Recent Research Agendas in Mining Equipment Management: A Review

Abstract

Nowadays, with the advancement of technological innovations and wide implementation of modern mining equipment, research topics on mining equipment management are attracting more and more attention from both academic scholars and industrial practitioners. With this background, this paper comprehensively reviews recent publications in the field of mining equipment management. By analysing the characteristics of open-pit mine production and haulage equipment types, problem definitions, formulation models and solution approaches in the relevant literature, the reviewed papers are classified into three main categories, i.e., shovel–truck (ST); in-pit crushing–conveying (IPCC); and hybrid IPCC-ST systems. Research progress and characteristics in each categorized mining equipment system are discussed and evaluated, respectively. With a thorough assessment of recent research agendas, the significance of developing state-of-the-art mining equipment scheduling/timetabling methodologies is indicated, based on the application of classical continuous-time machine scheduling theory. Promising future research directions and hotspots are also provided for researchers and practitioners in the mining industry.

Keywords

• open-pit mining
• mining equipment management
• operations research in natural resources
• shovel–truck
• in-pit crushing–conveying
• research opportunities