Formation of control contours for technological process in a coal strip mine

Mining technological process as a sequence of changing the natural state of the Earth's subsoil to obtain a certain quantity and quality of mineral products is characterized by departures from the specified normative parameter values, which is due to causes of different nature. Most of these causes are man-made, anf they are created during the performance of specific process operations by the personnel. The article presents an original approach to managing the control over the technological process parameters in a coal strip mine. To reduce the magnitude and probability of the process departures from the normative values, the authors propose to create technical and organizational control loops. Each loop is a closed chain of technical means and organizational tools, which secures up-keeping of the normative technological process state. Production risk is proposed to be used as a criterion to assess the efficiency of the control loops. The methodology allowing to calculate the risk is described. The results of the contour approach application to the technological process control at the Solntsevsky coal strip mine are presented.