Flexible Material Scheduler  (FMS) Introducing FMS in Studio NPVS

 

What is Flexible Material Scheduler?

FMS is a scheduler and material allocation optimizer; it determines timing of block extraction and destinations for all material types in a block. Scheduling and optimization proceed period by period, where the “period” is defined implicitly by production targets; for example, minimum tonnes to mine. Since the targets can vary over time, so can “period” definitions.

FMS is a “myopic” scheduler; it does not anticipate the effects of the solution at a given period on the future periods. In this, FMS differs from the Scheduler, which looks ahead to balance the immediate outcome of an action with its impact on outcomes that can be obtained in the future.

FMS' nearsightedness can be mitigated by using Scheduler OES as a guidance, see User Interface for details.  

FMS is not an alternative to the Scheduler and MAO, just a different solution that can work better in iron ore and industrial mineral deposits where SCH/MAO failed to deliver the desired results.

The computational engine of FMS is a MIP (Mixed Integer Programming) solver to offer a complete scheduling solution, allowing the engineer to determine how to best transport, stockpile, and process material to generate all required products. The main features of FMS are:

• The definition of time is implicit in the targets; FMS does not require a single “time target”

• Mining blocks are divided into grade categories

• In order to provide flexibility when scheduling the categories can be allocated to destinations other than their economically optimal

• The scheduling of grade categories from the pit(s), external sources, and stockpiles to destinations occurs in the same step

• If the Scheduler has been run, FMS can use the information and benefit from the look-ahead nature of the Scheduler solution. This is optional.

• FMS assigns a period and updated OES number to each block model cell.

• All existing MAO settings are used by FMS (only MFO max mining rate is not used)

• Inputs to FMS can be mine production, stockpiles, or externally sourced material for blending

• Destinations determined by FMS can be processing methods and / or stockpiles which also serve as inputs for the next periods.

• Destinations can have any number of quality targets expressed as rates or ratios of elements.

• Capacities of destinations can be unlimited (leach pads or waste dumps), limited (stockpiles) or specifically targeted (processing plants).

• Global constraints can be set over several rock types, for example to ensure a processing plant has a fixed ratio of rock types as its input.

• Destinations can have positive or negative costs. A negative cost is equivalent to a selling price thus allowing any number of complex products that vary over time to be specified.

	Related Topics
	FMS Essentials FMS Quick Start MAO MFO Settings: Optimization FMS: Pushback Control Settings FMS Control Parameter Settings