Equipment/machinery failure rate in hard coal mines

Abstract

Abstract The main task of the maintenance services in hard coal mines is to ensure continuous operation of the equipment (machines). The measurable effect of these actions should be the reduction of maintenance costs of equipment (machinery) and thus the reduction of production costs – coal mining. The paper presents an issue of failure rate of technical measures applied in the mining process. In order to ensure greater efficiency and productivity, it is necessary to find the causes of the most frequent failures in this process and effectively counteract them. As a result of these activities, the production availability of machines/equipment involved in the mining process will increase. This will to a large extent ensure failure-free and uninterrupted progress, increase productivity and improve the quality of manufactured products, as well as reduce the operating costs of equipment (machines), and thus reduce production and product costs. This effect should consist mainly in the control of rational, safe and effective use and operation of equipment (machines) in the exploitation process. An algorithm implemented in one of the hard coal mines was presented. The technical condition of underground mining equipment was observed by periodical measurements of vibration parameters at selected points on the machine – measurements were conducted with a vibration pen. The aim of this research is to improve the reliability of technological process of a mining plant through its failure-free operation. In order to achieve this objective, i.e. the efficiency of a mining company, it is necessary to reduce its costs. The action that leads to this aim is a proper assessment of the technical condition with regard to the equipment used in technological process.