As reported in its just released 2017 Sustainability Report, development of a production dispatch algorithm and user-friendly software program to allocate load haul dump machines (boggers) and trucks in Telfer’s sub-level cave mine has resulted in increasingly systematic decision-making, taking into account the true complexity of the operation whilst improving safety. The new production software, nicknamed “Dingo” (for Dispatch ‘n’ Go), assists Telfer’s copper-gold mine control operators and production foremen in their day-to-day roles, planning shifts and allocating trucks and loaders to optimal locations.
Previously, the allocation of boggers and trucks at Telfer’s sub-level cave was done manually, with decision making primarily dependent on the judgement of operators and mine control. In recent years, the progression of the cave downwards has meant the truck-loading process has become more complex, making optimal trucking allocations to minimise interactions and improve trucking efficiencies much more difficult to determine. After recognising the Edge opportunity, the Telfer team engaged a specialist optimisation firm to help develop the tool. The first phase was to develop and test the backend optimisation engine, and the second phase was to develop and test the Dingo user interface.
The optimisation engine works in two parts to maintain the necessary solve speed. It identifies all the possible configurations of trucks and boggers, and the associated cycle times, distances and interactions for these configurations. It then takes this information into account for specified truck and loader configurations to determine the optimal solution. Development of the engine required input from Newcrest engineers to correctly identify the constraints and logic inherent in the environment and production processes.
Following intensive testing of the prototype optimisation engine, the second phase of the project created a user interface that features a schematic area displaying information such as the mining levels, the status of each cross-cut and cave shape, equipment timelines and availabilities, and real-time stock levels. Since “Dingo” went live in February 2017, the site has seen quantitative improvements in the tonne-kilometre per hour rates for the trucking fleet and in the utilisation of boggers. The system also provides a great visual as to where people and equipment are in the sub-level cave on a real-time basis, improving safety.
