Equipment problems and their resolutions

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 81, No. 913, 1988

W.D. WATSON, Quintette Coal Limited, Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia

Early in mine development at Quintette Coal Limited major problems were encountered with the fleets of primary equipment which seriously hampered production. These major fleets (cable shovels, hydraulic shovels, hydraulic drills and electric trucks) have consequently been the focal point of maintenance efforts. Some were prototypes in the Canadian mining scene and brought with them new concerns to test their skills. The problems were studied and the category and areas which were having the greatest impact on the reliability of the equipment were determined. Once defined, priorities were established and a program was initiated which was designed to accomplish a resolution. Resulting from implementation of this systematic approach, over the past three and one-half years, the fleets are now giving good reliability and industry-standard availabilities. Along with these significant achievements, cost per operating hour on some of the equipment fleets has decreased substantially and continue a downtrend through 1987. This paper identifies the problems and describes the resolutions.

Keywords: Coal mining, Quintette Coal Limited, Equipment, Maintenance.