Services for surface mining

Truck and Shovel in open pit mine:

Equipment selection and fleet design

Production & Costs

25th November 2014

 Production

Production =

Productivity ( Bcm or T / Hour)

X
Nber of hour during the period
 Productivity
Definition
Theoretical productivity:
ThP ( T or Bcm ) / Hour ) = N * G
N = Nber of cycle in one hour
G = Volume – weight moved

Hourly productivity:
HP = ThP * ( coef x ) * ( coef y)
Coef x: linked to type of material (digability/fill factor) and working
condition (type of truck/swing angle)
Coef y: linked to operator efficiency (experience) & job organisation
(working space / traming / phasing /supervision)
 Productivity
Definition
Bcm / Bank cubic meter
= 1 cubic meter of material as it lies in the natural bank state

Lcm / Loose cubic meter

= 1 cubic meter of material which has been disturb and has
swelled as a result of movement

Bank density : specific weight bank

Loose density : specific weight loose

Swell factor : Bank density/ Loose density

 Productivity

Excavator

Cycle time :
Time taken from being ready to dump into the truck body , dumping,
swinging to the face , filling the bucket , swinging back into position
ready to dump.
The typical cycle time is given by the manufacturer ( linked to crowd
force & swing angle )

average cycle time 30s – 35s

 Productivity
Cycle time :
Backhoe Application, Truck on Lower Level, Average Swing 45%
Excavator type Sec. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
PC 3000
PC 4000
PC 5500
PC 8000

Backhoe Application, Truck on Upper Level, Average Swing 120%

Excavator type Sec. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
PC 3000
PC 4000
PC 5500
PC 8000

Digging conditions

= Easy
= Average
= Severe
 Productivity
Bucket capacity :
Definition SAE Rated capacity :
SAE rated capacity is the sum of the SAE struck capacity ( VS ) and
the material heaped ( VE ) on the bucket :

at 1:1 angle of repose. at 1: 2 angle of repose

backhoe configuration front shovel configuration

1
1 2

VR = VS + VE
 Productivity

Loading Factor
On the ground = 1,05
In a body > 3 time the bucket capacity = 1
In a body < 3 time the bucket capacity = 0,95

Bucket fill factor :

Soft material = 1,0 to 1,05
Well blasted material = 0,9 to 0,95
Blasted with block = 0,65 to 0,85

Swing angle :
90° = 1
45° = 1,25
180 ° = 0,75
 Productivity

Operator efficiency :
Good =1
Average = 0,95
Beginner = 0,85

Job organization :
quantity of material
working space
traming to another place
from 0,65 to 0,95 average for estimation = 0,83
i.e. 50 mn of effective work in 1 hour
 Productivity
Excavator Liebherr 9350
Working in blasted material well fragmentated
Average operator, average job organisation
Loading a truck ( 3-4 bucket per truck )
Bank density 2,35 t/m3
Loose density 1,68 t/m3
SAE Rated bucket 15,3 m3
Swing angle 90 ° Cycle times 35 sec

Loading factor 1
Bucket fill factor 0,9
Swing angle factor 1
Operator factor 0,95
Job organisation factor 0,83
 Productivity
Excavator Liebherr 9350

Productivity in tonnes =

(60*60/35 * 15,3*1,68)*(1*0,9*1)*( 0,95 * 0,83) = 1 876 T/H

2 383 T/H

Bank density 2,35

1125 Bcm/H 798 Bcm/H

 Productivity
Liebherr France S.A.
CUSTOMER / SITE INFORMATION
Customer Not specified
Production Required Not specified
Distributor (eg. Liebherr) Not specified
Operation Site Not specified
Material WASTE BLASTED
Specific Weight (bank) 2,35 t/m 3 (Bank )
Specific Weight (loose) 1,68 t/m 3 (Loose)
Swell Factor (Bank/Loose) 1,40

EQUIPMENT
Excavator Model 300T Truck Model CAT 777
Attachment back hoe Truck Payload 92 tonnes
Bucket Capacity 15,3 m3 Body Capacity (SAE 2:1) 53 m3
Bucket Fill Factor (BFF) 90 % Exchange Time 35,00 secs
Cycle Time 35,00 secs Doube Side Loading (Y/N) No
Swing Angle 90 o Bench Height 3,5 metres

