Engineering & Mining Journal

SEP 2017

Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr

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82 E&MJ; • SEPTEMBER 2017 www.e-mj.com OPERATING STRATEGIES Don't overfi ll the skive – Repair techni- cians typically overbuild the fi ller rub- ber when using spotter style vulcanizing equipment to compensate for rubber run- ning away from the distorted repair area. This is particularly common in sidewall repairs. However, this wastes curing and buffi ng time and the costly fi ller rubber, and can also increase tire distortion. Monafl ex said its system doesn't re- quire excessive overbuild. The fl exible components conform completely to the shape of the tire, and during the cure the fi ller rubber is totally encased by the air- bag, eliminating the rubber migration and leaving a feather-edged fi nish. Correct tire maintenance can prevent unnecessary injuries – Correct infl ation and avoidance of overloading are the pri- mary ways to avoid early onset sidewall damage. Operating conditions including geology, temperature and weather will all affect the correct infl ation of the tires and care should be taken to follow the manu- facturer's recommendations at all times. Taming the Maintenance Budget Beast Managing a maintenance budget can be a time-consuming task. For a manager in a new role or a site with low maturity in this area, it can be a case of "cross the fi ngers and hope" the monthly expendi- ture was in line with the budget. If bud- gets are developed using a zero-based methodology, said Gerard Wood, man- aging director of Bluefi eld, a Brisbane, Australia-based asset management con- sultancy, then it should be manageable and excursions understood. However, it requires involvement from the entire team — not just a few. Below, Wood offers four tips on how to achieve better maintenance budget management: • Involve those accountable for expenditure in budget development process – Often the budget is developed by one or two people in the engineering or planning team. They know the equipment strategy in detail so they can effi ciently develop a zero-based budget. This is fi ne for bud- get development; however, these people are not making all of the expenditure de- cisions. It is better that the execution su- perintendents are involved in the budget development process and that they own any assumptions used to create the bud- get. Getting their involvement is not time- consuming. It ensures they have the nec- essary ownership of the budget delivery, and always results in input that will im- prove the quality of the budget. • Involve those who make expenditure decisions – The fact is that many expen- diture decisions are made by planners and supervisors. If these people have in- put to the assumptions and desired out- comes, this further deepens the under- standing of the details of the budget. This enables these people to work to the budget in a simple manner and they al- ways have ideas for cost savings. • Develop a reference tool or book – When a budget is fi nalized, it is necessary to have a simple reference tool or book so that the people responsible for making expenditure decisions (supervisors, plan- ners, superintendents) can easily identify whether the expenditure is in the budget. If it is not, action can be taken to identify necessary improvements. • Capture learning and continually improve the budget – It is essential to capture and learn from occasions when expen- diture exceeds the budget. Using cumu- lative life cycle cost management tools can make this visible and reviewing this on a regular (monthly or quarterly) basis can help identifi cation of opportunities for further cost savings. Weigh the Benefi ts of Mine-duty Scale Types Exact measurement of vehicle weight can be a helpful, and sometimes crucial, tool in evaluating certain aspects of mine loading and haulage operations. In order to be useful, any weighing devices used for mine-duty tasks need to be built to withstand the harsh conditions commonly encountered at mine sites. Quality Scales Unlimited, a western U.S. supplier of industrial-grade weighing equipment, said various models of three general types of truck scales are specif- ically designed to withstand the mining environment. Portable Axle Scales – These are most suitable for the companies that require heavy-duty weighing in diverse and tough environmental conditions, and in differ- ent locations. They are designed to be extremely durable, easy to maintain, and are mainly fabricated with stainless steel. The biggest advantages they offer are por- tability and affordability. They are equipped with weighing pads, automated weighing terminal and ramps. Receipts can be printed in real time and from different locations. They provide maximum benefi ts at minimum cost, according to Quality Scales. Weighbridge Truck Scales – These scales are built with heavy-duty compo- nents, which makes them suitable for rough operating environments, but with easy maintenance. There are many op- tions available for custom confi guration to meet site needs; drawbacks are that they are not portable, require more operational attention and are more costly. Onboard Truck Scales – These types of scales are designed to boost the effi - ciency of payload weighing, an important consideration at most mines. They use load cell sensors and come with digital indicators that display weight readout at all times. Visual and audible set-points on these scales ensure optimal usage. These systems are affordable, low-maintenance and very durable. Portable axle scales, similar to the unit shown here, provide maximum benefi ts at minimum cost, according to equipment supplier Quality Scales.

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