Equivalent availability index for the performance measurement of haul truck fleets

This article presents a model of performance analysis for a truck fleet system in an openpit mine, considering special characteristics of haul fleets. In these systems, the expected availability of each piece of equipment and its operating capacity are the fundamental variables to construct a global fleet performance function. Our analytical algorithm considers heterogeneous fleets with known individual characteristics of transport capacity and failure and repair behavior. The results converge to a new indicator denominated “Equivalent Availability” (EA), which arises from the need to evaluate the capacity of the truck fleet to operate at a lower payload than required using different combinations of equipment to achieve an availability goal. EA is a key indicator to determine the productive capacity of a process, and for selecting equipment and their combinations to achieve production objectives. To exemplify the potentialities of the EA, a case study is implemented in a Chilean copper truck fleet mining process.