Analysis and risk assessment of the supply of copper ore in the belt conveyor system in an underground mine

Abstract

Risk management, through the systematic implementation of policies related to analysis, assessment, and action leading to a reduction in the amount of risk-related losses, is increasingly used in manufacturing companies. We are looking for opportunities in order to improve efficiency and an opportunity of gaining a competitive advantage in reducing the risk level of having a negative impact on the economic results of enterprises. The article presents the concept of reliable analysis and risk assessment for the horizontal transport system of copper ore. The risk has been defined as the probability of not achieving the objective set for the transport system, i.e., not delivering the planned amount of copper ore in a given time to the mining shaft. Unplanned downtime and belt conveyor failures have been assumed as risk factors. The proposed method consists of three stages. The FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) method was used in the first stage, which allowed for the designation of structural elements of the belt conveyor, which are most often damaged. The FMEA method uses operational data collected over a period of three years as well as the expert knowledge of maintenance staff. In the second stage, the transport system was divided into components (transport lines) for which the risk of failure was determined, allowing the identification of transport lines most exposed to the risk of failure. The third and final stage of the method consisted of determining the reliability structure of the entire transport system by belt conveyors, taking into account the functions of individual elements (transport lines) in the system. The total risk calculated for the reliability structure determined in this way is the probability of not achieving the objective set for the transport system.