LOADING TIME
Bucket Capacity per cycle = 23,1336 tonnes
Buckets per Truck 4
Load per Truck 92,5344 tonnes % of rated truck payload 101%
(Volume) 55,08 m3 % of rated body capacity 104%

Total Truck Load Time 140 secs (or 2,33 mins)

MAXIMUM THEORETICAL PRODUCTION (60 min hour and fully trucked)

Truck s per 60 mins 25,71 truck s Bank m 3 (BCM) per 60 mins 1 012,5 BCM
Loose m 3 (LCM) per 60 mins 1 416,3 LCM Tonnes per 60 mins 2 379,5 tonnes

AVERAGE / ESTIMATED PRODUCTION (Realistic Production)

Job Efficiency Factor 83,0 %
Operator Efficiency Factor 95,0 %

Total Efficiency Factor 78,85% 47' per hour

Average Production = 1 012,5 x 78,85% = 798 BCM/hour

2 379,5 x 78,85% = 1 876 tonnes/hour
1 416,3 x 78,85% = 1 117 LCM/hour
 Productivity

Fleet (excavator + trucks ) productivity :

In theory the number of trucks must be :
Average cycle time / average loading + spotting time = Nber of truck

The number of trucks is never exactly the theoretical one.

With a fleet of trucks ,the probability that a truck is arriving in the

same time that the loaded truck leave the loading area is very low,
link to irregularity in the hauling time , due to hazards along the
haul road & dump, mismatch , bunching, creating waiting time for

-Excavator
-Trucks
 Productivity
Fleet (excavator + trucks ) productivity :

The factor job organisation must be reviewed according the excavator’s

wait for a truck:

very little wait 5 mn/ H coef 0,92

average wait 7-10 mn /H coef 0,85

Excavator productivity Fleet productivity

798 Bcm/h 735 Bcm/h

 Productivity
Liebherr France S.A.
CUSTOMER / SITE INFORMATION
Customer Not specified
Production Required Not specified
Distributor (eg. Liebherr) Not specified
Operation Site Not specified
Material WASTE BLASTED
Specific Weight (bank) 2,35 t/m 3 (Bank )
Specific Weight (loose) 1,68 t/m 3 (Loose)
Swell Factor (Bank/Loose) 1,40

EQUIPMENT
Excavator Model 300T Truck Model CAT 777
Attachment back hoe Truck Payload 92 tonnes
Bucket Capacity 15,3 m3 Body Capacity (SAE 2:1) 53 m3
Bucket Fill Factor (BFF) 90 % Exchange Time 0,00 secs
Cycle Time 35,00 secs Doube Side Loading (Y/N) No
Swing Angle 90 o Bench Height 3,5 metres

LOADING TIME
Bucket Capacity per cycle = 23,1336 tonnes
Buckets per Truck 4
Load per Truck 92,5344 tonnes % of rated truck payload 101%
(Volume) 55,08 m3 % of rated body capacity 104%

Total Truck Load Time 140 secs (or 2,33 mins)

MAXIMUM THEORETICAL PRODUCTION (60 min hour and fully trucked)

Truck s per 60 mins 25,71 truck s Bank m 3 (BCM) per 60 mins 1 012,5 BCM
Loose m 3 (LCM) per 60 mins 1 416,3 LCM Tonnes per 60 mins 2 379,5 tonnes

AVERAGE / ESTIMATED PRODUCTION (Realistic Production)

Job Efficiency Factor 76,4 % 0,83*0,92
Operator Efficiency Factor 95,0 %

Total Efficiency Factor 72,54% 44' per hour

Average Production = 1 012,5 x 72,54% = 735 BCM/hour

2 379,5 x 72,54% = 1 726 tonnes/hour
1 416,3 x 72,54% = 1 027 LCM/hour
 Productivity
Truck cycle time

Traveling loaded

Spotting + Loading Dumping

Traveling Empty
 Productivity
Truck cycle time

Fixed time :
Spotting time ( Exchange time ) =
time to place the truck in the right loading position
0,6 to 0,8 mn
Tipping time =
time to wastedump or to crusher to tip the material
1,0 to 1,2 mn
 Productivity
Truck cycle time
Variable time :

