IMPACT OF BENCH CONDITIONS AND MINING-CLIMATIC FACTORS ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF OPEN-PIT EXCAVATORS

Abstract

The article presents the results of research devoted to assessing the impact of mining, geological and climatic conditions, as well as the quality of bench preparation, on the performance of open-pit excavators operated at mineral deposits in Uzbekistan. It is shown that the actual monthly productivity of excavators EKГ-20K, EKГ-15, and EX-3600 varies within the range of 230–450 thousand m³, while the annual operating time in machine hours directly depends on the condition of the working area. It has been established that under “good” bench conditions excavators achieve more than 5,000 machine hours per year, under “satisfactory” conditions 2,500–3,500 hours, and under “unsatisfactory” conditions less than 2,500 hours. The expediency of using a three-point scale for evaluating bench preparation quality, taking into account rock fragmentation, oversize content, parameters of the working platform, and time of additional operations, is substantiated. A comparative analysis of the application areas of mechanical and hydraulic excavators has revealed differences in their operational advantages and limitations. The findings confirm that both the technological condition of the bench and external natural-climatic factors predetermine the rate of resource consumption and the overall productivity of mining equipment.