Mine Managers urged to adopt VDT for mining efficiency
Mine Managers have been urged to initiate a Value Driver Tree (VDT) in their mining operations to ensure productivity improvement through increased production volumes and maximizing value within the current asset base.
Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking at the Association of Mine Managers of Zimbabwe (AMMZ) 50th Annual General Meeting and Mining Conference held at Elephant Hills Resort, Victoria Falls in November which ran under the theme, “The Zimbabwean mining landscape, transition towards the present day 4th Industrial Revolution” Council member of the AMMZ and Vice President-Elect Abel Makura said, VDT is “A way of visualizing a business model in a way that links the value metrics (what management stakeholders care about) to the operational drivers (the things that can be influenced to change the value metric).
Flexible value driver models can calculate the expected costs under different production levels and operating performance scenarios. Value driver models can be used to report a combination of operational and financial performance data covering all aspects of a mining operation.
Makura said mining companies through mining managers should adopt strategies to ensure improved productivity. Makura also said mine managers should create, direct operating time strategies, blasting strategies, hoisting strategies, and processing strategies for productivity improvement.
For Direct Operating Time, Makura said it is of great significance for mine managers to increase facetime by making sure miners work in the shortest time possible, improving the ventilation system and spreading working shifts over 24hrs.
“STRATEGIES (DIRECT OPERATING TIME), Increase facetime by getting employees to work in the shortest possible time. Reduce re-entry time through the improved ventilation system and Spread working shifts over 24 hours,” the AMMZ Vice President said.
For STRATEGIES in blasting, Makura said it is important to increase face advance, increase the number of per day and avoid unnecessary waste mining.
“STRATEGIES (BLASTING), increase face length/face advance, Increase the number of blasts per day or reduce lost blasts, Avoid unnecessary waste mining and Mine within the best grade (tactical team deployment)” he said.
On Hoisting, Makura said mine managers should strategize to reduce cycle times through tramming distances, improve loading times and tonnes per load and at the same time improve tramming speed.
“STRATEGIES (HOISTING), REDUCE CYCLE TIMES THROUGH TRAMMING DISTANCES, IMPROVE LOADING TIMES THROUGH GOOD PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION (FRAGMENTATION), IMPROVE TONNES PER LOAD THROUGH BUCKET SIZE AND FILL FACTOR and IMPROVE TRAMMING SPEED (ROADWAY CONDITION)” Makura said.
He said for processing, mine managers should be able to strategize to improve recovery, mill runtime and nameplate design capacity.
“STRATEGIES – PROCESSING, Improve recovery, Improve mill runtime and Improve nameplate design capacity,” he said.