SELECTION OF SURFACE MINE MACHINERY AND UTILIZATION FOR OPTIMUM PRODUCTION OF ROCK AGGREGATES IN SELECTED QUARRIES SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

The research was conducted using the data collected from Multiverse Plc and Kopek Construction Company. Quantitative method was adopted which involves the use of questionnaires to interview the workers and Suboleski cycle time model was used to analyse the data. The result of the research shows that the optimum number of trucks required for a single excavator to eliminate idle time is two. Suboleski cycle time model adopted reveals that by employing two excavators per truck in Multiverse Plc, the waiting time for a dump truck will be 0.2min (12sec) and in Kopek Construction Company, the waiting time will be 1.24min (80.4sec) and their respective crushers’ hourly productions will be 2400Tons/hour instead of 1400Tons/hour and 300Tons/hr instead of 180Tons/hr. From the results of the research cycle time, idle time and waiting time have been totally reduced which in turn lead to efficient utilization of equipment and consequently result in optimum production of the companies. The waiting time of the study areas was plotted against the fuel consumption and production capacity using Microsoft Excel software. For Multiverse, the correlation coefficients of the two graphs (waiting time against the fuel consumption and achieved production capacity) are 0.983 and 0.709 respectively indicating very strong correlation between them. It can also be observed that as the waiting time increases fuel consumption increases and production capacity eventually decreases. The correlation coefficients of three graphs (cycle time against truck capacity, achieved production capacity and fuel consumption) are 0.9597, 0.997 and 0.962 respectively indicating a very strong relationship between them. It was also observed that as the truck capacity and production capacity increases the cycle time increases while the fuel consumption decreases. For Kopek, the correlation coefficients of the two graphs (waiting time against the achieved production capacity and fuel consumption) are 0.923 and 0.993 respectively indicating strong correlation between them. The correlation coefficients of three graphs (cycle time against truck capacity, fuel consumption and achieved production capacity) are 0.911, 0.960 and 0.962 respectively indicating a very strong relationship between them