Machine Classes

To access this screen:

  • Select any machine class on the Scheduling Setup screen and enable the Machine Class Settings tab.

The Machine Class Settings screen is used to define machine class parameters and symbol display options.

The information on this screen relates to the currently selected machine class on the left.

This includes a machine’s rated capacity and, if one has been defined, an associated maintenance calendar.

Displaying Machine Locations

The location of any machine can be displayed at any time within the schedule. By defining the Display parameters in the Machine Class Settings screen, the machine class symbol is displayed for the selected block outline once the relevant activity (for example, loading) has been scheduled. This icon is placed at the block’s centre of gravity. The date/time window in which the machine is displayed for a selected period is controlled by the settings defined in the Machine Display screen.

Maintenance Calendars

A Maintenance Calendar can be associated with the machine class to define planned maintenance events.

Availabilities, Efficiencies and Utilisation Calculations

The Mechanical Availability, Use of Availability and Operational Efficiency (all in units of percent) can be entered for individual periods or ranges of periods. For example, if the first End Period is entered as 10 then the values are applied to Time Periods 1 to 10. A different set of values can then be entered with a second End Period of 99 and these values are applied to Time Periods 11 to 99.

The Utilization (%) is then calculated as follows: Utilization = Mechanical Availability x Use of Availability  x Operational Efficiency.

StudioOP uses the Utilisation to calculate the operating hours as follows: Operating Hours = Utilisation x Calendar Hours.

Adjustment Factors

An adjustment factor can be applied to the rated capacity by selecting the relevant field from the list for Adjustment Factor. For example, this field might relate to the Blasting Index (BI) of the rock, and BI can be used to modify the digging rate as follows:

Adjustment Factor = (BI for Block/BI at Rated Capacity)

Actual Machine Capacity = Rated Capacity x Adjustment Factor

Activity steps:

  1. Display the Machine Classes screen.
  2. Define General Settings:
    • In Name, enter a unique name for the new machine class.
    • In Abbreviation, accept the default or enter an abbreviation for the machine class.
  3. Define Capacity Settings:
    • In Rated Capacity, enter the rated capacity (tonnes/operating hour, volume/operating hour) of a single machine in the selected machine class.
    • In Units/Op Hr, select the numerator unit field (per operating hour) for the machine rate. This field comes from the defined reserves table.
    • In Adjustment Factor, optionally select a table column that contains adjustment factor values.
    • In Maintenance Calendar, select a maintenance calendar from the list.

  4. If you are defining a loader machine class, in Categories Settings, select the category or categories that the machine can mine.

    Note: Loaders can be restricted to only mine certain categories. For example, for some types of operations, different loaders are used for mining waste than the loaders used for mining ore. For each defined category, as depicted by the reserves file associated with your scheduling scenario (which would normally be inherited from the evaluation legend used to generate the reserves table).

    Note: Only designated category material will be mined by the current machine class.

  5. Define Display Settings:
    • In Symbol, select a machine symbol from the list.
    • In Symbol Library, select a symbol library from the list.
    • In Symbol Size, select a symbol size (mm). A good default is 10.
    • In Path Style, select a path line style from the list.
    • In Line Width, select a line width (pts).
    • In Color, select a colour from the colour palette.
  6. Define Calendar Settings:
    • For each record, in End Period, select the end scheduling period up to which the associated availability, efficiency, and utilisation parameters apply.

    • In Units, enter the number of units required for the selected machine class for the specified period.

      This will change the capacity hours for the Machine Class. This methodology mainly applies to medium term planning e.g. where the machine fleet size varies over time as new units are purchased or decommissioned.This can also be achieved by modifying the utilisation period by period but is not a recommended approach.

      This methodology may also have usage for short term where you want to model the number of haul truck units day by day. However it is probably better in this case to keep the number of units fixed and vary mechanical availability day by day according to the Planned Maintenance schedule.

      Warning: Using a Maintenance calendar to control the number of available haul trucks is not recommended as it means that the whole fleet is down during a PM, where you actually want to model a partial fleet.

    • In Mech Avail %, Use of Avail %, and OpEff %, enter values (%) for the relevant parameters.
    • Review the calculated Utilization % value.
    • If required, in Cost/TONNES, enter a processing cost for the period and machine class.

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