MEA Student Chen Dong has left his mark on CITIC Pacific Mining (CPM) in the form of a new software tool.

During his two months vacation work with CPM, the Adelaide University mining engineering student used his programming skills to create a software model of the Cape Preston mine to simulate the movement of trucks to the crushers. With each truck costing nearly $700 per hour to operate, any delays are costly.

CPM Director of Mining Michael Elliott said Chen had worked extremely hard to collect data and understand the key variables for the simulation model.

“The model provides a tool that scheduling engineers, business improvement and management can use to analyse various combinations of trucks, traffic rules and roads and the effect they have on truck waiting times,” Michael said.

“Chen wanted to make a difference to the project when he came in December. He has done just that by producing a tool and working technique that can be applied in various areas of the business.”

Michael said the tool allowed the Business Improvement team to run studies prior to the commencement of work in some areas of the business. “They can model various combinations in consultation with the experts from each area to work out what quantities of equipment or people might be required to do a particular task,” Michael explained.

“The output from the tool can be used to build up a sensitivity table that shows where we are getting value for money through efficient operation and where we start to have higher costs because we either have idle plant and equipment due to queuing or reduced throughput due to lack of equipment and people.”

Article and Photo supplied by CITIC Pacific Mining

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