Assessment of reserves of raising effectiveness of using excavator and automobile complex on a coal mine

Maintaining high productivity of mining equipment is one of the key tasks in achieving the necessary competitiveness level at a coal mining company. As the coal stocks are becoming more and more complicated, the requirements for the quality of coal are raising and global price volatility is increasing, mining enterprises should operate more effectively than ever. The purpose of the study is to reveal and analyze reserves for raising effectiveness of exploiting the potential of excavator and automobile complex on a coal mine, and to develop organizational measures on their implementation. On order to achieve this goal the authors applied the following methods: chronometric observations to determine rational parameters of the cycles of loading and transportation of rock mass, the production experiment method to compare performance of excavator and automobile complex under different organizational conditions, working day photography to study the structure of the working day of the staff, graphic modelling of the working routine of excavator and automobile complex to reveal the opportunities for improving the consistency and rhythm of excavation and transportation. As a result, the study revealed unproductive work time of excavator and automobile complex which can be reserve for raising effectiveness of exploiting the equipment by 15–40%. In order to reduce loss of work time and to increase productivity of excavator and automobile complex the authors point out two directions: 1) higher quality of work conditions including improvement and maintenance of working platforms and roads; establishing appropriate traffi c routes; further training of excavator and truck drivers; 2) effi cient management of excavation and transportation in operation during a shift by means of controlling the rhythm of production.