Step by step for a maintenance plan in mining

Mining is one of the oldest economic activities of civilization and indispensable for modern life.

Besides, mining plays a decisive role in the positive national trade balance and collects high amounts in taxes, having registered R$ 72.3 billion in 2020.

For these reasons, mining is considered a strategic sector, and every action in a mine must be well thought out and executed to avoid losses in economic activities or environmental impacts.

In this text, we will show you the step by step approach to implement an effective maintenance plan, reinforcing that this area is responsible for most of the operational costs of the activity. Let’s go!

Step by Step

1) Make a complete survey of the mine’s assets

Before effectively planning and implementing a predictive maintenance strategy in a mine, it is necessary to conduct a thorough scan to check the condition of the available machinery.

The whole process and the results must be well documented and accessible for managers to oversee.

This is a fundamental step for a good industrial maintenance plan focused on mining companies, since repair and maintenance team costs represent, on average, 30 to 50% of the operating budget in this segment.

Therefore, every intervention must be planned and produce results.

The main advantage of performing this step is that the maintenance team will be able to prioritize which machines need or will need intervention and performance is also a criterion to consider.

In a mine operation, in general, it is usually the machines that work with large rocks or heavy material that need the most care and attention.

2) Have stocks in the right measure

Stock represents costs.

The acquisition of equipment, its logistics, storage and installation represent huge costs for a mining company.

By investing in an effective predictive maintenance plan, the premature purchase of new equipment without necessity is avoided, and the occurrence of one of the most costly factors is reduced: the cost of downtime, as well as the reduction of high replacement inventories.

3) Define the maintenance plan

By categorizing the machines according to their level of importance to the operation and their propensity to fail, the management and interventions of the maintenance teams will significantly increase their efficiency.

Although predictive maintenance brings the greatest benefits, and it is the focus of this article, the definition of a plan will positively affect the productivity of the corrective and preventive maintenance teams.

A balance of the three types of maintenance, plus synchrony among the teams, is the best way to have an effective maintenance plan.

Define the actions and procedures that will be performed at all stages of the maintenance work: requisition, assignment, intervention, monitoring and evaluation.

In addition, it is also necessary to define the KPI’s for evaluating the procedures and routes.

4) Focus on workers safety

Mining is one of the economic activities considered to be the most dangerous by the Ministry of Labor, with the maximum classification of grade (4).

To ensure the safety of those who work in mining, the work environment must be in accordance with the regulations (NR-13), the maintenance teams properly trained, equipment in good condition, and machinery at the correct intensity.

Another important point is to choose your suppliers carefully. Pirated or poor quality equipment can be the cause of serious accidents and operation interruption.

5) Monitor and use data efficiently

Installing monitoring technologies, such as the Dynamox Solution for vibration over temperature, have the potential to increase the availability and reliability of mining machinery and reduce the need for post-failure interventions.

However, collecting and processing data is of little use if it is not properly used, that is, analyzed and conclusions and recommendations of action are drawn from it.

In addition, the sensor technology, gateways and the data processing and analysis platform facilitate the maintenance team’s work and management, and consequently, the follow-up of the performance indexes defined at the beginning of the process.

6) Final evaluation by the manager

The final step in an efficient maintenance plan in mining is the manager’s assessment of the team’s work.

It is the responsibility of the person in charge of maintenance at every mine to verify that all standards and procedures have been followed.

Now that you know the basics of a maintenance plan, invest in a technological solution that helps your company to obtain all the benefits of predictive maintenance.

Dynamox has applicable technology to various sectors of the industry and affordable for all sizes of business.

Enjoy and download the ebook on predictive techniques of continuous vibration monitoring to learn more.