Is when the shovel is not loading and production stops. Here are the gaps that affect production:
The gap in truck coverage affects shovel utilization. High utilization translates to high production. The target is 85% shovel utilization.
This is what I did as a youth to earn money to become a heavy equipment operator: delivered newspapers, mowed lawns, shovel snow, & bailed hay.
Paper route – Delivering papers rain or shine 6 days a week that paid $0.05/customer/week. The papers were put inside the front screen door or under the rug and not thrown out at the street like they are today.
Lawn mowing – $1.00/lawn that took 1 hour + to mow with a push mower (not self-propelled). My current mower is a 54″ zero-turn with a 26hp engine that mows an acre in an hour.
Shovel snow on sidewalks & driveways – $1.00 each. Fortunately there’s no snow in Texas.
Bailed hay – $3.00/hr handling square bails that weighed 85-100lbs. that was hard, physical work, in the sun. The positive side was a tanned & muscular body that girls really liked. Today hay is bailed into round bails done by tractors thus eliminating the physical labor.
Things have changed dramatically in my lifetime with inflation being number 1.
Most mines utilize double-side loading over single-side loading because it eliminates truck spot times which increases shovel utilization for higher production.
Advantages of Double-side Loading
Double-side loading keeps the shovel fully utilized resulting in more production. The shovel never stops loading to wait on trucks to position themselves for loading. With single-side loading the shovel typically has to wait on the truck to back into loading position.
Note a poorly positioned truck that repositions will void any gains achieved in double side loading. Truck drivers must be proficient to quickly get into the correct loading position at the shovel. Remember: when the shovel has to wait for a truck – production stops!
Mines that utilize single-side loading typically have hydraulic shovels. The reason is that the hydraulic shovels’ cab is on the left side of the machine and the cab of the truck is on the left side so both the truck and the shovel have direct eye contact to each other.
Advantages of Single-side Loading
Single side loading puts more emphasis on the trucks to quickly get into position. They typically have 30 seconds from the time the loaded truck is honked out and for the next one to get into position.
* Note Truck drivers must be proficient to quickly get into the correct loading position at the shovel. Remember: when the shovel waits for a truck to get into position – production stops!
The type of shovel a mine chooses depends on mine life and volume of material to be moved.
Hydraulic shovel advantages are:
Electric shovel advantages are:
At an early age I saw an ad in the back of Popular Mechanics magazine that said “Learn how to operate Heavy Equipment and make big money”. Wow, that was what I needed. I contacted the school and enrolled. Paid cash, attended, and graduated at the top of the class. Now it’s time to get my first job. There was a big interstate highway job nearby so I went and talked to the big boss for a job. He asked for my experience and I proudly told him I’m a recent graduate of the Heavy Equipment Technical School in Charlotte NC. He started laughing profusely and when he stopped I asked him what was so funny? He replied ” I haven’t seen anyone from the school the was worth a pinch of owl sh..” I was shattered and never mentioned the school again. From that point on I lied about my experience in the beginning with every new job getting more experience. In a very short time my experience was sufficient for the job.
The key to life is never let things get in the way of your dreams!
Time & efficiency is so important to a shovel:
Because the size & scale of the shovels operating 24/7/365 produce massive amounts of production for the mine. Mine life & profitability are based on production rates so top efficiency in operation is very important to make every second count. My ability to reduce the seconds for a loading cycle optimizes shovel operator efficiencies and increases shovel production.
Feel free to submit any questions regarding operational efficiencies for electric shovels, hydraulic shovels, and large excavators.
Training is defined as a process by which someone is taught the skills that are needed for a profession or job. Unfortunately many companies view training as a costly and unnecessary expense. Just think about it, everybody has to study and take a written & driving test to get a driver’s license to safely drive on public roads. Semi truck drivers must be trained to receive a CDL license to safely operate on public roads. Airline pilots go through extensive training before authorized to fly passengers on a plane. These three examples deal with public safety on public roads so the need for training is mandated by governmental entities.
What I find interesting is that many construction companies hire people to operate heavy equipment that’s very expensive without any training. Due to the size and power of these machines they can be dangerous. I believe these companies view training as an unnecessary expense.
Mining companies use the same equipment as construction only much bigger. Mines do much better regarding training. Mining machines are big and require a high level of proficiency to operate safely & efficiently. In mines safety is always a top priority so a well trained work force lowers risks and maintains a high level of production.
There are various types of machines that load material in a truck or hopper to be transported to another location. Here’s the different types of loading machines:
Shovel Manufactures
