Maximizing Efficiency in Mining Operations: Time Usage Model for Fixed Plant (Part 4)

Maximizing Efficiency in Mining Operations: Time Usage Model for Fixed Plant (Part 4)

By Danie Bezuidenhout

The journey of optimizing mining operations is incomplete without an in-depth look at fixed plant equipment—those critical, stationary assets like crushers, mills, and winders, which play a vital role in resource extraction and processing. Understanding and managing the performance of fixed plant equipment is essential to improving efficiency, reducing downtime, and ultimately increasing productivity.

Why Focus on Fixed Plant?

Fixed plant assets are the backbone of material processing in mining. Unlike mobile equipment, fixed plant machinery is constantly operating or on standby, meaning its uptime directly influences production output. By using a structured Time Usage Model (TUM), mining companies can effectively monitor and optimize the availability, utilization, and efficiency of these assets.

Applying the Time Usage Model to Fixed Plant Equipment

The Time Usage Model, initially developed for mobile equipment, is equally beneficial for managing fixed plant assets. According to the Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG) and other research frameworks, a well-structured TUM breaks down operational time into categories that provide insights into equipment status, including productive and non-productive states. For fixed plant machinery, these time categories enable us to track when equipment is:

• Operating: Actively processing materials.
• On Standby: Available but not actively in use.
• Undergoing Maintenance: Scheduled or unscheduled downtimes for repairs.
• Experiencing Operating Delays: Short interruptions inherent to the operation.

Such classification enables mining operations to benchmark and set KPIs specific to fixed plant efficiency, availability, and utilization. The TUM approach also makes it easier to identify bottlenecks in the production line and understand the root causes of delays or breakdowns.

Key KPIs for Fixed Plant Using TUM

For fixed plant equipment, runtime is often a primary KPI, calculated by multiplying availability by utilization. Availability refers to the percentage of time the equipment is ready for operation, while utilization measures how effectively it is used when available. By focusing on these KPIs, companies can:

1. Enhance Predictive Maintenance: Using TUM data to plan maintenance around scheduled downtimes, minimizing impact on production.
2. Optimize Workflow: Identifying underutilized periods and strategizing to increase productive time.
3. Increase Equipment Longevity: Ensuring equipment is neither overused nor left idle for too long, balancing its operational load.

The Value of Standardization in Fixed Plant Operations

Implementing a standardized TUM across fixed plant and mobile equipment creates consistency in reporting, benchmarking, and performance tracking across the mining site. It helps align teams on shared objectives, such as reducing unproductive hours, and provides a common framework for performance analysis across sites and operations. This consistent tracking and reporting, supported by the GMG framework, pave the way for better asset management and decision-making.

Looking Ahead to Part 5

In Part 5, we’ll explore how these TUM principles and KPIs for both mobile and fixed equipment translate into actionable insights across mining operations. This includes practical examples of time usage categorization and real-world impact metrics.

References:

• Global Mining Guidelines Group. (2020). A Standardized Time Classification Framework for Mobile Equipment in Surface Mining.
• RAK Developments. (2019). Challenging the Norms: Time Usage Model for Mobile Underground Mining Equipment

#MiningEfficiency #FixedPlant #AssetManagement #TimeUsageModel #MiningIndustry #KPI #OperationalExcellence #MiningEquipment