Hauling time according the

route :
Distance , Ramp
Rolling resistance,
KPH limit

Rolling Speed limit

Place Distance Grade (%)
resistance (%) (km/h)
Face position (first 50m) 50 5 0 15 (50m)
Bottom pit 400 4 0 30
In pit ramp 300 3 10 20
Ex pit to dump and ROM 1 000 3 0 45
Dump ramp 100 3 10 20
On dump 300 4 0 30
Dumping spot 50 5 0 20 (50m)
 Productivity
The rolling resistance is expressed in equivalent grade percentage.

Range of value

1,25 % for a hard, well maintained, permanent haul road

2,5 % for well maintained road with little flexing
4 % for a road with 25 mm tire penetration
5 % for a road with 50 mm tire penetration
8 % for a road with 100 mm tire penetration
14 % for a road with 200 mm tire penetration
 Productivity
To cycle time is the sum of hauling time calculate for each segment with
reference to the truck caracteristics :
 Productivity
Fleet Production Cost ( FPC )

FPC is a Caterpillar’s program used to calculate earth moving

cycles , fleet sizes and costs.

You select a fleet of trucks and excavators.

You enter the Haul Road profile.

The program will tell you the productivity , time required and
cost to move a tonnage with the selected fleet.

This program is mainly used to calculate the cycle time.

 Productivity

Haul road profile

Fleet composition

Truck characteristics
Productivity
 Productivity

For trucks the characteristic is the payload in T and the

productivity is expressed in T/H.

Cycle time gives the productivity of one truck working 60mn/H:

60 / 14,7 * 90 T = 367 T/H
We must apply, as for an excavator, a coefficient for job
efficiency :
Average 0,9 to 0,83 ( 54 to 50 mn / H )
Hourly productivity 367 * 0,83 = 304 T/H

To expressed it in Bcm you divide by bank density :

304/2,35 = 130 Bcm / H
 Productivity
On the field to have a rough idea of the productivity :

number of trucks loaded in one hour * truck factor =

fleet productivity

Truck factor = payload divided by bank density

For truck CAT 777 the truck factor is :

45 to 49 Bcm in soft
30 to 32 Bcm in hard rock
 Production ( Nber of hours )
Total Calendar hours
Mine Scheduled hours
Available hours Downtime Hours : Scheduled/unscheduled Maintenance & Repair
Mechanically available ( operational ) Mechanically not available ( Not operational ) Unschedule
Delays Delays Hours
Stand by
Machine working Production delay hours, Operation delay hours Maintenance & Repair
Hours Repair Delay Hours
engine running engine stopped
Traming Shift change Waiting for mechanic Public Holiday
Not requiered
Traming for blasting Meal break Waiting for bay space Bad weather
No operator
Waiting for equipment Safety meeting Waiting for parts Strike
Productive hours
0perating hours

Axiom :
Operating hours = SMU Hours

To simplify the measurement we consider that the operating hours are

the SMU hours recorded even if some hours are linked to maintenance
( diagnostics , repair tests , etc)
 Production ( Nber of hours )

Definitions:

Mechanical availability :

Mine scheduled hours - scheduled/unscheduled maintenance & repair hours

Mine scheduled hours

Operation utilization :

Operating hours
Mine scheduled hours - scheduled/unscheduled maintenance & repair hours

Asset utilization:
Operating hours
Mine scheduled hours
 Production ( Nber of hours )
Definitions:

Mechanical availability :

Operating Hours
Operated hours + Downtime hours
Used to focus on equipment management
for operation not working 24 hours 7/7 days

All those number can be recorded and be used as

Key Performance Indicators to measure performance and to
compare with worldwide standards
 Production ( Nber of hours )
Example:
Days 7/7 365 days
Public holidays 3
Bad weather impact 15
Working days 347 days

Shift hours 8 hours

Shift number 3
Working hours/day 24 hours

Mine schedule hours : 8 328 hours

Equipment Availability Utilisation SMU hours/ year

Excavator Liebherr 9350 75% 90% 5 600
Dumper Cat 777 80% 90% 6 000

** example of availability on average life of equipment in a remote country

 Production ( Nber of hours )

