Auto Scheduler Setup

Note: There are two screen variants.

The first is used to control how Auto Scheduler models loaders during advanced optimization. See Auto Scheduler Loader Modelling Activity Steps

The second is shown as part of the Scheduling Data Setup dialog and contains the following properties that will apply only to the selected loader class. See Scheduler Settings Loader Modelling Activity Steps.

These settings have no impact on manual scheduling.

Auto Scheduler Loader Modelling Activity Steps

This activity models loader allocation within the selected region during advanced optimization. It is also used to set up asynchronous task attributes. See Auto Scheduler Setup and Loader Modelling Settings.

  1. Display the Auto Scheduler Setup and Loader Modelling Settings screen.

  2. Enable Loader Modelling or leave it unchecked.

    If loader allocation modelling is enabled, loaders will be modelled if their Enable Loader Modelling setting is enabled on the corresponding Machine Settings screen.

  3. To apply loader modelling to either the pit or a Region of the pit, select an attribute.

    A region is an attribute in the reserves file such as PIT, PHASE, BENCH, BLOCKID. By default, each pit is considered a region, although you can specify a reserves attribute to specify a sub-division of a pit – for example, PHASE.

  4. Choose whether to enable Loader Sequencing.

    Note: Loader Sequencing allows Auto Scheduler to automatically generate dependencies between mining blocks using a sequence attribute.

    If Loader Sequencing is enabled:

    1. Expand the Grouping list and pick an attribute from the reserves file. This is used to group together mining blocks. Sequencing is applied within each group of mining blocks and not between groups. By default, the value is blank, meaning no grouping is applied, that is, all mining blocks are in the same group.

    2. Expand the Sequence list and choose a numeric attribute from the reserves file. This attribute sets the order to load mining blocks within each group.  Blocks are mined within a group in order of increasing value of their sequence value. This ordering may be a partial order; multiple mining blocks may have the same sequence number meaning that the order in which they are mined is unspecified and left to the Auto Scheduler to calculate. Blocks with a sequence value of 0 (zero) or absent are ignored and are not grouped or sequenced: the Auto Scheduler will decide when to mine them.

  5. Select any Asynchronous Attributes for the schedule calculation. See Auto Scheduler Setup and Loader Modelling Settings.

    1. Select Add to append the attributes table with a new row.

    2. Select a reserves file attribute from the list.

    3. To remove an attribute, select it and click Delete.

  6. Click OK to update auto scheduler settings. The next run of the Auto Scheduler will use the settings specified.

Scheduler Settings Loader Modelling Activity Steps

Note: This screen is shown as part of the Scheduling Data Setup dialog.

  1. Display the Loader Modelling Settings screen (variant 2).

  2. Choose if loader modelling is performed during schedule calculationa:

    1. Select Enable Loader Modelling to consider loader availability and capacity during schedule optimization.

    2. Deselect Enable Loader Modelling to ignore loader capacity and availability.

  3. To determine how loader capacity is determined in each period:
    1. Select Force maximum use of available capacity if the loader should mine at its maximum capacity in each period in which it is active.
    2. Deselect Force maximum use of available capacity to allow the optimal loader capacity to be determined automatically by the schedule solver.
  4. To determine the time period(s) in which a loader mines at maximum capacity:
    1. Select Enable Start Up and Shut Down to ensure the loader must mine at its maximum available capacity in the periods after it has started mining and before it has finished mining.
    2. Deselect Enable Start Up and Shut Down to ensure the loader is always active, meaning the loader must at maximum available capacity in every period of the schedule.
  5. To define the starting region of the loader, enable Fix initial location and pick a reserves attribute representing the region.