Digital Mining 

To help mining supervisors optimize operations, the following key performance indicators (KPIs) should be monitored and managed in real time:

Loader Loading Time: 

This metric tracks the time it takes for a loader to load a truck, including truck exchange time. Factors affecting this include material fragmentation, loading face geometry, and operator proficiency.
 
Truck Cycle Time: 

This is the duration it takes for a mining truck to travel from the loader to the dump site, unload, and return for the next load. It is influenced by haul profile characteristics such as rolling resistance, incline and decline gradients, and the distances between haul segments.

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Optimal Truck Fleet Size: This KPI determines the ideal number of trucks needed to ensure continuous operations with minimal loader waiting time and no truck queuing. The goal is to create a steady flow of trucks between the loader and the dump, like a virtual conveyor system.

Mining haul profiles are constantly changing due to several factors:
 
- Selective mining practices that alter the destination of material within a mining block.
 
- Increased haul distances as dumps expand.
 
- Shifts to in-pit haul routes.

### Productivity and Efficiency
The cost of surface mining is closely tied to the performance of the mining team. To reduce costs, the team needs to be optimized, especially as haul distances increase. 

Digital Mining: continuously monitors both loading and cycle times for each truck. By analyzing these two parameters, Digital Mining calculates the optimal truck fleet size and compares it to the actual number of trucks in use. This real-time data enables supervisors to adjust the fleet size as needed, maintaining efficiency at all times.

With these KPIs, mining supervisors and management can:
 
- Measure the productivity and profitability of loading, hauling, and related activities for specific haul profiles.
 
- Analyze each aspect of the operation to ensure performance aligns with targets and budgets, ultimately driving profitability and improving cost margins.

**Equipment Availability:** This refers to the mechanical uptime of the equipment and is expressed as a percentage of available shift hours, accounting for both planned and unplanned maintenance. The target availability depends on the mine's shift system. For operations that allow major maintenance outside of shift hours, such as dayshift-only or 2x10-hour shifts (with 4 hours reserved for maintenance), the target can reach 95%. Continuous operations typically aim for 80% availability.

**Equipment Utilization:** This measures the total productive hours of the equipment as a percentage of available hours, accounting for non-productive time like blasting delays, fatigue breaks, shift changes, and work stoppages. Utilization targets depend on factors such as shift systems and blasting practices, typically ranging from 80% to 90%.

**Effective Equipment Utilization:** This KPI represents the total productive hours as a percentage of total available shift hours, factoring in both mechanical availability and operational utilization. In open-pit mining, meeting production targets profitably relies on the coordinated operation of various equipment working as a team. **Digital Mining** tracks and measures these critical KPIs to ensure efficient equipment use and optimal interaction between machines.

### Effective Equipment Utilization

Maximizing the operational working hours of mining equipment is key to overall efficiency. **Digital Mining** measures and reports the following KPIs in real time to help manage equipment utilization:

- Shift time
- First startup
- First load
- Last load
- Last switch-off
- Machine idle time

The system is customized to monitor performance against KPIs unique to each mine, enabling accurate tracking of efficiency relative to specific mining conditions and expectations. Effective utilization serves as a clear metric of how well the mining operation performs against its targeted benchmarks, offering insights into profitability and operational efficiency.

Linking Equipment Productivity and Efficiency to Operator Performance

In mining, equipment productivity and efficiency KPIs should be directly tied to specific operators. Typically, operator costs are lumped with equipment costs rather than calculated as a time-based expense to simplify cost analysis. However, analyzing operator allocations and time spent is crucial for ensuring performance within safety and efficiency standards.

Digital Mining offers a cutting-edge key control system that provides proactive, virtual management of machine access with the following features:

- Each operator is assigned a unique key, tied to their machine license, specific mine, personal details, and license expiry date.
- Keys are linked to prerequisite permits, such as medicals or hazardous chemical certifications, ensuring operators meet all safety requirements before operating a machine.
- The system operates offline, requiring no real-time communication with machines for key activation or expiration.
- Virtual keys expire automatically, eliminating the need for manual system maintenance, making it a more efficient and advanced solution compared to traditional operator identification methods.

 

Operator Utilization

One of the most critical metrics in mining, from both production and safety perspectives, is operator performance and key control. By integrating key control into every stage of the mining process, operations are linked to specific operators in real-time.

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Key Benefits:

- Real-Time Data Association: Production data (hours, revenue, costs) is tied directly to operators.
- Comprehensive Operator KPIs: Mines can generate KPIs for operator performance, such as:
  - Production vs. machine hours (e.g., tons per hour).
  - Mining efficiency.
  - Operator performance vs. training needs.
  - Performance trends over time, identifying areas for improvement or training.
  - Operator fatigue metrics, promoting both productivity and safety.

This system enables mines to optimize operator performance, ensuring safety and productivity are aligned.