LONG TERM ANTICIPATED PRODUCTION

Work Per Calendar Year 365 days (assuming 7 day week operation)

Non Work Days 18 days (holidays, b ad weather allowance etc)

Shifts per Day 3

Hours Per Shift 8 hours

Scheduled Production Hours 8 328,0 hrs/yr (F1-F2) x F3 x (F4-F5)

Excavator Availability 75,00 % "Available" hours/year 6 246,0 hrs/yr

Excavator Utilisation by Mine 90,00 % "Utilised" hours/year 5 621,4 hrs/yr

Long Term Production = 678,6 x 5 600,0 = 3 800 305 BCM/yr

1 594,8 x 5 600,0 = 8 930 717 t/yr
949,3 x 5 600,0 = 5 315 903 LCM/yr

To mine 10 000 000 Bcm in a year how many excavators do we need :

10 000 000 Bcm / 3 800 000 Bcm = 2,6 = 3 units

with a float of around 12 %
 Production ( Nber of hours )
For trucks ,
on the same principle the total number of hours needed in the
year according the various haulroads bench by bench to dump or to
crusher are calculated :

Quantities Productivity Nber of hours

Bcm Bcm/H H
WASTE
BENCH 150 3 000 000 130 23 077
BENCH 160 2 500 000 120 20 833
BENCH 170 1 500 000 110 13 636
ORE
BENCH 150 1 200 000 75 16 000
BENCH 160 1 000 000 70 14 286
BENCH 170 800 000 65 12 308
10 000 000 100 140

10 000 000 Bcm / 100 Bcm/H = 100 000 hours

Number of trucks : 100 000 / 6 000 = 16,6 = 17 units

 COSTS
Capex : Capital expenses

Investment = Purchase cost + Freight & Customs

Depreciation = Purchase cost + Freight & Customs

Technical life ( Hours or Months)
Technical life =
Excavators : 36 000 to 60 000 Hours
Trucks : 48 000 to + 60 000 Hours

To finance the purchase cost, either internally or with a loan,

there are financial fees attached.

Applicable to Equipment and Fixed installations as workshop ,

offices , infrastructures…
 COSTS
Capex :
Example to give a rough idea

1 excavator Liebherr 9350 ~ 3 M €

( 1 bucket ~ 0,3 M € )
1 excavator Liebherr 9800 around 10 M €
( 1 Bucket Front shovel ~1 M € )
1 truck CAT 777 around 1,4 M USD
( 1 tyre radial type ~ 10 000 € )
1 truck CAT 789 around 2,6 M USD
( 1 tyre radial type ~ 25 000 € )
 COSTS
Capex :
Cost per hour:

Liebherr 9350
3 M Euros / 45 000 H ( 8 ans ) / financial fee 3%
= 75,6 Euros / hour ( 94 USD )
CAT 777
1,4 M USD / 56 000 H ( 10 ans ) / financial fee 3%
= 29,3 USD / hour
 COSTS
Opex : Operating Expenses
Direct costs : all the costs link directly to the hours
of equipment .

Operators
Maintenance ( filter , oil , grease )
Repair cost
Main component change ( Rebuilt )
GET ( Ground engagement tools )
Tyres , Undercarriage
Freight & taxes on spares
Fuel
 COSTS
Opex :
Indirect costs : all the other costs required to run the
works .

Mechanical staff
Logistic & purchase cost
Senior staff & Administration staff
Running costs ( insurances, stationery, travels ,com., financial
fee, safety consummable,camp accomodation…)
Site project management
Head office expenses
Fiscal impact
Margin in case of contractor
Opex cost can be also split in variable costs & fixed costs.
 COSTS
Opex : Example of equipment cost / hour
(West Africa : Operator ~ 1 000 USD/month , Fuel 1,1 USD/liter)

~ 580 USD/hour ~ 180 USD/hour

 COSTS
Total Capex + Opex / Production
= Cost / T or Bcm

Example of costs ( Gold Mine 10 years , West Africa,

10 MBcm/year , 65% in rock ) ~ 3,6 USD/T (mined)
 COSTS
Cost per T or Bcm , Fixed vs Variable costs