Selection and assessment of mining equipment used in open pit rock mines relies chiefly on estimates of overall exploitation cost. The rational arrangement of mining equipment and systems comprising loading machines, haul trucks and crushing plants should be preceded by a thorough analysis of technical and economic aspects, such as investment outlays and the costs of further exploitation, which largely determine the costs of mining operations and the deposit value. Additionally, the operational parameters of the mining equipment ought to be considered. In this study, a universal set of evaluation criteria has been developed, and an evaluation method has been applied for the selection of surface mining equipment and the processing system to be operated in specific mining conditions, defined by the user. The objective of this study is to develop and apply the new methodology of multi-criteria selection of open pit rock mining equipment based on multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) procedures, to enable the optimization of loading, handling and crushing processes. The methodology, underpinned by the principles of MCDM, provides the dedicated ranking procedures, including the ELECTRE III. The applied methodology allows the alternative options (variants) to be ranked accordingly. Ultimately, a more universal methodology is developed, applicable in other surface mines where geological and mining conditions are similar. It may prove particularly useful in selection and performance assessment of mining equipment and process line configurations in mining of low-quality rock deposits. Therefore, we undertook to develop universal criteria and applications for the selection and performance assessment of process machines for surface mines, taking into account environmental aspects as well as deposit quality.

Vehicle transport is a dominant type of technological processes in rock mines, and its profit ability is strictly dependent on overall cost of its exploitation, especially on diesel oil consumption. Thus, a rational design of transportation system based on haul trucks should result from thorough analysis of technical and economic issues, including both cost of purchase and its further exploitation, having a crucial impact on the cost of minerals extraction. Moreover, off-highway trucks should be selected with respect to all specific exploitation conditions and even the user’s preferences and experience. In this paper a development of universal family of evaluation criteria as well as application of evaluation method for haul truck selection process for a specific exploitation conditions in surface mining have been carried out. The methodology presented in the paper is based on the principles of multiple criteria decision aiding (MCDA) using one of the ranking method, i.e. ELECTRE III. The applied methodology has been allowed for ranking of alternative solution (variants), on the considered set of haul trucks. The result of the research is a universal methodology, and it consequently may be applied in other surface mines with similar exploitation parametres.

The article presents an analysis of the influence of selected operating environment parameters on the operation of a technological system in a mine and examines the profitability of exploiting a deposit of low quality. A model based on a cyclical transportation system in a surface limestone mine, developed in the Haulsim software, served to evaluate—from an economic perspective—several material transportation scenarios depending on the quality of the deposit. A discrete simulation of machine operation allowed a detailed analysis of the technological, operating and economic parameters for selected solutions. The results may be the basis for a decision to begin or to resign from mineral extraction. The simulation results demonstrate that maintaining the operating environment in good technical condition positively influences machine operating cycle times, the required total time of the transportation task and the operating costs. The analysis was performed for the production period of one full year, allowing for the effective work and technological downtimes. This approach allowed the usefulness of the model to be demonstrated in evaluating not only the effectiveness of individual technological procedures but also its economic aspect, related to a decision on the exploitation of “difficult” deposits.

This paper presents an analysis of the impact of selected parameters of the operating environment on the energy consumption and reliability of haulage in surface mining. The analysis is based on a cyclic haulage system in a limestone open pit. The results of the calculations show that maintaining the operating environment in good technical condition has a positive effect on the haulage process and a direct or indirect effect on the operating costs, the analysis of which is also presented in the main body of the article. The analysis was carried out for a full year’s production, taking into account actual operating and maintenance downtime. The results of similar analyses can be used as a basis for deciding on the type of truck to be used for transport or for reconfiguring transport routes. In addition to the economic and operational aspects of energy consumption and reliability, the environmental aspect cannot be overlooked. The comparison of two variants of mining conditions shows that a modification of the haul road surface leads to a significant reduction in fuel consumption. Depending on the type of vehicle, fuel consumption can be reduced by almost 20%. The potential reduction in fuel consumption directly translates into lower exhaust emissions, which is an important element of an environmentally sustainable approach to mining transport, and greater reliability increases efficiency and reduces the carbon footprint of the vehicle.

A methodology is outlined for equipment selection for the extraction of secondary deposits, supported by the Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) tool based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and applied to evaluate its impact on the mining system’s performance and the viability of the rock mining project. The equipment selection analysis affords us the means to explore selected options, taking technological and economic parameters into account, and opening the way for making the decision to begin or discontinue mining operations. The simulation results show how maintaining the mining site in a good condition impacts on the actual duty cycle of mining equipment, the time required to complete the hauling task and the operating costs.

This article presents a comparative assessment of energy consumption and fume emissions such as NOx, CO₂, and CO associated with the excavation of a specified gypsum volume using two mining methods (blasting and mechanical extraction). The analysis was carried out based on a case study gypsum open-pit mine in Poland where both extraction methods are applied. The findings indicate that, for the same output volume, blasting operations require significantly less energy (ranging from 1298.12 MJ to 1462.22 MJ) compared to mechanical excavation (86,654.15 MJ). Furthermore, a substantial portion of the energy in blasting operations is attributed to explosive loading and drilling (970.95 MJ). Conversely, mechanical mining results in higher fume emissions compared to blasting. However, during mechanical extraction, the fumes are dispersed over a prolonged period of 275 h, whereas blasting achieves the same gypsum volume extraction in approximately 7.5 h. The prediction model suggests that, based on the obtained data, overall gypsum extraction will decline unless new operational levels are developed or the mine is expanded. This reduction in gypsum extraction will be accompanied by a corresponding decrease in energy consumption and emission of fumes.