontinuities reduce the required thrust at same penetration rates. In contrast, unfavorable discontinuity systems can cause blocky faces and hence worse performance than predicted. Besides discontinuities, the toughness of rocks has to be taken into account when predicting the penetration as tough rocks need more energy to obtain complete failure than brittle rocks.Key advantage of these tests in comparison to existing are more data points in less time. By improving respectively extending the existing penetration prediction models with the stated parameters, the penetration prediction for TBMs can be more accurate and also wear calculation can benefit from this approach."

Jan 1, 2015

By R. W. Zeindler, D. A. Fawcett

"A summary is presented of the report completed by the Coal Mining Research Centre in 1980. This report was of a cross-pit conveyor system applied as an auxiliary mining complement to the major stripping unit, a dragline. The purpose of the CMRC report was to evaluate selective mining and replacement of the upper horizons of the strata as an aid in reclamation. These strata were the topsoil, subsoil and glacial till.Past utilization of cross-pit conveyor systems and related engineering studies were assessed. The parameters of the study were based on the mining and geological conditions of the Alberta prairie coal mines. The principal excavator for stripping was a dragline. Excavation of the upper horizons was done by a bucket-wheel excavator discharging onto the crosspit conveyor. Alternative equipment applications were economically compared. Four cases or geological sections were evaluated in detail. The economics of the alternative mining systems for each of the cases were determined. In all instances, the most economical solution was a tandem system utilizing a dragline with a bucket-wheel excavator/ cross-pit conveyor system."

Jan 1, 1981

By J. A. Finch, A. M. Elmahdy

Blending frothers is becoming common in flotation practice apparently enhancing performance. However, there have been no studies to understand the blend mechanism. In this paper, the effect of two frother blends ofF150 (polyglycol) with MIBC or pentanol (both alcohols) on bubble size, gas holdup and froth height is reported. The blends focused on a small addition of the polyglycol to the alcohols as base frother. The tests showed that the bubble size at blend concentration below the critical coalescence concentration (CCC) of the base frother was decreased but was significantly larger above the base CCC. Froth build-up showed a strong synergistic effect.

Jan 1, 2009

By T. Winkler

This paper presents elements of the Virtual Working Environment for identification of hazards occurring in the mining industry. The Virtual Working Environment includes models of machinery and models of anthropometric features. Examples are given for identification of technical hazards at the design stage using the following computer programs: Finite Elements Method, Multibody System Analysis and Human Body Modeling. One of the methods to improve work safety at the machine and equipment maintenance stage is to share design and operational knowledge in a form of an Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM). An IETM is created using so-called reusable knowledge elements connected by relationships. A metamodel created in Unified Modeling Language is one of the forms for description of these relationships. The metamodel can represent, for example, interrelations between elements of repair procedures. Examples of procedures realized during the replacement of a damaged cutting bit are presented and discussed.

Aug 1, 2013

By Howard Keele

"The Whitewood Mine near Edmonton, Alberta, is owned by TransAlta Utilities Corporation and operated by Manalta Coal Ltd. Approximately 2 million tonnes of sub-bituminous coal is supplied annually to the Wabamun Generating Plant. A high water table, high groundwater pressure, and structural folds contribute to stability problems in the fine-grained overburden. Significant increases in coal recovery have been achieved in recent years through improvements in water management and mining methods. Agricultural capability of the post-mining landscape has also been improved following the completion of mining/ reclamation activities. Introduction The Whitewood Mine, located to the north of Lake Wabamun and seventy kilometres west of Edmonton, Alberta, is owned by TransAlta Utilities Corporation and operated by Manalta Coal Ltd. Figure 1 shows the location of the Whitewood Mine with respect to the city of Edmonton. The mine presently supplies two million tonnes annually of sub-bituminous ""C"" coal to the 582-megawatt Wabamun Generating Plant located adjacent to the mine. The area is characterized by a high water table-, rolling coal seams and an overburden that consists of muskeg, clay and various sedimentary layers of sand, gravel and fine-grained sandstone. These distinctive characteristics require careful attention in order to not only meet the coal delivery requirements of the Wabamun Generating Plant but also to do so economically. Historical Background A small-scale underground coal mine was opened in the Wabamun area in 1910 by the Conner Coal Mining Co. Ltd. Underground operations were continued by several operators until 1948 when the Alberta Coal Co. Ltd. opened a strip mine which was subsequently taken over by the Alberta Southern Coal Co. Ltd. in 1951. The small-scale strip opera"

Jan 1, 1985

By V. Casaletto, L. Widdifield

"Equipment capable of higher production requires more sophisticated maintenance programs. Reduction in fleet size through use of modern technology requires higher utilization and greater availability.Caterpillar's maintenance control system program will display the capabilities of computer technology in a maintenance environment. Utilizing such resources will provide increased availability, lower inventory requirements, fewer last minute disasters, and lower cost per ton for maintenance. High production from premium quality equipment can only be realized by good planning and care, executed by maintenance and operating personnel acting cooperatively.IntroductionAccurate information is the key to accurate decision making. In today' s competitive industry, mines' teeter on the brink between profit and loss. Their survival will be predicated on their ability to retrieve, analyze, and formulate accurate information regarding the operating costs of mobile equipment. This paper deals with the impact of managing equipment operating costs and introduces a computerized control system designed for monitoring and controlling these costs.Caterpillar has produced several computerized modelling programs designed at taking the guesswork out of equipment selection and management. The most basic of these is Equipment Investment Analysis (E.LA.). This model compares two or more alternatives over the projected life of the machine. It deals with comparisons in the owning and operating costs of equipment, as well as, their productivity over a specified period of time.In order for a computer model to be credible as a decision making tool, it must be simple to use and the results measurable and accountable . Caterpillar has introduced several computer models to assist the industry in selecting and managing an equipment fleet. These programs allow the user to predict and monitor the operating costs and production capability of mobile equipment. They are often used in the machine selection process to select equipment which best suits a mine's long-term cost per tonne objectives. After the optimum selection is made, Caterpillar's Maintenance Control System provides an efficient management tool to monitor and verify the data used in the selection model."

Jan 1, 1992