Exploitation of a bed caused continuous movement of heads of the exploita- tion faces hence in the separated wall field the exploited zone becomes larger and space occupied by coal becomes smaller. After some time whole field becomes exploited and it is necessary to move to next longwall panel.
Thus, underground mining plants have to prepare (earlier enough) exploitation faces to which, after equipping it with appropriate equipment, working teams from finished excavation can come.
The whole process is complicated due to quantity and value of equipment and necessity of matching all operations in time and requires careful planning. Prepara- tion of the appropriate schedules for mining works is performed by a team of de-
signers looking for the most rational solution. Then, the schedule is to be accepted and becomes valid – production process should follow its assumptions.
Described software is helpful for the teams of designers since it allows quick overview of realized, in realization and planned mining works, available equipment and its applicability and availability in time. It facilitates preparing schedules for different types of works in future with optimized use of the machines.
At the beginning of designing process of new wall heading one has to make new sheet in base PRZODKI (CHARACTERISTIC OF MINING FACES) and enter its proper id number (it is the first record in it). Then, using digital map of bed in which new wall is located, one has to enter all necessary geological data as de- scribed above regarding realized walls or walls in realization. Then one has to enter into the sheet records defining geometry of designed excavation and its location in mine 3D space. To avoid repeating – details are as in previously described walls. Using earlier experience one has to choose the most appropriate exploitation tech- nology (system can display recommendations) – information regarding that can be found in the base TWP (TECHNOLOGY OF DRIVING FACES). Then, after enter- ing records including loading the wall with workforce, the system computes (bas- ing on the history) real advance and schedule – designer is to set starting moment. Technology is connected with equipping the wall with appropriate devices – sys- tem is to verify if they are available in required time. If certain machine is not available for the selected time, one can consider purchasing or renting it. It can happen that the machine can be available after small change of starting moment – such correction can be accepted or one can consider increasing advance oF the wall from which the device could be taken. After adjusting all elements the proposed solution can be discussed and accepted or compared to different variants prepared in the same way. Choosing the best solution deletes other proposals. Accepting the variant by all authorities makes it valid.
As one can see from the above, the system is not only helpful in planning fu- ture mining works but also facilitates rational use of technical means of production belonging to the particular company. This matter was the most important reason of creating discussed software.
3. CONCLUSION
Proposed IT system can be the most helpful in companies of a few mines (however, it can be helpful in single mine as well). After introducing, the system is to be filled with up-to-date data and records containing information about previous activity (as much as possible) – it relates to all bases of the system.
In order to ensure system functionality it is necessary to provide access to in- formation collected in proper, updated bases. By information one should under-
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stand data that can be collected in three groups (that should not be identified as bases) related to:
• devices, • technology,
• geological data,
• mining works that were realized, are in realization or are planned.
In case of the devices it is necessary to possess complete knowledge regarding equipment treated as technical means of production, including owned and possibly needed. Records have to contain technical parameters, condition, costs of exploita- tion, level of exploitation and availability.
Similar situation applies to technologies. The base has to contain complete set of all applied and applicable technologies with conditions of their use.
Geological data have been described in the previous chapter - implementation of the discussed system could be connected with elaborating geological documen- tation of the beds in digital form.
Another group of information includes mining works. Full overview of works that are realized, in realization and planned is necessary. It should include know- ledge regarding conditions and time of duration, used technologies and equipment. Majority of required information has been collected and recorded in different departments of mines so the major problem is to ensure their availability and unifi- cation.
In order to avoid performing the same actions twice, the system should be set to maximally use information already collected in mining companies, e.g. in other IT systems adjusted for different purposes. That is why introduction of such system should be preceded by unifying the procedures to ensure that in all plants similar departments enter (send) identically recorded (and understood) information to ex- isting systems.
It has been established that main goal of the discussed system is to provide possibility of complex and transparent operational analysis of technical means of production and their condition at arbitrary moment. Such possibility can be highly useful for the management since it allows controlling and evaluation of usefulness and level of use of the company assets together with needs regarding that matter compared with planned production tasks. The system should also facilitate making decisions regarding the most advantageous forms of acquisition of needed meas- ures.
Applying the discussed system in mines would also significantly facilitate work of people preparing plans of mining works by proposing different possible variants, allowing selection of the most rational solution.
Finally, in later stages of system implementation it should take into account economic side of the problem and measure results of work and applied equipment to analyze them in terms of economy. This field of system has not been finished yet.
Due to specific working conditions in mining industry like incomplete recog- nition of ground properties, unexpected events and complicated technological process there is a high uncertainty coefficient of achieving planned results and risk regarding realization of plans comparing to other branches. There is a possibility of developing the system in the future to take that aspect into account as well.
Scientific work financed by fund for education in 2007-2010 as Research and Development project no. R09 003 03.
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