Reliability Modelling of Surface Mining Equipment: Data Gathering and Analysis Methodologies

As the size and complexity of open pit mining equipment continue to increase, the implications of equipment failure become ever more critical. An unplanned failure can result in significantly higher repair costs than a planned maintenance or repair. Of even more importance is the loss of production associated with larger equipment failures. One method to mitigate the impact of failures is to improve the reliability of the equipment. A first step in reliability improvement is collection and analysis of the appropriate data. This paper will summarize relevant techniques for reliability analysis and identify data requirements and information sources.