AUSTRALIAN METS
Unique DCO functionality enables XECUTE users to define a list of specific product or cargo builds , the qualities and quantities required and the date by which the shipment must be completed , according to RPM . DCO ’ s optimisation algorithms then allow the quality of each build to converge to the target in time for completion , avoiding off-specification penalties and demurrage costs , it said .
“ The algorithms allow out-of-specification material to be blended to the required grade , increasing the quantity of saleable product available and maximising the net present value of the mining and supply chain operations ,” the company said .
Kennon said the client in question has been able to improve adherence to target specifications of the material it is delivering for each shipment , eliminating the cost of penalties from off-spec material .
“ This is a significant improvement on performance prior to the DCO capability ,” he said . “ The mine planner can specify the objectives and constraints of the value chain in mining terms – it doesn ’ t require a PhD in maths to use it .”
With the automation the DCO module provides , XECUTE allows rapid consideration of different scenarios . “ In this way , XECUTE is more than a planning tool – it ’ s a decision support system ,” Kennon said .
At one of the sites where RPM has XECUTE and DCO working together , the company has revolutionised the planning process .
Previously , two full-time personnel were required to plan the sequence of operations from the run of mine stockpiles to the port , but , even with those resources , the tools they had could not produce an effective schedule longer than two weeks , according to Kennon .
“ The standard six-week mine plan was then disconnected from the whole value chain because there was no downstream visibility further than two weeks out ,” he said .
This disconnect was entirely due to the inadequacies of the tools they were using , Kennon claims , with the limited visibility meaning any potential issues hitting shipping targets were revealed very late , restricting the ability of the mine to adjust its operations to resolve the issue .
Using the previous tools , another downside was the inability to respond quickly when changes occurred . Often this meant accepting the cost of continuing with a plan no longer a good fit for reality – for example , crushing material no longer needed that week , sending material to the port when there was no ship to accept it , or shipping what is available even if it is off-spec .
“ Now using XECUTE and DCO , those two personnel are freed up to add value elsewhere in the organisation ,” Kennon said . “ The work to manage that value chain now only requires one person and it is now a much smaller part of their job .”
In addition , the plan now extends to six weeks , matching the length of the mine plan , providing a “ truly integrated value chain ”.
While the DCO module has been developed around the needs of bulk commodity miners , the company sees uses beyond this in operations that have more than one site , are combining multiple sources of material through a processing and logistics chain or produce multiple product types .
“ Every operation is different , and whether the product handoff happens at the mine gate , the stockyard or the port , XECUTE ’ s DCO module has the capability to optimise all the way through to that customer ,” Kennon said . “ So while we do emphasise the huge value that DCO has for the bulk commodity miners , we know that it can add value for other surface mining operations as well .”
A new training standard
It is a different type of simulation tool that has led to Immersive Technologies ’ impressive product take-up across the mining sector .
Having led efforts to rethink and redesign training technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure workforce optimisation continues to be achieved , while at the same time meeting newly implemented safe work practices , the equipment simulator provider is now building out a new training platform to help educate mine site staff .
Immersive says it provides systems with high levels of learning retention and skills transfer engineered to solve mining challenges around safety , productivity and equipment availability . This is where its newest training system , Mine Standards Training ( MST ), aids the process .
The Mine Standards Training tool , Immersive says , is dynamic , offering users the option to operate in virtual reality via its existing Worksite VR Quest platform or on an interactive classroom touchscreen
Cian Dobson , Visual Database Manager at Immersive Technologies , explains : “ Over the past 18 months , we have been collaborating with some of the largest mining companies in the world to improve the supervision and coaching of heavy equipment operators via improvement of supervisor proficiency .
“ Gone are the days where it takes a full year for a supervisor to be exposed to all types of weather , traffic , loading and digging conditions . This exposure and skills development can now be accomplished by immersing the learner into a replicated 3D mining environment through virtual reality and touchscreen technology .”
The MST tool , Immersive says , is dynamic , offering users the option to operate in virtual reality via its existing Worksite VR Quest platform or on an interactive classroom touchscreen . These two options leverage current simulation assets to create engaging content such as drilling and blasting , ground engagement tools , supervisor training , pit priority rules and many more related situations .
“ Imagine being able to simulate a scenario from surface or underground operations , put it on a virtual table and walk around it ,” Immersive said . “ Now add the capability to view the process from the cabin of any machine , or teleport to the pit floor itself . Then , take this scene and insert visual cues a supervisor should be able to identify , assess and correct .”
Dobson said the company is excited about the value Immersive ’ s customers can realise with the improvement of supervisor skills .
“ We help them create realistic simulations in MST of both perfect and flawed operator behaviour requiring the user to identify the
24 International Mining | MAY 2021