Mining equipment includes everything that is necessary for extracting ore out of the ground (or water). In order to extract these ores, miners need to use heavy machinery that works to break down rocks and dig them out of the earth. These machines can weigh hundreds of tons and cost millions of dollars. Mine shafts are tunnels dug deep underground where the miners go to mine the ore. The shafts are generally less than 100 meters deep, but some may reach depths of over 1000 meters. Shafts are used to transport the raw material out of the mines. These assets need periodic care and rejuvenation to ensure they still perform well. For large operations, this can be cumbersome in the absence of a structured asset management plan.
Asset management refers to how you manage your assets (machines, tools, etc.) to optimize their performance and lifespan. An effective asset management plan should include the following:
- Regular inspections
- Preventative maintenance
- Scheduled replacement of parts
- Reasonable downtime between repair work
- Replacement of worn-out components
- Determining when maintenance is due
- Proper scheduling of repairs
However, even though these actions may appear simple, there are many factors that influence whether they are actually performed well. These measures are typically carried out in the form of maintenance activities in asset intensive organisations. Computerised Maintenance Maintenance Managment systems can handle these tasks effectively and assist organisations in managing their physical assets in good condition. Maintenance management systems are typically software programs that collect and organize data about how well each device in a facility performs. An example would be if there was only one electrical outlet in a room and that outlet gets hot due to overuse. A maintenance management program could run tests on this single outlet and determine if it’s functioning properly. Another example is if there is a single air conditioner in a building and it runs out of refrigerant, a maintenance manager might be able to find out where that refrigerant went and what happened to it. MMS programs can help prevent problems before they happen. MMS software make routine, repetitive and complex scheduling easier for plant managers.
